Love Whiteface! It's the crown jewel of East Coast ski mountains (and yes, it is a true mountain) and our family's favorite ski resort. It's part of the Canadian Shield mountain chain, not the Appalachians like all other mountains in the East, and Whiteface gets colder conditions and more snow than other resorts in the region. At 3500ft+ it has some serious vertical (hence why it was host to the winter Olympics, twice!). The Bear Den is an entirely separate area for beginners and families, replete with its own lifts, trails, lodge (including rentals, food, clean bathrooms) and parking areas. That alone is worth it for families especially those with younger kids, since it's a safe area away from the main slopes, including the Flying Squirrel beginner terrain park that is a great place to learn smaller jumps and features. The variety of trails is great for beginners up through experts, with a solid mix of true greens all the way to true blacks and double blacks, with many glade runs and side hits galore. The peaks offer fantastic views, and you can have a great time without ever going up beyond the middle mountain. The mid-mountain Legacy Lodge is a nice respite for warming up, grabbing a quick bite and using the restroom. The lifts were all in great shape, attendants were polite and had things under control (even when a couple guys tried to jump the line and were promptly booted). Lines were very reasonable, and RFID cards worked well most of the time (any issues were promptly resolved by lift attendants). Food options on the mountain are only decent, and while Whiteface itself isn't a top apres ski destination, nearby Lake Placid and Saratoga Springs more than make up for that. Terrain parks are offer a great range of features. Whiteface is our favorite ski mountain hands down! Set in the beautiful High Peaks region of the Adirondacks, Whiteface caters to real people who enjoy good times outdoors on the mountain. It's not a pretentious snobby gear competition like so many resorts these days (see all Ikon and Epic resorts). My only real gripe is that I can't get there enough!
