Whiteface Ski Getaways

Between the top of the highest lift at Whiteface and the bottom of the lowest there's 3166 feet of vertical - plenty of room in which to play.

The vertical drop tells only part of the story. Six dozen trails provide everything from gentle novice slopes to The Slides, a truly steep double black diamond drop from the summit area. Eleven lifts, including the Cloudsplitter Gondola and a high speed quad serve this tall terrain.

With genuine Olympic credentials (and a genuine Olympic town in nearby Lake Placid) Whiteface continues to draw visitors from far and wide to its Northern Adirondacks location. But despite its reputation as a steep, tough mountain, Whiteface has its gentler side, too. Beginning skiers and riders will love Easy Acres, a separate mini-mountain with its own lifts, lodge, rental shop, and ski school for families. Intermediates can head to Little Whiteface (with a peak elevation of 3676 feet it's not so little) and ride the detachable quad to access classic cruisers like Excelsior. Even from the top there are a couple of fine intermediate trails: The Follies and Paron's Run, which segues to Excelsior.

Advanced skiers and riders can take advantage of the tougher side of Whiteface on Upper/Lower Skyward, Upper Cloudspin, Essex, Upper Northway, and Approach, plus nearly a dozen more black diamonds. Then there's the aforementioned The Slides, actually an old avalanche path, and it's equally challenging exit, Slide Out.

Three terrain parks and a Superpipe are available for more formal snowplay, but boarders are welcome anywhere on the mountain