Whiteface, NY Opens The Slides Double Black Diamond Terrain
Cover photo courtesy of Ross Kenyon and NYSkiBlog
At New York’s Whiteface Mountain, there is a zone that requires the perfect storm (storms, really) to align the stars just right for skiers and riders to shoot their shot. Pack up your astrology charts, The Slides are open for business.
To dig your edges into this part of the mountain is not only a badge of honor, but also something of a treat; a privilege of time and circumstance. It takes a lot of snow for the base to be navigable. Ski Patrol monitors the terrain and when conditions are right, they will open on a day by day basis. Signs declaring “extreme” and “experts only” are not a formality. The features under examination include mandatory rock drops, icy waterfalls cascading down a steep pitch, and high-speed lines that drain into trees.
Preambled with no shortage of warnings and disclaimers, riding the slides is not for everyone. Like many of the juiciest off-piste exploits, special gear may be required. When opened under gold status, a helmet and groups of two or more are mandatory. When opened under silver status, a shovel, beacon, and probe are also required due to avalanche risk. When patrol determines bronze status, avalanche risk is too high, or cover is too thin. Ignoring these warnings can be fatal (check current mountain conditions).
Consisting of four (and a half) chutes and exclusively hike-to terrain, this rugged experience makes you earn your terms. Steep, icy, narrow, and rocky, The Slides are a combination of the greatest hits of extreme skiing in the Northeast. Located on the only eastern mountain to host the winter Olympics, at the top of the longest vertical drop this side of the Mississippi, The Slides funnel down from the summit of Whiteface Mountain in a series of gullies. Formed by landslides, sculpted by washouts, and shaped by geological carvings of immense proportion, the terrain is magnificent to behold. There are trails along similar aspects that can guide your decision and determine your readiness for the task, but don’t be in your head too long about it. When the signs say closed, it’s anyone’s guess when they might open again.
This winter in particular has smiled upon the fortune of rare terrain features in the Northeast. The typically forbidden fruits have been laid out for a feast. The Face Chutes at Jay Peak have been opened for repeated runnings. Black Hole at Smuggler’s Notch, the only triple black trail in the East, is waving the warning signs that say “really fun bad idea, right this way!” Sugarloaf’s above treeline skiing, Paradise at Mad River Glen, the Beast Glades at Berkshire East… there is no shortage of Northeastern terrain deemed unskiable until one day, it suddenly isn’t. The only thing there is a shortage of is opportunity for you to send it. It’s a lucky day when you can hit these trails… so do you feel lucky enough to take the bait? Stand next to The Slides and find out.
