Groundhog Day is said to be the favorite day of all the Whitetail staff. They know it usually guarantees six more weeks of winter. One of the staff members even wrote a poem, saying, “Whitetail Wil knows - there’s six more weeks of winter snows.”

Unfortunately, with snow sometimes comes ice. Whitetail and much of the mourtain area was hit with an ice storm on February 1, 2008 (the torrential rain we had in DC was ice, not snow, in the resort areas. Phil - you could have done better!)

Trees were coated with a thin layer of ice on February 2, 2008 at Whitetail Resort. Photo provided by Charles Sneiderman.

The forests around Whitetail glistened with ice, and the effect was breathtaking! Trying to navigate down the hard pack also took your breath away, but most people made it.

Whitetail worked hard to groom and break up the crust. But the promised “loose granular” never really materialized, and it was tough going. Sunday looked beautiful - warm and sunny. I am certain it was a perfect day, and I rejoice for all who were able to make it to the mountains on Sunday.

All in all, it could have been worse. Charles and I stuck to the easiest runs, which appeared to be in better shape. We made it down safely, as did most of the people around us. It is work and good exercises for your legs and heart! I was able to turn a lot and did not fall on the hard stuff. But there was no absolute assurance I could stop when I wanted to, and many around me appeared to have the same problem.

Safety concerns

My poor excuse for skiing on slick conditions caused me to reflect again on safety issues - a major concern of mine. I still believe the most dangerous part of snow sports is driving on the highways to get there - that is why I have long advocated more shuttle bus services. The second most dangerous part is a lot of skiers and snowboarders going fast, in all directions, in crowded areas. This is not just confined to the East; the West also can become very crowded, especially on weekends.

Whitetail stockpiles snow at the top of the Whitetail Express, which is used to patch up thin spots in leaner times. Photo provided by Charles Sneiderman.

I have seen too many collisions and near misses on crowded slopes. There must be some way to make the sport safer - especially on bottleneck areas where many of the younger set are zooming straight down to get to the terrain parks. One suggestion - could signs be put up, keeping terrain park-goers on one side of the slope? Safety patrols could reinforce the rules. If someone has to cross to the other side, perhaps downhill skiers could be stopped for a few minutes, so others could go across the slope? It is like having traffic lights at intersections, without the lights.

Another suggestion is utilizing small rope lifts or magic carpets up to the terrain parks, so the people using them would not have to come down from the top of the mountain.

Maybe reckless skiers or boarders could be asked to pay for insurance policies, if they do not lose their lift tickets all together? That might induce them to act with greater concern and responsibility.

I offer suggestions because I love the mountains and snow sports so much, and want to make them as safe as possible. I welcome other suggestions - let’s get a dialogue going here!

Adaptive Skiing at Whitetail

While we were at Whitetail, we were delighted to see a number of superb adaptive skiers on the slopes. Many came over from Liberty and Roundtop; Whitetail is working hard to build up its own program. My friend and neighbor, Trippie Penland, was teaching people in her usual enthusiastic, energetic way. She was joined by a number of instructors, including George Hergenhahn, Chief Financial Officer of Special Olympics Maryland. They teach a number of snow sports, including sit-skiing, downhill, cross country, and snowshoe. They also have a lot of fun activities to raise funds, since they get very little government funding, and want the athletes to be able to participate free of charge.

We also met a charming and dynamic ski instructor from Whitetail, Bill Dietrich, who is building up the adaptive program there. He welcomes help and contributions for the program, and can be contacted at wtadaptive@skiwhitetail.com. His program has the able support of ski school director, Mac Jackson, and is planning to work with Disabled Sports USA, based in Rockville.

There is so much going on in the mountains, and so many great things to come. Let’s keep them thriving, and safe, for all of us!