Empty Nest -Whimsical Journey to Survive and Self Actualize : Day 187 Ski the East-Whiteface Mountain-NY

Whiteface Summit behind us at the top of the Gondola

Last year I skied out west for the first time in 10 years (See Day 154). This year I wondered what it would be like to ski the east. Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, New York, home of the 1980 Winter Olympics, will not disappoint you especially if you enjoy a steep mountain. Whiteface boasts of a 3430 foot vertical drop with 87 trails. The Adirondack Mountains are also just as beautiful as those out west. My son and I had not skied together in 2 years! I was excited to tackle the east together with the guidance of my friends and my ski patrol buddy.

The trio! My son is on the right with the snowboard

Reflection

What I liked about Whiteface is that it was “serious skiing.” The blue diamond runs (supposedly intermediate), were fast and challenging. Finishing a black diamond expert run really felt like an accomplishment because you had to work at it and hold an edge on your ski. Many trails were steep and not as wide as the trails out west. This week, on January 15, the resort hosts the World Cup Free Style Moguls. I went down (can’t really say ski down) Wilderness trail that will be used for this race. I followed my son, however I ended up partly in the trees but I did it!

Ended up in the trees on Wilderness

I enjoyed taking the Gondola to the top elevation of 3676 feet and then skiing down a variety of blue and black diamond trails for about 25 minutes to the bottom. I did this most days and thus I bypassed the wind on the chair lifts and had nice long runs. You can take the Summit Quad and go further up to an elevation of 4386 feet but at my age, I preferred the gondola up and ski down routine.(click here for a map of the slopes).

Gondola up and ski down routine

Whiteface had a small resort feel. I could easily find my son who made new snowboard college friends the first day. You can park for free and easily walk to the lodge from your car or leave your skis over night for only $5.00 a day. They have various ski lift deals. There is a discount for seniors, a frequent student pass discount and it pays to get the frequent adult pass if you ski 2 days or more.

View from top of Gondola

I will definitely ski the east again. It made me a better skier even though there are plenty of ways to get down the mountain if you want to take it easy. The Adirondacks are so beautiful. Lake Placid is a quaint town with a lot of other things to do (Day 186-Bobsled Experience). It is also not too far from Pittsburgh, about 8.5 to 9 hours, if you want to drive.