WILMINGTON, N.Y. --- A full 14 days ahead of schedule, Whiteface Mountain, in Wilmington, N.Y., opened for the 2013-’14 skiing and riding season, today, Friday, Nov. 15.  Bright sunshine and mild November temperatures made for a great first day as skiers and riders loaded the Cloupsplitter Gondola cabins to the summit of Little Whiteface Mountain, and cut turns down Excelsior, Summit Express, Upper Valley, Lower Valley and the Fox trails.

“It’s a beautiful day and terrific conditions… we’re off to a great start.  The crew out here did a wonderful job making snow and grooming it to get ready for today,” said New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) president/CEO Ted Blazer.  ORDA manages Whiteface Mountain, Gore Mountain and the Belleayre Ski Resort.  “It’s important to get open early and get moving,  it sends a message out there that we’re ready for the season. 

“It also gets people enthused and it’s also great for the businesses around us, the communities around us, it helps with the economy, so it’s very important to get open and running.”

November’s weather conditions have been ideal for making snow; snow guns have been blasting snow since Nov. 8, with the overall goal of being ready ahead of the Friday, Nov. 29, projected opening date.

“The snow is fantastic, it’s wall to wall skiing, all the way down from Excelsior to Lower Valley, right to the bottom,” added Whiteface Mountain general manager Aaron Kellett.  “Everyone has been working extremely hard, especially over the last few days, to get the trails ready and the lodges clean.  We snapped the fingers the other day, everybody jumped and we got it done, the crews did a great job getting us ready.”

Whiteface’s opening signals the unofficial start of the winter season.  For some, including Rick Swartz, of Lake Placid, N.Y., he thought it may have been too early until he started skiing.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” noted Swartz.  “To tell you the truth, I don’t think that I’m ready for winter just yet, but a day like today will certainly help. The conditions were almost perfect and I’m looking forward to what the rest of the season has in store.”

Skiing and riding continues tomorrow, Saturday, through Sunday.  Lift tickets are $38 for adults, $33 for teens and seniors and $28 for juniors.

Gore Mountain, in North Creek, N.Y., begins operations tomorrow. The Sunway Lift will take skiers and riders to the Jamboree Trail. The resort’s terrain park, at the bottom of the arena, as well as the cafeteria and rental shop will also be in operation.

Saturday’s opening at Gore is the second earliest ever opening for resort, dating back to the 1986-’87 season when it opened on Nov. 15. 

Lift tickets at Gore are $38 and skiers and riders who bring a non-perishable food item to Gore Mountain’s “Gore Gives” program, benefiting local food banks, will receive a $10 discount, up to two discounts per ticket.

After this weekend, Whiteface and Gore will close Sunday, at 4 p.m., and re-open Friday, Nov. 22. In Highmount, N.Y., Belleayre Ski Resort is making snow in anticipation of a Friday, Nov. 29, opening and what general manager Tom Tar says “will be the strongest opening ever.”

Preseason pricing on season passes has been extended through Sunday, Nov. 17. Log onto www.whitefacelakeplacid.com for details.

Trails and lifts are subject to change this weekend. Please log on to www.whitefacelakeplacid.com before coming to either mountain for the latest conditions.

For conditions report at Whiteface this weekend, log on to www.whiteface.com.

Media Advisory: Photos of opening day at Whiteface Mountain can be found by logging onto http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitefacemountain/. Photos courtesy ORDA/ Whiteface Lake Placid.

-- 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.