The 2006 AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge: WHITEFACE and ORDA CEO Ted Blazer!

[thetrailboss]

Ted Blazer, CEO and President of the ORDA and of Whiteface Mountain has agreed to take the 2006 Alpine Zone Challenge!!! This is your opportunity to ask questions, offer suggestions, or say some praise to the men and women who are in charge of the Northeast’s Ski Areas. Please post some suggested questions in this thread and we'll select ten to present for official responses.

Also please don't be offended if we edit/change your question for grammar, tone, or some other minor thing. In order to get in all of the questions we MAY merge some questions but we'll do our best to keep the substance of your question. If we don't get your question in, feel free to post a follow up after we get the results...we are encouraging the representatives follow the threads. :wink:

As always, please be respectful of Ted and keep it civil. Also, please refrain from asking specifics about skier visit numbers, financials, demographic information, etc. Whiteface needs to be discrete about certain information.

We are honored to have Ted participate in this challenge—Whiteface’s third. Please take advantage of this special opportunity!

Ask away!

Whiteface’s 2004 Challenge Responses
Whiteface’s 2005 Challenge Responses
Whiteface’s Profile

 

[kcyanks1]

Great job getting someone so high up! If he is the President of ORDA, does that mean that Gore Mountain questions are relevant as well, or is this limited to Whiteface? (I don't necessarily have any Gore questions on the top of my head, but I'm sure others might or I might think of something.)

 

[thetrailboss]

Yep, Gore is fair game I've been told.

 

[kcyanks1]

Yep, Gore is fair game I've been told.

Great, thanks for the info. I'm sure Tin will ask this question in much better detail and with more discussion, but in case he doesn't post in the next few days, just to get it on the record:

Why is there a plan to have a gondola connecting the bases of Gore Mtn. and the Snow Bowl, rather than having a lift that goes at least part way up the mountain and allows for some skiing before reaching the other base?

 

[Greg]

Yep, Gore is fair game I've been told.

Just to clarify. Let's please keep this set of questions specific to Whiteface. We'll start another thread eventually for Gore.

 

[kcyanks1]

Just to clarify. Let's please keep this set of questions specific to Whiteface. We'll start another thread eventually for Gore.

Oh, sorry to take it off topic.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Hi Ted,

Thanks for participating:

1. What are the chances that the Tree Island Pod project will begin this summer?

2. I’ve also heard of a proposal to make another blue trail off the summit of Little White, so intermediates would have another option besides Excelsior. Is there any chance of that happening for the coming season?

3. I saw signs at Kids Kampus that said something like coming for Christmas 2006 new base lodge. What is going to happen there?

4. I’ve heard rumors of new glades opening up. Any developments in that regard for the coming season?

 

[takeahike46er]

1. What are the chances that the Tree Island Pod project will begin this summer?

I'd like to add to that.

--If not this summer, has there been any progress made on moving forward with the Tree Island Pod?


--"Whiteface Glade" (the area between Paron's and Cloudspin) was proposed as new terrain the mountain would like to add. Any chance it will be debuting any time soon?


--The Slides seemed like they were open more this year than in previous years, despite the relatively mild temperatures that dominated much of the winter season. Was this due to a change in policy or favorable conditions?


--Empire rarely opens! Any off-season work that could improve its uptime (other than
snowmaking!)

 

[AdironRider]

Some great questions have already been asked, but Ill throw out a few.

1- I noticed that the snowmaking capabilities of the mt. were greatly improved this year and made for a positive riding experience despite unfavorable conditions. Will there be any more improvements to the snowmaking system in the near future?

2- Will there be any increased effort to open the superpipe earlier in the season? With the World Cup being such a public event, and with the incredible setup that Whiteface has in place (a whole seperate run and lift), this could prove beneficial in increasing visits to the younger crowd.

Keep up the good work. This season was great and Ive only seen improvements in my time as a season pass holder. Thanks for all the hard work.

 

[Greg]

In general, what are your thoughts on the new online community specifically for skiers of the Adirondacks at SkiADK.com? Do you feel forums like these are a good resource for feedback and have you ever seriously considered a suggestion that was posted on Web forums like SkiADK or AlpineZone? Do you feel other ski areas are missing out by not tapping into online resources like these? I look forward to your continued participation on SkiADK and AlpineZone.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

kcyanks knows me too well, but I'll hold off on that question until the Gore AZ Challenge is in place.

