SKIING FANTASTIC SOFT SNOW AT WHITEFACE
I didn’t really want to ski today, but my skis were in the shop at Whiteface and I needed to pick them up before a long stretch of skiing in Vermont. I’m off work next week and I plan on getting around to a bunch of ski areas. It’s a good thing I went today, because the snow was great and I got to ski with several friends.
Looking down Upper Skyward.
Today was my 30th ski day this month, which is a milestone I’ve never reached before. I do kind of regret taking a day off now, as I could’ve had perfect attendance, but sometimes a day off is needed. January was a lot of fun. I skied at 10 different ski areas across four states: New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Not too shabby!
Lower Skyward.
Taken at the top of the Wilmington Trail.
Alright, back to today. My work ended up running over a bit so I got to the mountain a little later than usual this afternoon. The Empire State Winter Games started today and finding a parking spot was a bit more difficult than usual, but I still managed to get a spot in the closest (free) lot to the base lodge. While the parking lot was busy, the mountain was not. The gondola had a short wait from time to time, but no other lifts did.
Looking down Essex.
They were spinning all of the usual lifts, except the Little Whiteface double. There were 82 trails open, including some glades, which I didn't ski. Snowmaking has wrapped up on Hoyt’s High and Lookout Below. Neither opened today, but I’d imagine they will this weekend.
Cloudspin.
Victoria.
Lower McKenzie.
This week has had some pretty cold days, but today was not one of them. It was relatively mild for this time of year, from the top of the mountain to the bottom. As a result, the snow was nice and soft pretty much everywhere. Sometimes when the temperature is marginal like this you can get sticky snow, but that was not the case today. There were a few icy patches here and there, but nothing too noteworthy. Overall, coverage is still good on the edges of Cloudspin. The middle remains a rock garden. Lower McKenzie has plenty of snow on it, but there were a few more rocks poking through on it than there had been this week.
As mentioned, I’m planning to ski in Vermont over the next week or so. I’m still not exactly sure where I’m headed tomorrow, but I’m leaning towards Jay Peak or Smuggler’s Notch. It’s also possible that I may take a break.
Never Quit Skiing,
Lincoln
The view of Little Whiteface from Cloudspin.