ORDA Update: Lookout Mountain

[Greg]

Lookout Mountain at Whiteface, a new development set to open for the 2008-09 winter season, is now underway. Whiteface staff captured the early stages of trail-cutting Monday from the bottom of the new intermediate trail above Kids Kampus. In addition, three expert runs will be included in the build-out. All tolled, approximately 6.5 miles of additional terrain will be added at Lookout Mountain bringing the Whiteface total to 24.5 miles. Whiteface is limited to 25 miles of skiing and riding.

Lookout Mountain is currently a construction zone. Therefore, hiking and biking the trails is prohibited for your safety.

ORDA Photo

Some Lookout Mountain facts:

Chair Lift Elevation:
Base: 2,400 feet

Summit: 4,000 feet

Lift Stats:
Fixed Grip Triple Chair

Uphill capacity: 1,700 skiers per hour

Travels 500 feet per minute

Vertical Rise: 1,600 feet

Location:
Northeast of the Whiteface Summit or skier’s left of The Slides

Reclaiming the old Cloudsplitter Trail that was part of Whiteface in the 1950’s

4. Miles/Acreage:

**18 Current miles at Whiteface / Maximum allowable mileage is 25

3.73 additional miles / 32.3 acres will be added in the new Lookout Mountain development

63.5 Acres of Glades in the new Lookout Mountain development

6.45 miles of total trails (including Lookout Mountain) have been approved in the new Unit Management Plan

This project, when completed, will bring Whiteface to approximately 24.5 miles of trails.

5. Trails: New trails when complete

1 Intermediate trail -- 2.0 miles of newly cut trails + .5 existing trail = a total of 2.5 miles to the base

3 Expert Trails – 2.0 miles of new

 

[takeahike46er]

Thanks for passing along the info Greg. I was going to post about the trail cutting but you beat me to it! There are a couple of photos posted on RSN too:

http://rsn.com/cams/placid/cam_welcome.html?bc=H^CI

Exciting times ahead...

 

[mattchuck2]

That'll be a long hike next year (and probably a stealth hike), but it'll be worth it.

 

[takeahike46er]

"The first look at the newest expert trail"

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Amazing how fast it's all getting done. Great pics.

 

[takeahike46er]

Another shot from the website-- probably around the base of the intermediate trail.

 

[NPN]

It's more than a little embarrassing, having spent the better part of the last elevin winters up there, not to be able to get any bearing on what I'm looking at in these pictures.

 

[takeahike46er]

A trail being referred to as "Cloudsplitter". I hope the entire run isn't this wide. Looks like it has good pitch.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I went over to Kid's Campus yesterday. You can see a little of the Intermediate trail from there.

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

These Lookout Mt. shots are fantastic! Please keep 'em coming....

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

New pic from RSN. Intermediate trail.

 

[NPN]

A trail being referred to as "Cloudsplitter". I hope the entire run isn't this wide. Looks like it has good pitch.

I've read this more than a few times, but today was the first time that this question ever surfaced in my Summer, heat baked cranium: why do you find a narrow ( for lack of appropriate term ) trail more enjoyable than a wider trail?

I break a trail down to options, and even Skyward, wide though it may be, is never skied the same way twice.

You may take that same left/right/center line on repeated runs, but it will never, ever ski exactly as it did the previous run, even on a wind blown powder day ( be still my heart ).

Is it the confine, adrenaline rush that says F-up, and kiss a tree, or, like the glade crowd, you just pefer the tight stuff as a consistant consequence?

Sincerely, I'm not busting chops ( although I think you are all nuts ), I'd just like to know.

 

[takeahike46er]

why do you find a narrow ( for lack of appropriate term ) trail more enjoyable than a wider trail?

It's not that I necessarily prefer one over the other. I can have just as much fun skiing Upper Cloud as Empire or Upper Mac. I do think that narrower, wind protected slopes can provide a nice refuge on days when runs like Skyward are wind scoured. Those are the days when having sheltered runs can make all of the difference. Hopefully, Lookout will provide some insurance for when the wind howls.

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

why do you find a narrow ( for lack of appropriate term ) trail more enjoyable than a wider trail?

I prefer narrow trails because I feel more connected to the mountain and the surrounding forest. It's more of an intimate experience. I feel like narrow trails have more character and inevitably follow the mountain's contours better. A wide trail is a wide trail is a wide trail, and, when one is making their turns on a super wide express trail, I think it's harder to tell if one is skiing Whiteface, Killington, Hunter, Bromley, or wherever.

It's like walking around a big city. I prefer exploring the narrow streets with smaller buildings to the wide and grand avenues, which feel less personal. Another way to explain is driving cross country. I don't think I've ever heard anyone wax nostalgic about an 80 mph dash via the interstate system. Cross country road trips are all about the side roads and the people you meet along the way.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Upper Cloudspin is my favorite trail. It sure isn't narrow, but with so many interesting lines it always skis different.

 

[NPN]

why do you find a narrow ( for lack of appropriate term ) trail more enjoyable than a wider trail?

I do think that narrower, wind protected slopes can provide a nice refuge on days when runs like Skyward are wind scoured. Those are the days when having sheltered runs can make all of the difference. Hopefully, Lookout will provide some insurance for when the wind howls.

That's right, I forgot all about that aspect of Lookout. Thanks for reminding me!

 

[takeahike46er]

Check out this sweet photo of the new expert trail as viewed from Lower Excelsior. (compliments of RSN)

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

A couple more exciting RSN shots!

The first one shows a pretty straight shot down for one of the expert trails. I hope the other one has a little more "life" to it. But, still pretty cool to see.

The second one shows some higher elevation work being done. Looks like the trails will be fully cut this season!

Sorry, I don't know how to make the images big so you don't have to click on them....

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

The first one shows a pretty straight shot down for one of the expert trails.

I went and checked out the WF 2006 unit master plan (http://www.whiteface.com/newsite/wf_ump.pdf) and found the page with the rough trail layout. FWIW, the two expert trails are basically parallel and appear to be straight shots down. I uploaded a portion of the page below. I'd guess the trail in the RSN shot in my prior post is the one on skier's right.

I think from a previous post in a different thread someone noted that the gladed area has been moved down and basically extends from about 1/2 way down the intermediate run to Kids Kampus.

 

[takeahike46er]

Yeah, both runs are pretty much straight down the fall line (unless the plans have changed). The middle sections turn slightly so there should be a double fall line in that section of the trail. Hopefully they will let these runs bump up!