Kudos on the great questions so far. Mine are as follows:

1) Following up on the questions regarding the Tree Island Pod, on what basis will ORDA decide whether to move forward with the proposed Lookout Pod and what would be the timing of this move? Are there environmental concerns specific to that terrain (Bicknell's Thrush, etc...) that will need to be addressed before beginning construction?

2) As currently planned, does ORDA envision creating terrain in the Tree Island or Lookout pods which conforms to recent Eastern skiing trends of gladed and adventure type skiing, or should we expect only groomed boulevards?

3) Are there any plans for the terrain underneath he Cloudspitter gondola (not necessarily the liftline)?

 

[kcyanks1]

kcyanks knows me too well, but I'll hold off on that question until the Gore AZ Challenge is in place.

Kudos on the great questions so far. Mine are as follows:

I'm always interested in the terrain development questions, but what's the point of asking when I know you are going to ask it much better and from a much more informed point of view?

Good Whiteface questions, by the way. I've always wondering what it would be like if they could develop the terrain under the Gondola. I figured that a left coming from the left going up to to the right (from the perspective of going up the mountain on the gondola), perhaps to the top of Little Whiteface or somewhere else a little further down on the ridge, would be cool.

Also, please excuse my ignorance, but where exactly are the Tree Island and Lookout pods? Is one of them the terrain to the right of the slides (looking up the mountain)? I thought that was an area for future development, and it too looks like very promising terrain.

 

[Tin Woodsman]

Also, please excuse my ignorance, but where exactly are the Tree Island and Lookout pods? Is one of them the terrain to the right of the slides (looking up the mountain)? I thought that was an area for future development, and it too looks like very promising terrain.

The Tree Island Pod is indeed to lookers' right of the Slides. If you check out the Whiteface topo, you can even see what looks like an old trail right in the middle of the area they're talking about. The proposed Lookout Pod would be further to lookers' right, I believe 2 drainages to the East. My guess is that will never get built, but ya never know.

 

[kcyanks1]

The Tree Island Pod is indeed to lookers' right of the Slides. If you check out the Whiteface topo, you can even see what looks like an old trail right in the middle of the area they're talking about. The proposed Lookout Pod would be further to lookers' right, I believe 2 drainages to the East. My guess is that will never get built, but ya never know.

Thanks.

 

[takeahike46er]

Are there environmental concerns specific to that terrain (Bicknell's Thrush, etc...) that will need to be addressed before beginning construction?

I know that there is a three-year study regarding Bicknell's Thrush that concludes this summer in late-June.

2) As currently planned, does ORDA envision creating terrain in the Tree Island or Lookout pods which conforms to recent Eastern skiing trends of gladed and adventure type skiing, or should we expect only groomed boulevards?

The following quote might help answer your question regarding Tree Island:

"Serviced by a double chairlift, the proposed trail network will consist of several narrow (12 – 24 m wide), interconnected expert trails within an elevational range of 850-1235 m. The trails are planned to utilize natural terrain and tree cover to the extent possible, and will include a long intermediate run following the primary ridge down toward Easy Acres."

 

[kcyanks1]

The following quote might help answer your question regarding Tree Island:

"Serviced by a double chairlift, the proposed trail network will consist of several narrow (12 – 24 m wide), interconnected expert trails within an elevational range of 850-1235 m. The trails are planned to utilize natural terrain and tree cover to the extent possible, and will include a long intermediate run following the primary ridge down toward Easy Acres."

That sounds fantastic overall. Natural snow, narrow (hopefully somewhat windy) trails, relatively low lift capacity...Perfect, if only Whiteface would consistently get the natural snow to keep such trails open much of the season. When they are open, though, it will add a whole new dimension to the ski area.

 

[takeahike46er]

I doubt they will be entirely au natural, although I don't have anything to back that up. Just a hunch.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

That sounds fantastic overall. Natural snow, narrow (hopefully somewhat windy) trails, relatively low lift capacity...Perfect, if only Whiteface would consistently get the natural snow to keep such trails open much of the season. When they are open, though, it will add a whole new dimension to the ski area.

There is snowmaking planned for the expansion.

 

[kcyanks1]

There is snowmaking planned for the expansion.

Ah, I severely misinterpreted "utilize natural terrain."

If the trails are narrow enough, though, that might limit grooming efforts.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Ah, I severely misinterpreted "utilize natural terrain."

If the trails are narrow enough, though, that might limit grooming efforts.

At least it was the way I heard it from someone who would know. I can't imagine spending the money to expand and then relying on only natural snow.