SKIING ICE AND POWDER AT WHITEFACE

It was an interesting afternoon of skiing at Whiteface. The snow surface was variable from top to bottom. There was a fair amount of ice out there today, but also some powder to be found if you knew where to look. The edges were also in good shape, as per usual.

Approach to Draper’s Drop was closed all day due to racing. Approach is the sole access point off the gondola for Mountain Run, Upper Thruway and Draper’s Drop. These trails just opened last weekend. It’s a lot of terrain so this was a significant closure. For the public, they were spinning the gondola, Summit Quad, Face Lift, The Notch and Warhorse. The Freeway Lift, which also provides access to Mountain Run (but not Approach), Upper Thruway and Draper’s Drop was spinning for racers only, which Whiteface noted in the conditions report for the day. It was cold and the mountain reported one to three inches of fresh snow overnight, which fell after a multi-day mild stretch of weather that included some rain.

Like I said, the snow conditions were variable. The fresh snow last night definitely helped keep the ice at bay, but there were some big patches out there on The Follies, Paron’s Run, Victoria and Lower Valley. That’s just what happens when you have a temperature roller coaster like we’ve seen this week so it wasn’t all that surprising. Essex was probably the best trail I skied. There were some nice pockets of powder.

As for snowmaking, there was no snowmaking on the main mountain or Little Whiteface. All efforts were focused on Lookout Mountain’s Wilmington Trail. With the temperatures we’re expected to have over the next few days, it may very well be open by Christmas, which would be its earliest opening ever.

Tomorrow will be my last day skiing at Whiteface until after the holidays. For the first time since I started skiing there, I’m blacked out during the holiday periods, which, in this instance, runs from December 25 to January 1, and I’m planning to ski on my other passes in the days leading up to Christmas. Once the blackout period arrives, I won’t be skiing every day, but I will ski most days at places like Jay Peak, where I have an unrestricted season pass, and Smuggler’s Notch, where I have an unrestricted Bash Badge. I may also end up at some smaller ski areas, like Beartown Ski Area and Mount Pisgah in northern New York.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Lincoln