WHITEFACE: The 2005 Alpinezone Ski Area Challenge

[thetrailboss]

Sandy Caligiore, from Whiteface Mountain has agreed to take the AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge! This is your chance to get official answers to your ski-related questions direct from a Northeast ski resort representative! 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. 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 Sandy 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.

Ask away!

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Is there any chance the proposed trail expansion will start this year?

I’ve also heard rumors of more terrain being open for tree skiing, if true when?

I know that construction of the new NYSEF building has started, what’s going into the old one?

Thanks

 

[dmc]

I've never been to Whiteface to ski.
How do you respond to the "Whiteface is too cold and icey" thing? I've heard it a dozen times.. Just want to hear your take on it.

 

[thetrailboss]

Wow...no questions for Whiteface???!!!!

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Could you post the 2004 challenge so we don't repeat questions?

 

[thetrailboss]

Ask and ye shall receive:

Last year's questions and replies.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

OK, since no one else seems to be axin I have some more questions for Sandy, BTW I don’t mean to be critical with any of my questions, they’re just some things that have crossed my mine. I love Whiteface and think the administration and staff there do a great job.

The state of NY owns Whiteface, Gore and Belleayre, but ORDA only runs Whiteface and Gore. Has there ever been any discussion of ORDA adding Belleayre?

There is presently a Whiteface/Gore season pass, how about a Whiteface/Gore/Belleayre option?

Speaking of Gore, in the last few years they opened up expert terrain under three lifts Straightbrook Quad has Double Barrel, Top Ridge Triple has High Pines Glades, and High Peaks chair has Dark Side Glades. They are only open when there is enough natural snow and all three are a blast to ski. Couldn’t Whiteface do the same under the Summit Quad? The terrain under there is no more difficult then what they’ve put to use at Gore.

There was a lot of talk about building another lodge at the summit of Little Whiteface. Any news on that? I kind of hope that one doesn’t happen.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Could you post the 2004 challenge so we don't repeat questions?

Even if some questions are similar to last season there are probably a lot of new AZers that weren’t around then and would benefit from the answers. Not just for Whiteface, but all the mountains that participate in the challenge. Plus things change at ski areas from year to year. What may have been true last season could have changed for the upcoming one.

 

[takeahike46er]

Whiteface is often referred to as a racer's mountain because of the emphasis (perceived or real) on steep, groomed runs. Could Whiteface do more to highlight a group of consistently bumped trails that rival the more famous mogul runs elsewhere?

Any plans for more marked tree runs within the current network of trails?


Will there ever be another intermediate trail (besides Excelsior) cut from the summit of Little Whiteface? Excelsior sees a lot of use and conditions tend to suffer because of this.

 

[thetrailboss]

Nobody has any other questions for Whiteface?

 

[thetrailboss]

OK, here is one: I've never skied Whiteface let alone New York. Being a native Vermonter, what does Whiteface offer me that I can't get anywhere else in New England?

 

[jamesdeluxe]

What is Whiteface doing to increase visits from Canadians? Seems odd that they aim the lion's share of their marketing budget at the NYC area (five hours to the south) while Montreal is barely 90 minutes away.

On the French-Canadian site ZoneSki, Quebeckers are always going on about how they'd like to try Whiteface, but can't afford it.

 

[thetrailboss]

Good questions...I'm thinking we're going to send these out tomorrow PM, so get your questions in ASAP.

 

[thetrailboss]

OK, some good material to work with here, so I'm shutting it down and sending them out. Thanks!

 

[Greg]

Sandy's responses are in!

http://skiing.alpinezone.com/articles/challenge/2005/response.htm?resort=whiteface

 

[takeahike46er]

Thank you Sandy. Keep up the good work.

 

[thetrailboss]

Sandy's responses are in!

http://skiing.alpinezone.com/articles/challenge/2005/response.htm?resort=whiteface

Whoa...that was fast!

 

[thetrailboss]

Overall, good responses. Thanks Sandy!!