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CRS1
02-22-2006, 02:12 PM
Hi there, just wondering if anyone has heard any news regarding the potential opening of the slides?

Also, what's the scoop on the new snow, is it still falling?

tjf67
02-22-2006, 03:14 PM
The slides never open. I should not say that they usually open them for a day or two each season during mid week so they advertise them.

Tsavolion
02-22-2006, 03:26 PM
You can always hike up the toll road to get at the slides. there were some doing that a few weeks ago. i wouldnt try it now, there is a lot of yellow ice over there. best to wait til march for a few good storms and warmer weather. they usually do open up mid-week though, so the masses cant get into them. i heard this year they are going to require a beacon and shovel in order to get in, but maybe i am just confused. anyway keep your beacon and shovel handy and wait around in the parking lot every week day and maybe you will have lift serviced slides to ski on.

02-22-2006, 05:02 PM
Either know a patroller or hope you go up the quad with a patroller who has seen you ski and thinks you can handle it. They sometimes sneak in for a quickie but often in these conditions regret it. We need a 3 foot snow fall to make them skiable. Then hope your the first one before it gets tracked up. It's been 3 years since I saw that. They want to require a beacon but that mean that someone will have to enforce it. It's too late if your already dead. The great lakes aren't frozen over yet so the possiblity of a few good dumps is there. The guys that came in off the toll road didn't have fun. I've been in the woods this year and it's not fun when a sapling catchs your ski and you go for a tumble.

takeahike46er
02-22-2006, 06:24 PM
If the conditions in The Slides are similar to the slides found throughout the High Peaks-- count me out! The North slides on Dix and Bennies Brook have been hairy this season, with inconsistent snowpack, exposed rock and lots of ice.

Slide one or two will probably open up for a day or two in March, midweek. Unannounced. You have a much better shot when we have a winter with more consistent temps and snowfall. Even then, skiing in there is limited due to avalanche danger. Best bet is in March, midweek.

AdironRider
02-22-2006, 09:17 PM
I didnt go this past holiday weekend but I was there a few weekends ago and noticed the tracks coming from the road. I dont know how they made it down as there was easily a 150 stretch of boilerplate midway down. But all the power to them. Looks like itd be epic on a good spring day with soft snow, but that only occurs like once a year.

Son of Drifter
02-23-2006, 09:13 AM
Looks like itd be epic on a good spring day with soft snow, but that only occurs like once a year.

More like once every 5 years. I'm starting to think you have a better chance of getting hit by lighting than skiing the slides when they are officially open. :twisted:

mitchmac
02-23-2006, 11:03 AM
This might be a dumb question, but is the slides those patches of white (and yellow!) that you can see if you look off to the right from the summit quad?

Son of Drifter
02-23-2006, 11:14 AM
This might be a dumb question, but is the slides those patches of white (and yellow!) that you can see if you look off to the right from the summit quad?

You got it. Think they're skiable this year? :twisted:

mitchmac
02-23-2006, 11:33 AM
Let's just say that following my own advice of "just ski straight thru the ice" might get you into a little trouble from what I saw of it the other day!!

tjf67
02-23-2006, 11:36 AM
This might be a dumb question, but is the slides those patches of white (and yellow!) that you can see if you look off to the right from the summit quad?

You got it. Think they're skiable this year? :twisted:

I saw two people skiing them three weaks ago and it did not look bad in there. I would do it just to do it. Skiing them right now would be about as much fun as sticking sewing needles in my ears.

highpeaksdrifter
02-23-2006, 11:37 AM
This might be a dumb question, but is the slides those patches of white (and yellow!) that you can see if you look off to the right from the summit quad?

Mother Nature can be a harsh mistress in the ADK's. While we would all like to see the Slides open more WF management's first concern must be customer saftey. There are alot of skiers right on this board with extensive bc knowledge and skiing skills that could handle the Slides more often then they are open. However, when the open sign goes up for them anyone with a ticket can go in so ski patrol has to be careful.

It would be nice if there was some kind of skills certificate that you could earn that would allow holders to go in more. That would seem fair, but may tick off the average day tripper.

