Wild Day At The Top

[Face4Me]

Cloud cover at the top of the mountain was unbelievable today. Went to the top around mid-morning and headed down Skyward. After about four turns, I was so completely disoriented and dizzy from the whiteout conditions, that I couldn't tell which way was up. I got so confused that I made a turn uphill, and wound up on my *ss!!! Was able to pop back up quickly and continued trying to find my way downhill.

Finally got down as far as the building and had to stop for a couple of minutes to get my bearings back. I was so dizzy I almost puked right there on the hill. Got down the rest of the way and decided it had to be done again - the conditions were really good - it was a shame the visibility was so bad. I've never experienced anything like that before ... it was crazy!

Did it the second time without goggles and stayed close to the trees skier's left ... trees provided enough of a reference point to keep me properly oriented.

Two times was enough, so I spent the rest of the day on the Mountain Run and Freeway chairs ... I really wish they'd run the Little Whiteface chair on the weekends. I can understand not doing it during the week, but it really sucks having to go all the way to the bottom and then ride the gondola back up to access Upper Northway, Cloudsplitter Glades, Upper Mackenzie and Empire. I hope that for the President's day weekends, they'll go back to running Little Whiteface.

 

[oldskibum]

Strange!!! I was up there today too, skied skyward and parons this AM and experienced no problems at all!! In fact it was as good as I have seen it this year. After lunch did it again, but the light went flat on us, making it a little tougher, but all-in-all it was a great day all over the Mt.

 

[NPN]

Strange!!! I was up there today too, skied skyward and parons this AM and experienced no problems at all!! In fact it was as good as I have seen it this year. After lunch did it again, but the light went flat on us, making it a little tougher, but all-in-all it was a great day all over the Mt.

Even though it showed up today, I think, considering the time of the post, he was talking about Sunday. I ran into a bunch of people who had the same experience on Skyward yesterday.

 

[ka2kci]

I had a similar experience at Whiteface yesterday. After getting off the lift at the summit, I ran into a woman who asked me if I could help her. She said that she was disoriented and didn't know which way was down. I told her to follow me down close to the trees and each one of our group experienced vertigo where we couldn't tell up from down, left from right etc. The conditions were so awesome that we had to do it again five times! Every single time we got off the lift, we all got disoriented and had to rely on feel to get the first ten or so turns in. It was a wierd feeling but the conditions were awesome. The mountian is in great shape. I sure hope that it stays cold to keep the snow good for a long time! Matt

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I had a similar experience at Whiteface yesterday. After getting off the lift at the summit, I ran into a woman who asked me if I could help her. She said that she was disoriented and didn't know which way was down. I told her to follow me down close to the trees and each one of our group experienced vertigo where we couldn't tell up from down, left from right etc. The conditions were so awesome that we had to do it again five times! Every single time we got off the lift, we all got disoriented and had to rely on feel to get the first ten or so turns in. It was a wierd feeling but the conditions were awesome. The mountian is in great shape. I sure hope that it stays cold to keep the snow good for a long time! Matt

Nice job helping that lady in distress Matt.

 

[oldskibum]

Strange!!! I was up there today too, skied skyward and parons this AM and experienced no problems at all!! In fact it was as good as I have seen it this year. After lunch did it again, but the light went flat on us, making it a little tougher, but all-in-all it was a great day all over the Mt.

Even though it showed up today, I think, considering the time of the post, he was talking about Sunday. I ran into a bunch of people who had the same experience on Skyward yesterday.

Yeah, sorry 'bout that, I didn't notice the time of the post, I think you're right, he is talking about Sunday. Just couldn't figure it out. That's what happens when you get old!!! Still able to ski, but can't tell time. haha

 

[Snowballs]

i'm really glad you guys posted this. this happened to me once, back in 02-03? my second year of skiing. i went up top to come down parron's. when i got off the lift and went left there was a snow gun shooting snow right in my face that you HAD to ski thru it. it was so bad that i had to remove my googles as they where covered w/snow and i could not see. yea the snow blasted my face and i had to shield my eyes but i had no choice. i was worried i was gonna step out on the diamond slopes, which were over my level. then that fog condition was there and i could not tell what end was up. i went down the follies. i was dizzy/woozie/wtf. anyway it wigged me out and i did not go back up top for along time.

 

[NPN]

i'm really glad you guys posted this. this happened to me once, back in 02-03? my second year of skiing. i went up top to come down parron's. when i got off the lift and went left there was a snow gun shooting snow right in my face that you HAD to ski thru it. it was so bad that i had to remove my googles as they where covered w/snow and i could not see. yea the snow blasted my face and i had to shield my eyes but i had no choice. i was worried i was gonna step out on the diamond slopes, which were over my level. then that fog condition was there and i could not tell what end was up. i went down the follies. i was dizzy/woozie/wtf. anyway it wigged me out and i did not go back up top for along time.

Without a doubt a very disturbing experience.

In the East you can usually use a tree line to orient enough to get down, but I've had this happen out West in completely treeless bowls where it REALLY turns into a major drama.

 

[Snowballs]

NPN- wow! no thank you. that sounds hairy. esp. a steep bowl w/rocks.

even though i was just on the follies and going really slow i had a hard time telling if i was skiing good or not or if i was gonna wipe out bad. everytime i got back out to parron's i couldn't tell which way to go just by vision. i just kept tellin myself to stay to the right, stay to the right. it was really weird.

that was my first trip to the summit. i always felt like i had been bitch slapped by Mr. Whiteface. hehehe. now i realize it was a weather phenom. still, one's gotta respect any mtn or it will dish out some humility - a.k.a. OUCH!

 

[campgottagopee]

Dang, I've never had that experience nor does it sound like I want to. YIKES!!!