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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    northeastern adirondacks
    Posts
    39

    guides on the slides

    Whiteface management has been approached by a local guide and proposed that he have access to the slides via whiteface ski area and affiliation with the mountain to facilitate sales. Whiteface would get a cut of his fee.

    While many know you can hike the road or hiking trail to get into the slides one can not access from the ski area unless opened by patrol.
    Several patrollers in the last few years have gained avalanche training to be able to safety assess conditions and control the traffic in/out of the slides, making the probability of opening them greater then ever before, as shown last season. Slide opening is mainly dependent on the obvious snow stability and coverage, but as much so on the ability of patrol to safety rescue and evac injured people down cliff bands.

    So now a local guide wants to have whiteface lift the rope for him and his high paying visitors, customer probably needs a guide and lift ride for the very reasons he should not be out there. Too boot this would be when the slides are closed to public.

    How do you think that will go over when locals see people (most likely non locals) out on the slides when they are closed to them unless they pony up the coin?

    Wonder who will facilitate a rescue should one happen?

    Wonder how the other local guides will feel if this goes forward and the guided service rights do not go out to bid?

    The guide in concern is smart on his part, jump on whiteface's marketing momentum. Good way to make money, not friends in your community.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    northeastern adirondacks
    Posts
    39
    Post disclaimer:
    It's all hear say so far as I'm concerned.
    So...if you can enlighten/correct or better explain more about the proposed guides on the slides issue please post up.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Wilmington, NY
    Posts
    28
    Haven't heard of this yet officially. A guide can now take clients up to the top of Whiteface via toll road and go into the slides. It only takes a hour to hour and a half to get there. I don't think a guide in his right mind that wants to jepardize the loss of his state license and/or insurance would do this. Plus in my opinion it would take more than 1 guide to take a client or client into the slides. 1 to lead and 1 to follow. Most guides in this area don't have the avalanche training to do this.
    Rescue would come from state rangers with assistance from WF ski patrol(maybe).

    The front side(lake placid side) is easier to ski and a better ski out via WF landing. I did it a couple of years ago.

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