Whiteface: 12/14/2016

We had the opportunity to enjoy great mid-winter conditions for ORDA's annual Media Day event showcasing Whiteface Mountain on Wednesday. Cloudy skies with on-and-off snow made for difficult picture taking, but I'll happily trade photo ops for ski conditions.

Adirondack ski areas by the numbers: 2015-16 season

Most eastern skiers would probably prefer to forget about the winter of 2015-16, also known as The Winter That Wasn't. Besieged by mild temperatures, lack of snowfall and one rain event after another, ski areas throughout the northeast pushed the limits of their snowmaking plants and crews to salvage what they could of the season. But you can fight mother nature only so much, and skiers suffered through limited terrain, event cancellations and a shortened season. Skier visits in the northeast were down a whopping 28% from the previous winter. Whiteface and Gore followed that trend, with significant decreases in both skier visits (down 21% and 44%, respectively) and revenue (down 21% and 37%, respectively). Here are the numbers:

Adirondack ski areas by the numbers: A look back at 2014-15

After a long summer maybe you've forgotten how cold last winter was. Or, if you're like me, you never stop thinking about winter. Before anticipation for the coming winter eclipses our memory of last winter, here's a look back at 2014-15's numbers. Nationally, skier visits were down by 5% from the previous winter. But record-breaking cold and abundant snowfall in the Northeast helped drive skier visits up 1% over 2013-14. Gore and Whiteface followed that trend, with increases in skier visits and revenue, including a record-setting $10 million in on-hill revenue at Gore. Last season's results are summarized below:

Adirondack ski areas by the numbers: 2013-14 season

Buoyed by an early start and five consecutive months of colder than average temperatures, attendance at the state-owned Adirondack ski areas increased by more than 7% over last year. Handily beating the national (down 1.3%) and regional (up 0.6%) trends cited in the National Ski Areas Association's preliminary report of the 2013-14 ski season, those results should bring smiles to the faces of skiers, business owners in North Creek and Lake Placid, and ORDA board members alike.

Here are the numbers:

Adirondack ski areas by the numbers: 2012-13 season

The National Ski Areas Assocation (NSAA) released preliminary numbers last week indicating that ski areas in the Northeast bounced back with a 20% increase in visitation over the disappointing 2011-12 season. Gore and Whiteface rebounded strongly too, as I reported in this article that appeared in the Adirondack Almanack yesterday.

Jon Lundin, ORDA’s Public Relations Coordinator, summed up the season: “This past skiing and riding season was an outstanding one for ORDA’s ski resorts. The resorts’ crews did an outstanding job with snowmaking and Mother Nature cooperated and provided plenty of snow cover on her own. It was great to see the skiers and riders back on the mountains enjoying the winter fun.”

Here are the numbers:

2012-13 ski season wrap-up and highlights

Objective measures like snowfall, temperatures and operating days for the 2012-13 ski season may tally up only to the average mark, but compared to last year’s disappointing ski season 2012-13 was vastly improved. And if timing is everything, this winter really delivered with excellent conditions for the major holiday periods and just about every weekend. It will be interesting to see the official numbers from ORDA when they are released in a few months, but it sure looked like Gore had several days of record-breaking skier visits, particularly around the New Year’s holiday.

What we really missed last year was skiing in the glades, and we were rewarded this year with good tree skiing from late December through the end of the season. Things really got going in the couple of days following Christmas, when two feet of powder fell over a bomber base. And although winter was interrupted by two ugly thaws in January and one in early March, the trees essentially remained in play all winter.

North Creek summer 2012 update

The Saratoga North Creek Railway recently announced their summer operating schedule for 2012. Daily passenger service will begin this Saturday, May 26 and continue through late October. SNCR and its parent company, Iowa Pacific Holdings, expect ridership this summer could approach 24,000 passengers – double last summer’s number - due to a longer season and expanded schedule.

