High Peaks Ski Area

Original to Hyperski, November 1998

Whiteface Mountain is one of the 46 peaks in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State with a summit above 4000 feet. These 46 peaks are know by locals as the high peaks region. Whiteface is the fifth highest in the chain. Climb this mountain as well as the other 45 high peaks and you become a 46er. It’s an unofficial club who's membership numbers are unknown to me. I am half way to becoming an unofficial member. One of the peaks I have not climbed is Whiteface. I choose to ride a chair lift to arrive near the summit. The ride offers an incredible view of most of the forty six peaks above 4000 feet. The view from the top of the Summit Quad is one of the the most spectacular vistas in eastern skiing. Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains of Vermont can be seen to the east. Looking west you see the lake that gives the village of Lake Placid its name. The ski jumps of Lake Placid are visible and diminutive looking from Whiteface’s summit. A nine mile ride to the village and ski jump base will give you another perspective of these jumps and the people that use them.

Whiteface has glade skiing, a wonderful beginner's area known as Kids Campus, and last year opened up what was previously out of bound skiing in the Slides. The Slides offer over 1000 vertical feet of treeless skiing. There are three to choose from. To get to them you take the Summit Quad, check in with the ski patrol and take a short hike through the woods. Skiers rave about the sustained steepness Whiteface provides, and the top to bottom cruising capabilities the trails provide. "The Slides", a true backcountry experience are for expert skiers only, and are open only when conditions permit. Encountering frozen waterfalls, cliffs, and other obstacles is to be expected.

This is a big mountain and should not be taken lightly. It commands respect. Take it lightly or dare a macho attitude and this mountain and its weather will catch up with you and make you pay. Treat it with respect and its beauty will be revealed to you. I have had countless euphoric skiing experiences on this mountains variable terrain. It has a vertical drop of 3216 feet and every one of those feet can be experienced in a single nonstop run. Among my favorite skiing experiences at Whiteface is to pick a non-holiday midweek day and make a few nonstop full vertical runs. Non-holiday midweek means there is never a lift line or crowded slope to inhibit you during these runs. A good choice for this run would be to start at the top of the Summit Quad and ski down Skyward (also know as the Ladies Down Hill). The picture to the right shows my skiing partner Randy at the start of this run. This is black diamond terrain and not for the faint of heart. After dropping below the Summit Quad mid-station cross over to the Men’s Down Hill and plunge down some of Whiteface’s steepest terrain on Niagara. You can recover from the Gs pulled on the run out from Niagara cruising down Victoria (also known as Lower Cloudspin) to Upper Valley. Allow the burn to leave your quads as you head down past the mid-station lodge onto Lower Valley gaining speed as you approach what was the finish line for the 1980 Olympic Down Hill race. Cross the finish line and continue to the final drop off on Lower Valley heading to the Valley Triple chair. I like to time these runs as a measure of my skiing fitness. When in good shape the run takes less than five minutes. When not in midseason form these runs help you get there.

Whiteface is a racing/cruising mountain. The National Sports Academy (formally Mountain House) and The New York State Education Foundation (NYSEF) run a training program for Olympic hopefuls and you see scores of kids training and racing on this mountain. My youngest daughter (Kiona) was a part of the Training Center for years and went from being my skiing student to being my teacher. Although an adult now her years in the Training Center will always be a part of her skiing and her life. Most of us watch these kid with envy. These little ankle biters can ski. As for us older folks who want to let it rip, several trails at Whiteface are steep yet groomed. On Boreen, for example, you can gain serious speed with little danger. A NY State Trooper brought his radar gun to this trail a few years ago and clocked a friend of mine doing over 40 here.

Whiteface’s ski school is headed by Ed Kreil. Last year I brought a weeks worth of ski school group lessons. It was a non-holiday week and there were more instructors in the ski school than students. My group lesson was going to be a private one. When Ed saw me standing waiting for a lesson he asked me what I wanted to work on. I told him carving was "in" and I wanted to learn it. He assigned me Ryan Smith (a PSIA instructor) for the week and Ryan changed my skiing for ever. It was Ryan’s mentor and an incredible skier (Gary Grady) that had last given me skiing instructions. It had been 13 years since I had taken that lesson and I had waited to long. Whiteface has some incredible skiers in its ski school and carving is what they teach. Nothing has ever helped my skiing more than Ryan. I owe him a huge thank you. This year I’m going to concentrating on moguls. Ryan told me they are easy, he may change his tune after he sees my bump technique. Whiteface grooms out most of their bumps excluding the Training Center's bumps occupying half of the mountains Wilderness trail. These are world class bumps - big, steep, but well rounded - and absolutely beat me to a pulp.

