WILMINGTON, N.Y. --- Wednesday night and today’s, Oct. 24, light blanket of snow has skiers and riders grabbing and tuning up their gear as they get ready for the opening of the 2013-’14 skiing and riding season.  If Mother Nature continues to cooperate, Whiteface Mountain, in Wilmington, N.Y., will open for the season, Friday, Nov. 29.

Skiers and riders will have a lot to look forward to this season, including a new glade, Rand’s Last Stand.  Completed in September, the 1,500 foot long expert glade is cut half-way down Hoyt's High and connects to the mountain’s Summit Chair lift.  The glade, Whiteface Mountain’s first new trail in more than five years, adds additional 4.7 acres to the mountain's already 283 acres of skiable terrain and 3,430 of vertical, the most vertical east of the Rockies.

Other mountain improvements during the off-season also included the addition of 35 low energy snow guns that will provide efficient snow coverage on Easy Street, Broadway and Excelsior.  The mountain has also purchased an energy efficient boom fan snow gun that will be used to cover the mountain's Lower Valley trail.

Through, Friday, Nov. 15, the full season adults/senior Ski3 pass for Whiteface, Gore and Belleayre is available for just $909, while the junior full-season Ski3 pass is just $339.  The young adult and college Ski3 season pass can be purchased for $425.  The Ski3 pass gives skiers and riders more than 7,000 vertical feet of fun on eight peaks, 886 acres, 33 glades and 228 trails. 

Time is also running out to save on a Whiteface/Gore adult non-holiday pass.  Through Nov. 15, this pass will be available for just $699, while the adult full-season pass is just $869.  The young adult and college season pass can be purchased for $385 and the junior pass is only $299. 

For 23 consecutive years, Whiteface Lake Placid, N.Y. has been selected as the top destination for Off -Hill Activities by readers of SKI Magazine.   The 2014 survey also tabbed Whiteface Mountain as the 10^th top ski resort in the eastern United States. Whiteface also received kudos for Après Ski Activities (No. 4), Challenge (4), Scenery (No. 5), Character (No. 6), Dining (9) and Overall Value (No.10).  

This spring, SnowEast Magazine readers chose Whiteface Lake Placid as New York State’s number-one ski resort.  The more than 6,000 participants in the survey also named Whiteface Lake Placid as the east’s second overall favorite ski resort and the east’s most scenic.

Photo:

Summit of Whiteface Mountain, Wilmington, N.Y., photo courtesy of Brandee Reiley Whiteface Mountain

-- ORDA --

Established in 1982, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speedskating oval, Olympic jumping complex and Olympic arena. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectator and participants to the region, resulting in significant economic development.