2011-12 Ski Season Wrap-up and Highlights

You wouldn't necessarily know it from the title of my article in Adirondack Almanack earlier this week - 2011-12 Ski Season the Worst in 20 Years - but I actually had a very good, maybe even excellent, ski season. Of course, that article was more about the decline in skier visits at Adirondack ski centers (and nationwide) than about my own personal experience this winter. To some extent, a skier's season is what he or she makes of it.

How green is your snow?

Since Sunday was Earth Day 2012, here’s a quick look at the environmental impacts of skiing, what ski areas are doing to lessen their impact, and actions that individual skiers can take.

There’s no getting around the fact that ski resorts and the activity of skiing leave a large footprint on the environment, particularly in terms of energy consumption. Snowmaking, lifts and grooming utilized by downhill ski resorts have very large energy requirements. Lighting and heat for lodges and other buildings also contribute to a ski area’s carbon footprint. Snowmaking is by far the largest energy consumer, with huge amounts of electricity and/or diesel fuel required to operate air compressors and water pumps.

Belleayre transfer to ORDA approved

Earlier today, Governor Cuomo and leaders from the legislature announced passage of the 2012-2013 New York State Budget.

The budget includes transferring the Belleayre Ski Center from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). Citing ORDA's expertise in managing the other state-owned ski centers (Gore and Whiteface), Governor Cuomo proposed this transfer to improve operations, achieve efficiencies, and enhance opportunities for tourism in the Catskills and the Adirondacks.

World Cup Moguls Competition Results from Whiteface Mountain: 01/19/2012

Whiteface Mountain hosted the FIS Freestyle World Cup moguls event yesterday, Thursday. I was particularly interested in this year’s competition since we had just skied Whiteface on Sunday and Monday and observed preparations underway on the Wilderness Trail, the site of yesterday’s competition. In typical rollercoaster fashion for this winter, the arctic temperatures we had during our days on the mountain were followed by rain Tuesday night. Then, returning cold temperatures turned the trails to boilerplate and high winds knocked out power and forced the closure of all lifts on Wednesday. Course workers must have put forth a monumental effort to restore the course to safe, competition-ready condition for Thursday’s events.

I was a bit surprised to find no coverage of the competition in this morning’s Times Union, Saratogian or Post Star. I guess that just means I’ll have to go up next year and cover the event myself. Following is the press release from ORDA / USSA.

How YOU can help make it snow NOW!

I've had it. The final blow came Thursday night, when the predicted 3-5 inches of snow overnight materialized as nothing but rain (note: at least Gore and Whiteface got a couple inches of snow). So, reprinted from Big Tupper's website, here is the secret of “how to get a snow day in 4 easy steps.”

Whiteface Mountain Media Day: 12/14/2011

On the second run of the day at Whiteface yesterday, my right ski became suddenly and strangely no longer attached to my ski. Unlike traditional alpine skis, the telemark gear I use doesn’t actually release from your boots if you fall. If it does release, it generally means you've got a major problem. So when my ski released for no reason near the top of Victoria (aka Lower Cloudspin), I wasn’t surprised to discover that the binding cable had snapped. But instead of being a day-ender, that equipment failure proved to be the catalyst for a great ski day. More on that in a minute.

Should New York State be in the Ski Business?

OK, I'm not really asking the question. Rather, the question mark in the title is simply a recognition that New York State's ownership of Gore Mountain, Whiteface and Belleayre is a controversial and multi-faceted topic.

The Post-Star raised the question in an editorial last month, and suggested that taxpayers might be better served if New York's state-owned winter sports facilities, including Gore and Whiteface, were privatized.

In my view, taxpayers and Adirondack residents are better served by finding ways to make the existing state ownership - through the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) - more successful. My counter-point to The Post-Star's editorial can be read here on the Adirondack Almanack, and here as a guest essay in the Nov. 6 Post-Star.