I was crashing down them last year when one of the Training Center kids ask me what I thought I was doing. I was ashamed to tell him I thought I was skiing. Humility is one of the lessons learned on this mountain. Please help me Ryan.

The bumps to the right are more my speed. These are at the bottom of Lower Valley and I nick named them the "baby bumps."

The ski school offers “Parallel from the Start” training aided by the use of the new shorter shaped skies. I have to again thank Ryan for talking me out of my 208 cm GS skies and into a pair of 198 cm shaped Vipers. They are faster and more stable than my old 208s and yes they can be skied in the bumps despite the moanings of 80 pound kids on 150 cm straights and 10 year old legs. Ah it felt good to let that rage out.

This year Whiteface will have a half pipe in its terrain park for all who shred. The park is lift served and it's a ball to watch these kids from the Valley Triple chair.

I haven't skied Whiteface yet this year so I can't report on the changes made this summer.

One of the main reasons I chose Whiteface as my skiing home base was due to its "uncrowded" nature.

The ice storm of 98 on January 8 brought utility crews from across the United States to the area to rebuild the electrical system destroyed by the storm. New York’s governor (George E. Pataki) gave away thousands of lift tickets out of gratitude for the incredible job these utility crews performed. In an effort to further promote the mountain season ticket prices were cut practically in half and daily tickets priced at $29.00 can be purchased. Each person is allowed up to ten of these tickets. They must be purchased over the internet and are available until November 29. Junior tickets are only $20.00. I may make it through this season without having to second mortgage the old homestead.

While boasting the highest vertical in the east Whiteface is often spoken of harshly in matters of weather and trail layout. The orientation of the mountain lends itself to flat light conditions early in the day. To quote Yogi, “It gets late out there early.” It’s not really a problem, when the light flattens just slow down and give your tiered legs the break they deserve. It’s true Whiteface can get cold but I have experienced similar temperatures at Sugarloaf in Maine and many of the Vermont ski areas. Dress in layers and check exposed skin for frostbite and you will be okay.

The village of Lake Placid is a wonderful place to spend non-skiing time. The Olympic Ice Skating Arena is still there and hosts many skating and non-skating events. The Olympic ski jumps are still in use as well as the aerial jumping facility. You can also take a ride down the Olympic bob sled run at Mount Van Hoevenberg. Shopping and dining are excellent in the village

Though I hate to make a special place any more crowded, I encourage you to visit this giant in the east. The mountain and the beautiful village of Lake Placid have much to offer on and off the slopes. It is possible for skiers at all levels (and non-skiers as well) to have a wonderful time in this area. Look me up if you come here. I’m easily spotted tumbling down the Wilderness mogul field as I aspire to become the worlds oldest and least graceful bump skier.

Base Elevation: 1,200 feet
Whiteface Summit Elevation: 4,867 feet
Top Lift Elevation: 4,416 feet
Vertical Drop: 3,216 feet in 1998 - now 3,350 feet
Skiable Acreage: 176 acres
10 lifts, 67 trails, 95% snowmaking
Lift Capacity: 11,700 per hour on 10 lifts
Average Number Of Skiers Per Year: 130,000
Daily Lift Capacity: 5,000 TO 6,000
Usuall Opening Date: A week before Thanksgiving
Usuall Closing Date: Mid April
Average Number Of Sking Days Per Year: 150
Terrain: One-third each of most difficult, more difficult, easiest
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
First opened: 1957
The Slides: 35 acres (open conditions permitting) Experts Only
Mountain General Manager: Jay Rand
Operated by: New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority
George E. Pataki, Governor
Charles A Gargano, Chairman
Annual Snow Fall: 160 inches
Address: Route 86, Box 1980, Wilmington, New York 12997-0090
Phone: 518-946-2223

The author is in his fifties, lives in New York and skies Whiteface most every winter weekend. He has two daughters that both love this sport and are among his favorite ski partners. He makes his living as a chemist, owns a house near Whiteface and has skied for thirty seven years.

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