DAY 50 OF MY SKI SEASON
And just like that, I’m halfway to the century mark. It’s kind of crazy that I’ve already skied 50 days this season. It feels like just yesterday that it was early November and I was gearing up for what was to come. I guess it’s true: Time flies when you’re having fun. In those 50 days, I've skied at 10 different ski areas, including two I’d never been to before. I’ve already made some great memories, and with so much of the season still ahead, I’m bound to make many more.
Smuggler’s Notch.
Cochran’s Ski Area.
Jay Peak.
Oak Mountain.
Anyways, I spent day 50 at Whiteface Mountain. I got there after work, as usual, and the place was empty. I'd imagine that’s because it was a Tuesday after a holiday, but it could’ve also been due to the cold temperatures. It was the kind of day where the base was in the single digits or low teens, with the temperature obviously getting colder higher up the mountain and, for whatever reason, that tends to keep people away, at least in my experience.
Whales on Approach.
Upper Parkway.
A patch of ice on Paron’s Run.
Victoria.
They had all but the Little Whiteface double spinning. There were more than 80 runs and glades open, and they received two to four inches of fresh snow overnight. Despite the new snow, though, it was fairly windy, and you could find some firm spots and ice patches here and there. Upper Skyward was even closed, presumably due to firm conditions. That being said, I’d say the conditions were mostly packed powder, with wind-blown powder in the mix in random spots and along the edges. Some runs were firmer, like Paron’s Run, and others were nice and soft, like Excelsior, the left side of Victoria and the top part of Upper Parkway.
Snowmaking seen from mid-mountain.
The Follies.
10th Mountain Division Glades.
Upper Empire.
They were also making snow in a lot of places, including Ilmar’s Alley, Danny’s Bridge, Lower Valley, Easy Street and Wilderness. That snow was pretty nice to ski through, but I found myself trying to avoid it as much as possible, because it did at times stick to my goggles. The best snow of the day that I skied was probably in the 10th Mountain Division Glades. Snow clearly had been getting funneled in there by the wind and the powder was pretty deep in spots. The 10th Mountain Division Glades dump you out onto the lower part of Upper Empire, and the left side of that was also really nice.
Day 50 has come and gone. Here’s to many more!
Never Quit Skiing,
Lincoln