The East's Olympic Mountain - and a great ski experience
Written: Dec 24 '03 (Updated Feb 05 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Extensive Terrain, Off-Piste Skiing, 3400 vertical drop, Olympic Runs
Cons: Beginners may feel left out, can be icy, can be really cold
The Bottom Line: Offering 73 trails, 220 acres of skiable terrain, and 35 acres of off-piste skiing Whiteface has something for everyone
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| jps246's Full Review: Lake Placid-Whiteface |
Want to cut your edges on the East’s only Olympic Mountain? Whiteface Mountain, with 3,430 vertical feet of drop is not only the mountain with the most vertical in the east, it was home to the 1932 and the 1980 Olympic Games
Details
Located in Wilmington, New York about 8 miles east of Lake Placid, the Olympic Village (where the remaining Olympic facilities are located – skating rinks, ski jumps, bobsled and luge runs, cross-country trails, etc) offers 73 trails with 220 acres of skiable terrain and over 35 acres of out-of-bounds skiing on the “slides” (where you are actually skiing on former landslide scars). Whiteface also offers a 13-acre terrain park and a lift-serviced snowboard park with a 450-foot long superpipe for snowboarders.
Terrain at Whiteface is definitely skewed towards experts and more experienced skiers. The upper runs and Olympic runs can be downright scary and it’s sometimes hard to see the bottom of the slopes the runs are so steep. I was on Cloudspin, one of the higher elevation Olympic runs in the summer and I was more uncomfortable on the ski trail than I was climbing up the rock slides that scar Whiteface. Approximately 43% of the trails are “most difficult,” 37% are “more difficult,” and 20% are considered “easier” trails. There are several longer runs, the longest clocking in at 3 ½ miles (now that’s a long run). Trail markings at Whiteface mean something, unlike trails at many other areas. When you see a double-diamond – that trail is going to be tough – knee shaking tough.
10 lifts service the mountain. They include 1 eight passenger high-speed gondola, 1 high-speed quad lift, 1 fixed quad lift, 1 triple chairlift, 5 double chairlifts and 1 conveyor lift. Lines are fairly short with the multiple lifts to choose from and the mountain itself is quite rarely very crowded.
Snowmaking covers 95% of the mountain with 190 snowguns and over 33 miles of piping to get the water to all those snowguns (now isn’t that useless trivia?). There is no snowmaking in the glades and none on the out-of-bounds slide skiing. You must rely on natural snow to ski there. Whiteface averages about 168 inches of snow (that’s 14 feet) each winter and that provides more than enough snow for the off-piste terrain later on in the season.
Whiteface is generally open from late November until mid-April and operates each day from 8:30 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. Tickets are sold from 8 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon.
There are two main lodges, the base lodge and the mid-station lodge. The main lodge features a ski shop, rental shop, guest services, ticket sales, along with several restaurants, storage lockers, restrooms, changing areas and day-care. The mid-station lodge offers dining options for those who don’t want to go all the way down to the base lodge.
Tickets are a bit pricey, but you are paying for a large mountain that offers an almost endless variety of terrains. An adult lift ticket will cost you $60 on non-holidays and $64 on holidays. Whiteface does not make distinctions based on weekends and weekday tickets, they make the distinction on holiday versus non-holiday tickets. Should you buy multi-day tickets, you will end up saving money the more days that you buy for. A two-day non-holiday ticket is $110 – a savings of $10. A season pass will run you about $700 and is a good deal if you live nearby or visit often.
What’s it like to ski at Whiteface?
For intermediate to advanced skiers, Whiteface is an enjoyable and challenging mountain with plenty of variety to keep even the most jaded skiers happy with the choices. Beginners are more limited to their options, but there is a significant amount of terrain available to them. For the truly expert, tracking fresh powder on the landslides is a rush of exhilaration not repeated at any other eastern ski resort.
