SKIING OFF THE BEGINNER LIFT AT WHITEFACE AMID WIND HOLDS

Riding the Falcon Flyer in the Bear Den Learning Center at Whiteface.

Today was a cold and windy day at Whiteface. Temperatures were in the single digits at the base and winds were strong around the mountain. As a result, there were wind holds all day. When I got to the mountain they were spinning the Falcon Flyer and the magic carpets. It’s possible they were also spinning Warhorse over at the main base area, but I never went to check. Aside from Warhorse, which services a terrain park and some beginner runs, all of the opens lifts were in the Bear Den Learning Center and they provide access to beginner terrain.

The Bear Den area was pretty quiet. There was a short line for the Falcon Flyer at times, but generally you could just ski right on. Glades aside, there are 9 trails in Bear Den and all of them were open, including Flying Squirrel, which has a terrain park.

Looking down Bobcat and Moose in the Bear Den Learning Center.

Conditions were great on the open runs. The snow was packed powder and, despite it being the afternoon, you could still find some corduroy out there. I’m not someone who does anything in the terrain park, but it seemed like the jumps they had set up on Flying Squirrel were a nice size for beginners. They also had some other features on it like boxes.

Flying Squirrel

Otter

Today was day 42 of my ski season. It was the first day of the season where winds significantly impacted my ski day. Yesterday was a windy day in the Northeast as well, but I was able to ski in Vermont at Smuggler’s Notch, which allowed me to avoid major wind holds. That wasn’t an option today as I had plans this evening. Tomorrow looks like another windy day, unfortunately. It’s possible I may be back on the Falcon Flyer again.

Talk to you tomorrow,

Lincoln