Season Preview Outtakes: Whiteface

Following is the fifth and final Season Preview Outtake. In this post, Whiteface Mountain's General Manager, Bruce McCulley, and ORDA’s Public Relations Coordinator, Jon Lundin, expand on some of the topics that we covered for my Season Preview article on Adirondack Almanack.com.

Jeff: I know you’re doing quite a bit of work in the base lodge this year.

Bruce: We changed the food in the J.Lohr café last year, it’s really high quality food but the kitchen is kind of marginal, so we’re renovating that. We’re bringing in new Rossignol skis from for the rental shop that will use rocker technology, and putting in a whole new racking system to organize the rental area better. We’re completely renovating the retail shop, it had been old and outdated, kind of dark.

Jeff: How about snowmaking and grooming?

Current Issues and Events

Several issues of importance to those with an interest in skiing and outdoor recreation in the Adirondacks have been in the news this week.

Proposed ban of gasoline motors on Thirteenth Lake. Last week, DEC released for comments a proposed regulation banning gasoline powered motorboats on Thirteenth Lake. Under the proposed regulation, electric trolling motors would be allowed. The proposal represents an excellent compromise that preserves access for sportsmen and the mobility impaired, yet also protects nesting loons and enhances the environment of the lake and surrounding wilderness. You can add your voice to others in support of this proposed regulation by contacting the DEC prior to July 2.

Thirteenth Lake

Whiteface Snowmaking Tour: 11/24/2010

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in the Whiteface Mountain Snowmaking Media Tour.  About a half dozen of us were met in the main lodge by Bruce McCulley, General Manager of the mountain, and Jon Lundin, ORDA Public Relations Coordinator.  We started with an overview of the past year, the outlook for this winter, and plans for opening day this Friday, the 26th.

Belleayre, Whiteface & Gore: Together Under ORDA?

If you live in or spent any time in New York this year, it was impossible to escape talk of the state budget crisis, extender bills, state furloughs and park closures. Finding ways to streamline state government should be a top priority of our officials. One way might be to combine Belleayre with Whiteface and Gore under the ORDA umbrella.

The three state-owned ski areas are currently the responsibilities of ORDA (Gore and Whiteface) and DEC (Belleayre), and have two completely separate reporting lines. Some level of administrative efficiency and cost savings should certainly result from a single management structure. But the benefits would likely be more than just cost savings. Knowledge and resource sharing should produce a better overall ski product, resulting in an increase in skier visits and economic impact from operation of the state-owned ski areas. After all, if the State of New York is going to be in the ski business, shouldn't it do so in a coordinated manner? It would seem to be a win/win for everyone.

Belle would get more budget and infrastructure (hopefully), Gore/WF would get more people from the NYC region spending money in the Adirondacks with their season passes, skiers would have more options and value from their passes. There are potential obstacles. For one, ORDA was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. However, ORDA has operated Gore for many years, which has few if any ties to Lake Placid and the Olympic facilities. I see no reason why ORDA's mission couldn't be expanded to include operation of Belleayre. While some Gore stakeholders have criticized ORDA as being too Lake Placid focused, Gore has certainly gotten its fair share of improvements and promotion.

Belleayre skiers might understandably be concerned about Belleayre losing some of its uniqueness and identity. Plus, Belle has achieved an admirable track record of success on its own under the current management structure, more than doubling skier visits from 75,000 to 175,000 over the past ten or twelve years. So if it isn't broken, don't fix it. But Gore and Whiteface have been successful in retaining their own personalities under ORDA, and in the end I think the benefits outweigh the potential disadvantages.

Back when all three ski areas were under DEC management, a Gore/Whiteface pass could be used at Belleayre, and vice versa. I'd love to see that opportunity available again to New Yorkers.

What do you think? Add your thoughts to the discussion here. Of course, it's hard to have this discussion without also raising the question of whether New York State should be in the ski business at all. Since that's a complex issue, we'll save that topic for another time when all facets of that question can be explored.