Wilmington, New York — Iceface has been feeling more like powderface this winter. It’s been a great season at Whiteface Mountain, with 185 inches of snowfall so far. This strong season led to the opening of a challenging terrain zone last week.
The Slides are among the most challenging inbounds terrain areas in the state, if not the entire Northeast. The slides feature steep bowl and glade skiing reminiscent of Western North America. This terrain is accessed by a hike from the Summit Quad chairlift. The Slides are 35 acres of narrow chutes, and one area even features a waterfall hidden underneath the snowpack.
The first openings of the season came last week, but they only covered a limited portion of the terrain.
On Monday, Whiteface reopened the slides, this time with Slides 1-4. It appears that they are closed again today due to the mountain firming up. It would be wise for me to retract the first sentence of this article, but I’m sticking with it cause it’s catchy.
Going forward, The Slides will open if they pass a daily inspection and mitigation by Ski Patrol. If you do go when it’s under Silver Status, you should bring a beacon, probe, and shovel. Bringing an experienced partner with you is also required.
If the slides are open under Gold Status, it means you don’t need to bring all that stuff, just a buddy. However, I’d say it would still be worthwhile to bring a beacon, probe, and a shovel.
Image/Video Credits: Lake Placid Legacy Sites, Whiteface Mountain
