Whiteface Mountain (New York)

Infobox Mountain
Name = Whiteface Mountain
Photo = Whiteface Mountain.jpg
Caption = Whiteface Mountain
Elevation = 4,867 ft (1,483 m)
Location = New York, USA
Range= Adirondacks
Prominence = 3,110 ft (950 m)
Coordinates = coord|44|21|14|N|73|51|41|W |type:mountain_region:US |display=title,inline
Topographic
USGS Lake Placid
Type =
Age =
First ascent =
Easiest route = road
Listing = #5 Adirondack High Peaks

Whiteface Mountain is the fifth-highest mountain in New York State, and one of the High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. Set apart from most of the other High Peaks, the summit offers a commanding 360-degree view featuring the Adirondacks and perhaps on a clear day glimpses of Vermont and even Canada. Located in the town of Wilmington (about 13 miles from Lake Placid) the mountain is home to a ski area which boasts the greatest vertical drop in the eastern United States (3430 feet, or 1,045 m). Part of the dramatic post World War II growth in recreational skiing attributed to the efforts of returning veterans of the Army's 10th Mountain Division, Whiteface also hosted the alpine skiing competition of the 1980 Winter Olympics. Unique among the High Peaks, Whiteface features a developed summit and seasonal accessibility by motor vehicle.

Whiteface Castle and the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway were Depression Era public works projects and perhaps a test case for the New Deal Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects that followed. Construction on the toll road began in 1929, after passage of a necessary amendment to the state constitution, with a groundbreaking ceremony featuring then-New York State Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt. Eventually costing 1.2 million dollars and ending within 300 vertical feet (90 m) of the summit the roadway is 5 miles long and features an impressively steep 8% average grade. Officially opened July 20, 1935 in a ceremony featuring Roosevelt, by then President, the highway was dedicated to veterans of the Great War.

Whiteface Castle, an imposing structure built with granite excavated during the road construction, dominates the summit area. From the adjacent parking lot there are two routes to the summit proper. The first route is the Stairway Ridge Trail, a footpath with handrails and intermittent cement and stone steps approximately 0.2 mile (120 m) long. The second is a 424-foot (129 m) long tunnel into the core of the mountain. At the end of the tunnel is an elevator, which rises 276 feet (84 m, or approximately 27 stories) to the summit.

Ski area

The ski area is run by the Olympic Regional Development Authority. There is lift-serviced terrain from 4,386 feet (1,337 m) and hike-to terrain from 4,650 feet (1,420 m). With a base elevation of 1,220 feet, Whiteface has the greatest vertical drop in the east at 3,430 feet. Its neighbor, Little Whiteface, is tops in altitude at 3,676 ft. Whiteface has a total of convert|18|mi|km|0 of ski terrain spread out over 76 trails. convert|220|acre|km2|2 of skiing area include the "Slides", 35 acres of expert extreme adventure terrain. The Slides is an unmaintained wilderness area that is rarely open, due to safety hazards. They can only be accessed by hiking from the top of the Summit Quad. A new 13-acre terrain park was added in 2000–01 with ramps, rails, and pipes.

Whiteface features some of the most difficult skiing and snowboarding terrain in the United States. There is a separate area for beginners known as Kids Kampus. Some of the longest trails on the mountain are intermediate trails — but they also tend to be the most crowded. The ski trails receive plenty of southern exposure sometimes causing ice to form later in the day and subtle breezes sometimes blow snow off the trails, contributing to the nickname "iceface". In recent years major improvements in snowmaking and grooming have overcome these problems. Skiing in the morning is almost always met with good snow conditions. Later in the day, especially on busy weekends, the slopes can get skied off. Intermediate trails tend to be the most crowded and are hence skiied off the fastest. Beginner terrain will typically have good conditions throughout the day. Whiteface contains 76 trails accessible by one gondola, eight chairlifts, and one conveyor lift. Some 98% of the trails are covered by snowmaking, excluding the glades and the Slides. In summer, Whiteface Mountain offers gondola rides and mountain biking.

Gallery

References

* [http://www.whiteface.com/ Whiteface Mountain website]
* [http://www.americaskiing.com/ski-it/reviews/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=68 Whiteface Mountain Reviews]
* [http://www.wilmingtonhistoricalsociety.org/pictures.htm Wilmington Historical Society Photos]
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* [http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=5986 Peakbagger.com: Whiteface Mountain]
* [http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150581/whiteface-mountain.html Summitpost.org: Whiteface Mountain]