Snow conditions at Whiteface can be highly variable. Often I’ve heard it called “Iceface” for the amount of ice on the trails. This is often the case on the higher elevation trails, where strong winds blow almost constantly and remove the lighter and softer snow and expose the icier base underneath. Generally, the trails lower down on the mountain are less icy. Snowmaking is generally excellent across the mountain and even in a lean snow year, most trails are open with significant bases of man-made snow that make it possible to ski almost all of the terrain.
It can be very cold on Whiteface. I skied there one time when it was 20 below zero at the top and 10 below at the base lodge and these temperatures lasted for an entire weekend. Temperatures usually bottom out in mid-January and moderate from the beginning of February on out. However, the temperatures can vary wildly from day to day and anyone skiing at Whiteface should be prepared for the coldest temperatures.
Generally the mountain is not very crowded. Some weekends there can be some crowds, but between the size of the mountain and the number of lifts serving the trails, people are spread out all over Whiteface and generally do not bunch up and delay people getting on lifts. I think the longest I’ve probably ever waited for a chair is around 5 to 8 minutes on the longest lines, but usually it’s only 2 or 3 minutes at the most and sometimes you can just ski around and hop right on a chair.
Whiteface Benefits
There are not too many places you can brag about skiing official Olympic downhill runs. Whiteface gives you a chance to test your skills on the trails that challenge the best skiers and racers out there.
In addition, with the village of Lake Placid and the rest of the Olympic facilities so close by, Whiteface Mountain is part of the Olympic region and is an experience in of itself. For those of us who don’t live in areas where the Olympics frequent, Lake Placid is an excellent winter sports destination. You can ski at Whiteface, try your hand at the luge at the bobsled complex, watch some figure skating, and take in free-style ski jumping, all with 10 minute drives of each other. It’s an amazing place and to top it off, the village of Lake Placid itself is filled with a diverse selection of shops, stores and distinctive (and very good) restaurants. Make it last for a weekend or a week, a trip to Lake Placid is a great experience and one of the best winter destinations on the east coast for an all around vacation in the wintertime.
The Final Take
While intermediate to expert skiers will find the most to enjoy at Whiteface, skiers of any abilities will be able to ski the Olympic Mountain. Offering the ability to choose 73 trails, 220 acres of skiable terrain, and 35 acres of off-piste skiing with the opportunity to take a run down a landslide scar, Whiteface has something for everyone.
Whiteface’s home, the Olympic region offers a chance for the visitor to experience an Olympic village, from the Olympic facilities, to the quaint village, nestled on the side of Mirror Lake. Anyone visiting will find something to enjoy and it’s an opportunity that is just too good to pass up.
Outdoor/Hiking/Camping Reviews
Magazines and Books
Backpacker Magazine / Outside Magazine / National Geographic Adventure / Hiker's Guide to the Mountains of Vermont / Hiking Guide to Mount Washington and Presidential Range / GPS Made Easy / AMC White Mountain Guide / Wilderness First Aid / Rescue from the Backcountry / Maine Mountain Guide / Day Hikes in Yosemite NP / Southern NH Trail Guide
Destinations
White Mountain National Forest (NH) / Catskill Mountains (NY) / Acadia National Park (ME) / Bellayre Mountain (NY) / Hunter Mountain (NY) / Ski Windham (NY) / Burke Mountain (VT) / Catamount (MA) / Jiminy Peak (MA) / Whiteface Mountain/Lake Placid (NY) / Tuckerman Ravine (NH) / Gore Mountain (NY)
Retailers and Products
REI.com - Outdoor Gear / Dermatone Lip Pomade / Carmex Lip Balm / Kestrel 100 Wind Meter / Magellan GPS 315 / MSR WhisperLite Backpacking Stove / CamelBak StoAway Hydration Bladder / Petzl Tikka Headlamp / Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight Tent
Recommended:
Yes
Level of Experience Needed: Intermediate
Best Time to Visit: February
Best Suited For: Couples
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