POWDER AFTERNOON AT WHITEFACE

For the first time in a long time, Whiteface had a big powder day on a day that I could ski there. I specify that part about being able to ski there, because they had a big power day last year, but I just happened to have six broken ribs and missed out. While it would’ve been nice to have a full day at the mountain, I’ve been very busy at work lately and that just wasn’t in the cards today. I also got to the mountain way later than usual, because my house got dumped on as well, and I had to shovel and clean up the snow around the house after work.

Lower Skyward.

Victoria.

I got to the mountain about an hour later than usual, and even got dressed at my car so I could get to the gondola faster. With me getting there so late, my plan was to simply lap the gondola to maximize my time and get the most runs in. Whiteface received more than a foot of snow in this storm, and it was still actively snowing. The snow from this storm was notably very light and fluffy, which isn’t something we see at such high volume too often in the East.

10th Mountain Division Glades.

Upper Empire.

High Country Glades.

With me getting there in the afternoon, the snow was all tracked up, of course, but there was still powder everywhere. Conditions were great, though there were some spots where the snow had been scraped off, such as on Essex, which had a big ice patch right at the top. I was able to get two runs in through the glades. My first run was in the 10th Mountain Division Glades, and the snow was awesome in there. Coverage is great and only getting deeper. My second run was through the High Country Glades, and cover was good in it as well.

Upper Mackenzie.

Upper Mackenzie.

My run of the day was probably Upper Mackenzie, mainly because it was an adventure. The run was covered in large whales, and most of the powder had been pushed down to the sides of the whales. If you wanted to actually ski on the whale, you could hold an edge, but it was firm. Your best bet was to ski the sides of the run, which were fairly narrow due to the size of the whales, and ski around the whales. Seriously, it was just a very interesting trail to ski this afternoon.

Never Quit Skiing,

Lincoln