Where to Ski: Whiteface Mountain

Whiteface: It just sounds scary, exciting, intimidating, enthralling. I guess it really depends on who you are as a skier or rider but to me it is one of my absolute favorite places to get my shred on. Don’t let the name or the nickname “Iceface” get under your skin and turn you away from one hell of a good time and a longer vertical drop than Aspen Colorado. When asked, Where to ski in Upstate N.Y. Whiteface is on the top of my suggestion list.

 

 

When I think of Whiteface I think of the day there was an Empire State Games ski race going on I was supposed to be concentrated on, G.S. or something, who knows because it didn’t matter, it was dumping. My buddy Conner and I found some time to sneak up Chair 6, the summit lift and pounce down Upper Skyward in two feet of freshies, it was unreal.

 

How to ski Whiteface Mountain

 

Let’s face it, you’re skiing on one of the Forty Six High Peaks of the Adirondacks in the middle of the winter. Chances are, it’s probably going to be a little bit chilly first thing in the morning so I would recommend hopping on the gondola, conveniently placed right next to the base lodge. The gondola will help you gain the most amount of elevation in the shortest amount of time in the most comfy of situations available. You may also learn some French, Whiteface is real close to O’ Canada.

 

Whiteface is comprised of three peaks, Little Whiteface, Lookout Mountain and Whiteface. The gondola services the top of Little Whiteface which packs a not-so-little punch. If you’re into warming up on a roller coaster-esque blue run, take a run down Excelsior. This is my old man’s favorite run in the east, the goofy foot, forward stance styled carving machine does a number on this trail #nuckledragger. If you’re looking to set the legs on fire immediately, head down Approach to Mountain Run, a killer black diamond combo that drops right off the front side of Little Whiteface. From there the possibilities are nearly endless for fun but it’s important to take some time to point out a few new/ epic features.

 

Adding new terrain seems to be a ski area trend lately. The Lookout Mountain area was added a few seasons ago and delivers a great variety of fun, new terrain to explore. If you’re of the spelunking type, check out the incredibly long Sugar Valley Glade which drops in skiers left about a quarter of the way down the Wilmington Trail.

 

Speaking of Spelunking, if you can hit ‘em on a good day and you’re properly equipped with the necessary back country equipment hit up The Slides, I’m not sure if it’s me or I just have bad timing but I have never been there on a day when they have been open, but I hear and can see they are nothing short of epic.

 

So its Saturday morning, your day off, and your buddies convinced you to rent a cabin in the woods in the middle of nowhere for the weekend and the thought of throwing cork nines down broadside hasn’t crossed your mind yet this morning…and probably won’t ever because the last time you went skiing was on a Friday night for high school ski club. Not to worry, Whiteface is packed with a ton of beginner level trails to explore.

 

The Bunny Hutch Triple area is geared for the kids and has its own parking area which is great for families but you rented a house with a bunch of friends for the weekend and want to be able to at least take a run with them throughout the entirety of the weekend, but don't want to slow them down. That’s fine too. The Face Lift will bring you all the way up to the base of Chair 6 where there is beginner level skiing to be found all the way to the bottom. You could also meet up for an early cocktail at Boule’s Bistro, after all, it is the weekend and it is 5 o’clock somewhere.

 

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