WHITEFACE: The 2007 AlpineZone Challenge

[thetrailboss]

Sandy Caligiore, the Communications Director of Whiteface Resort has agreed to take the 2007 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 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.

We are honored to have Whiteface join us for their FOURTH AZ Challenge!!! Please take advantage of this special opportunity!


Ask away!

Whiteface’s Profile

Previous Whiteface Responses:

2004 Responses.
2005 Responses.
2006 Responses.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Hey Sandy,
What work will be done this summer and fall on the Lookout Mt. expansion?
When do you expect work on cutting trails to start?
Thanks,
HPD

 

[jimmer]

is there any plans for new lifts any time soon, i know the gondi and base quad are fairly new but the rest of the hill is in need of an upgrade for sure.

the times when i went up last year you wernt running the lifts up lw [mt run chair and the one next to it] a pain to do gondi runs all day, hope it runs more this year.

other than that i really like your mt, keep up your good work and hope for a snowy 07/08. see you soon.

jimmer

 

[L2RAFO]

Sandy, I'm sure that Centerplate has their uses, but they are doing a terrible job in the lounge.

For the last number of seasons weekend patrons could always count on specialty days where vendors like Sam Adams, Lake Placid Pub & Brewerey, and many others would show up, and promote their product with giveaways, games, and on mountain activities ( Find The Three Sams, etc. ).

Last season it was Bud, Bud, Bud, and, oh what a surprise, another Bud promotion. It got to the point were you were floored to see a rare appearance by the Jagermeister bimbettes who seemed to be there every other weekend the previous season ( I think they showed once, maybe twice last year ).

Why don't you find a way to involve Whiteface's marketing team ( Bidget in particular ) to return the fun to weekends in the lounge ( talk about a simple way to make some easy money ).

And, in addition, replace as often as possible the sad, and tired DJ's, and their Brady Bunch questions with more live music. The St. Patty's Day trio that showed up for all of about half an hour are local, and said they would love to return, but were never asked.

I couldn't be a bigger fan of Whiteface, and with so many plans to make the mountain so much better in the years to come it seems absurd that proper management of the lounge should be an issue.

 

[takeahike46er]

There is mention of widening Empire in the 2006 UMP. It seems to be a controversial proposal based on the reactions I have seen. Could you clarify the reasons for the changes and to what degree Empire will change?

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

Sandy,

I have a couple of questions regarding on-mountain facilities.

Regarding the mid-lodge, is there still a plan to move it to the left and out of the middle of the trails? If so, will the old lodge be moved, or will there be all-new construction?

Regarding the Lookout Mountain lodge, I've seen references to it being a "cabin". Does this mean there will be restrooms and space for brownbag lunches, or will food and/or beverages be availabe atop LM?

Many thanks.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I had heard that the Kids Kampus Lodge was going to be expanded this summer for more seating. Is that still on?

 

[ajl50]

The focus on opening up the summit early was duly appreciated and the snowmaking improvements sure heled a great deal with that. Are they anymore improvements w/r/t upgrades in the guns? Locations? Focus on certain areas?

 

[L2RAFO]

Last year there were five demo days at Gore while, for the first time I can remember, Whiteface had none. I know that this was due in part to the fact that Whiteface's demo days are still arranged by the mountain instead of the individual shops ( which is how it's done at Gore ). Seeing as the local shops would be the obvious beneficiary ( from an equipment sales standpoint anyway) of a demo day, would it be possible to let them arrange, throught the mountain obviously, to get the demo teams up from each vendor they represent, and get us the type of multiple demo day schedule Gore has enjoyed for years?

I've gotta' figure it would be another way to bolster ticket sales as well.

( Sorry Sandy, I just remembered that there was a tele demo day put on by High Peaks later in the season, but that just seems to back up my stance that individual retailers are the perfect organization point for demo days. Althiugh I'm not a good enough free heeler myself to have participated in that demo, I was at the mountain for the event, and spoke with a number of people who came from many other ski areas specifically to take advantage of that demo opportunity. )

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

The First Tracks program is very popular Xmas and Pres. weeks. Has offering it every weekend ever been considered?

 

[L2RAFO]

There's been talk on the Ski ADK forums about the number of miles left for developement of the Whiteface trail system before the 25 mile limit is reached. Some say there is 2.5 miles left, and others say that the Lookout Mountain project gets us to that limit. Would you provide the "official" answer on this subject, and could you discuss what, if any, steps are being taken to ammend the NY State constitution to allow an increase for trail developement at Whiteface in the future?

I want to thank you for taking the time to answer all of these questions. It is a wonderful opportunity for us diehard fans of Whiteface to get real insight into what's going on at the mountain instead of the typical third hand speculation that happens over apres' ski, and ride cocktails ( although, don't get me wrong, that's fun too ).

 

[takeahike46er]

Sandy,

As you are probably aware, Greene County has called for a moratorium on the expansion of all state-owned ski areas until there is an investigation into the potential harm to the private ski industry. Will this have any real effect on the expansion at Whiteface?

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

There's been talk on the Ski ADK forums about the number of miles left for developement of the Whiteface trail system before the 25 mile limit is reached. Some say there is 2.5 miles left, and others say that the Lookout Mountain project gets us to that limit. Would you provide the "official" answer on this subject, and could you discuss what, if any, steps are being taken to ammend the NY State constitution to allow an increase for trail developement at Whiteface in the future?

L2RAFO mentioned the 25 mile trail limit. Is there an acreage limit as well? For example, the width of a 2 mile trail would certainly impact the amount of skiable acreage, but not the 25 miles of trails length limit.

Including the new Glades, how much skiable acreage will Whiteface have after the expansion?

 

[ajl50]

Will the terrain park remain on Brookside for the upcoming year?

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Any chance of adding more on mountain web cams besides the one in the lodge that points at the Facelift? How about one in the mid lodge pointing up at Mountain Run?

 

[thetrailboss]

Final call. Closing today.

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

There is mention of widening Empire in the 2006 UMP. It seems to be a controversial proposal based on the reactions I have seen. Could you clarify the reasons for the changes and to what degree Empire will change?

Sandy,

As takeahike46er rightly pointed out, and to build on the question, the rumors about Empire are quite "controversial". Instead of explaining what changes will or might take place, how about instead pledging to the legions of Empire skiers out there that Empire will never be widened, groomed or have snow made on it?

Whiteface has done a tremendous job expanding its terrain lately to handle increased traffic and Lookout Mountain will only help. I would think (as an avid skier, but not as an industry expert or ski area designer) that the marginal benefit of reduced congestion is more than outweighed by the extreme benefit of retaining a unique bit of terrain on the mountain. Sometimes the best progress is doing nothing at all. Empire may not have the reputation of a classic northeast trail, but it's a favorite for many people (I think/hope).

Thanks for your time.

 

[ajl50]

Will the new expansion diminish the snowmaking ability on the rest of the mountain or will new pumps be installed to handle the increased demand?

 

[L2RAFO]

Final call. Closing today.

TTB, these are all great questions, and I'd really like to hear answers to each of them, but I also understand that only ten get submitted. Would you do your best to combine as many as is logically possible so that might be possible?

Thanks muchly!!!

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

TTB, these are all great questions, and I'd really like to hear answers to each of them, but I also understand that only ten get submitted. Would you do your best to combine as many as is logically possible so that might be possible?

Thanks muchly!!!

U worry too much bro. TB been at this a long time. All will be asked and answered. :-D