INTERESTING SKI CONDITIONS AT WHITEFACE MOUNTAIN

I’m not going to lie to you, it was an interesting day at Whiteface. Between the wind, the extreme cold high up, the ice and, also, the random pockets of great snow, it was a cocktail of conditions. Fortunately, I was thirsty and ready to partake in whatever came my way.

Face Lift.

The sign at the Summit Quad.

When I got to the mountain, the gondola was on wind hold and it never came back online. This left just the Face Lift and the Summit Quad as the primary open lifts. They were spinning a beginner lift and a carpet as well, but I didn’t utilize either. I started my day uploading to the Summit Quad via the Face Lift. They had a sign at the Summit Quad letting you know that conditions were hard and fast. That’s always a good sign, right?

Between the wind and frigid temperatures up high, it was a long and cold ride up the Summit Quad. The only parts of me that were really bothered by it were my fingers and my feet. I should’ve worn mittens and I also should’ve dried my boots last night. My mistake.

Paron’s Run.

The natural snow section of The Follies.

As the sign said, conditions were hard and fast on both Paron’s Run and The Follies, though there was some pretty soft powder to be found right along the edges and at the final turn of Paron’s Run, which had some great snow. The lower part of The Follies, which is always natural snow-only, was also really nice. The best snow I found off the Summit Quad today was on Lower Skyward. The snow was soft powder and it was great to ski through, especially having just come down a few firm stretches of trail.

Lower Skyward.

To be honest, the best skiing this afternoon may have actually been off the Face Lift. The snow on the runs going down to the base of the mountain weren’t as subject to the wind as the runs up high, and this meant more packed powder and less firm areas. Sometimes that’s just how things go. The right side of Upper Valley, in particular, I thought skied really well. There was a lot of wind-blown powder there.

Never Quit Skiing,

Lincoln