02-23-2006, 06:06 PM
Certificate, no one would give you a certificate because no insurance company would take that risk. As soon as you think you’re good enough to get a certificate that’s when you go down hard. I don’t care how good of a skier you think you are it doesn’t take much sometimes to get hurt. Skiing is a dangerous sport even on the bunny slope. Especially when other people are involved. If you want to ski the slides the ADK Mountains have a lot of better slides to ski other than the Whiteface slides. You just need to earn your turns.
Good luck in the slides. May the force be with you.

freeheelwilly
02-24-2006, 08:22 AM
the slides are "open" anytime you want to climb up to them. It's the lift access that's limited/non-existant. easiest route is up the toll road and then a minor bushwack down to the top of 'em. You'll need tele or AT gear or just lash your alpine stuff to your back and hoof it up with snowshoes.

02-24-2006, 03:54 PM
if you havent been down the slides you are better snowshoeing or skin'n up the slides so you can see what your best line will be. Kind of takes the guess work out of where the ice falls will be.
Good luck

beachiegirl2ski
02-24-2006, 08:29 PM
i heard that the slides are open. im coming to whiteface march 1 to 3

where i can find them.. off of what trail or chair lift or road do i find them?

what type of skis should i use to ski the slides?


any info on this would be helpfull

mattchuck2
02-26-2006, 07:46 PM
Haha, yeah, the slides are open . . . Talked to a guy at Gore who skied them Saturday. He said slide 4 was Thigh deep in places and he got 10th tracks at 1:00. The way to get there? Go all the way to the top and look to your right. You can't miss 'em. If it's still deep, bring out the fatties!

CRS1
02-27-2006, 08:42 AM
Weel, I was up there this weekend and all I can say is amazing...Saturday we managed to get pretty close to 1st tracks on #3 the snow was awesome. Sunday was a different story, the top half of 1 was outrageous with thigh deep snow on skiers left but then had to cut over to 2 or three since the patrol was directing traffic to keep people off the waterfall. From that point on in was a major clusterf***, there were so many people that just didn't belong out there, all you could see was skis in the air and people on the ground. There was even one guy who was trying to walk down after he figured out he bit off more than he could chew....he probably got down to the bottom and bragged the rest of the afternoon in the bar that 'yeah I skied the slides today'....No accounting for some people's children eh (even though this guy should have been old enough to know better 45 or so). All in all a great weekend though, the glades we awesome as well.

Back to work, I guess I have to pay for having such a good weekend now.

Son of Drifter
02-27-2006, 09:55 AM
Weel, I was up there this weekend and all I can say is amazing...Saturday we managed to get pretty close to 1st tracks on #3 the snow was awesome. Sunday was a different story, the top half of 1 was outrageous with thigh deep snow on skiers left but then had to cut over to 2 or three since the patrol was directing traffic to keep people off the waterfall. From that point on in was a major clusterf***, there were so many people that just didn't belong out there, all you could see was skis in the air and people on the ground. There was even one guy who was trying to walk down after he figured out he bit off more than he could chew....he probably got down to the bottom and bragged the rest of the afternoon in the bar that 'yeah I skied the slides today'....No accounting for some people's children eh (even though this guy should have been old enough to know better 45 or so). All in all a great weekend though, the glades we awesome as well.

Back to work, I guess I have to pay for having such a good weekend now.

That's why they aren't opened usually on the weekends. The Slides aren't an area you want to "see if you can ski". You better know what the f you're doing or don't bother.

Hit slide 4 Saturday and had the same waist deep on top. It gets real narrow at the end of that one. Had to cherry pick through the trees a little. :twisted:

SKIdds
02-27-2006, 10:27 AM
Soooooooooooooo very jealous. Let's hope the conditions last through all of March!! (hoping to get a longer trip in toward the end of the month)

Hopefully the snow in the forecast for Thursday comes through. If it does, anybody likely to be skiing Friday would wouldn't mind a tag along? If circumstances permit I'd love to make the 3+ hour trek up Thursday night for a day of skiing on Friday (hopefully including the Slides). I have a couple of guys I can try and convince to come with, but don't know if they will be able. Someone said they felt safe in the Slides alone over the weekend due to all the people, but we all know that skiing the glades or the Slides alone is not the first choice (ah, really shouldn't be a choice at all, but we've all done a stupid thing or two in our days ;)).

I've hiked the East Wall at A Basin, the Lake Chutes at Breck, the Chin at Stowe........navigated the waterfall on Paradise at MRG, just to give you a sense of where I prefer to ski (shouldn't be slowing anybody down ;)).

Here's hoping that March stays COLD and snowy.