MARCH SKIING AT WHITEFACE
After a day off from skiing, I was back on snow this afternoon for my first March ski day at Whiteface. March is probably the best month to ski Whiteface. Most of the mountain is typically open, it’s usually warmer, and there can still be some big time snowstorms. On top of that, the mountain is usually less crowded than it is during peak season, though Whiteface is rarely actually crowded.
The view from Little Whiteface.
The bottom of Upper Empire.
It was a quiet Tuesday, with virtually no lines to speak of at the lifts. Most of the mountain was open, including The Slides. The closed terrain included a couple of glades and Lookout Below. Relative to what its been, it was a warm day with temperatures in the 20s and 30s, though it did feel a little colder late in the afternoon up high, as winds picked up.
Upper Wilderness.
Lower Mackenzie.
The snow was nice and soft practically everywhere this afternoon. You could even hold an edge in the spots that used to be very slick, such as the cliff area on Upper Mackenzie, which is in the best shape it’s been in a while. There were some trails that were a little firm, such as Hoyt’s High, which was fast right down the middle, but the sides had snow. While the snow was soft, it wasn’t so soft that it was all mushed up like it gets on really warm days. The snow surface was still relatively flat and consistent everywhere, though that may change in the coming days as a warm spell ushers in spring skiing conditions in the East.
Looking down Upper Skyward.
The Follies.
As mentioned, The Slides were open, but when I made it to the summit ski patrol had already shut them down for the day. I haven’t skied Paron’s Run or The Follies in a while, so I skipped Skyward and headed down The Follies. It was a typical trip down The Follies, but it was nice to be back on it.
The view in Slide View Glades.
Slide View Glades.
Slide View Glades.
The only glade I skied today was the Slide View Glades off Approach. This glade has a couple of steep sections, and the trees can be both tight or relatively open, depending on your line and where you are in the glade. Today Slide View was fine. The snow was soft, but fairly heavy in spots where it wasn’t super tracked out. There were also some rocks, etc. starting to poke through the snow surface in some areas. It was all avoidable, though. While fun, it was a one and done for me.
Never Quit Skiing,
Lincoln