Hey All- just got back from Whitetail and, the short version is if you want to take advantage of the 2/1 deal for skiing this weekend it'd be my recommendation to do so at RT or Liberty.

Let's start with the plusses: the place was empty, the sun was brilliant, the vertical was nice, and there is a fair amount of terrain open. But the minuses are a bit distressing: the only run that didn't have a marginally covered scree slide to enter on was the mogul run, which was not in very good shape as almost all the lines pointed toward the gigantic bare strip underneath the chair. The little 30 foot wide entranceways to the rest of the runs were getting exposed VERY fast. Limelight started the day with two narrow entries but by noon they were down to one, and that one had rocks glaring through halfway down skiers left. Whitetail's southern exposure is killing it.

If you go to WT tomorrow, please think about getting there early. Snow was fast in the morning but well-groomed and covereage was okay. By noon snow conditions were heavy with plenty of pebbles to chunk, bare spots to slow you down and rocks to chew up the bottom of your skis.

Okay, now for a compliment I have forgotten to give Whitetail this season... especially since folks from the local ski hills apparently read this board (incidentally if you're reading this-- kudos to canaanman for the public apology). The staff at Whitetail has to be one of the friendliest around, particularly the lunch ladies... not the ones that man the cash registers but the elderly ladies (and the elderly gentleman) that keep the cafeteria clean. I have to give them major props for their friendliness. In the morning they are all smiles as they chat it up with one person or employee after the other, and at lunchtime they take care of everything around that large lunchroom quickly and with a great big smile on their face. Today I watched as a ten or eleven year old accidentally spilled his fries. Probably ten seconds later one of the "lunch ladies" was on the mess and telling him how to go back to get another batch of fries for free. You should have seen the kids eyes light up!

I know that Whitetail trains its employees to be hospitable but these people especially go above and beyond the call of duty. On the whole, though, one of the things that makes Whitetail enjoyable (when it's not packed to the brim with people) is the hospitality of the employees-- from the snowmaking crew to the lift attendants to the wait staff bravo!

Checked at the information desk today but there are apparently no plans for additional terrain at WT. Oh well.