Skiing Whales

[wonderpony]

I'm really careful the first time I ski a trail with big whalebacks. The back side is often much more damp/icy than the front side, just due to the draining of the water. I do this even if the front side is very powdery. As Brownski said on the cover a couple of weeks ago, treat each gun as its own microclimate. Just because the first and second are good, it doesn't mean that the third will be too.
Like skiing moguls, as you reach the apex of the bump, your skis are likely to have very little of the surface on the snow (relative to a regular turn). Thus, your skis can pivot much more easily. This is good to keep in mind because it's easier to make a turn. In other words, with so much of your skis having air underneath, don't over-turn.
I rarely go right over the top of a whaleback, instead opting to ski the side away from the hydrant. This is because the mound is not uniform in its curvature. The portion toward the nozzle is much more pronounced (and likely to be damp), especially for a large mound of snow made by a Ratnik (ground gun).

OTOTH, sometimes skiing really close to the gun is better because you avoid the heavy snow.

Because I am lazy, can you please link to Brownski's article?

 

[Brownski]

Black Friday at Hunter Mountain

Skiing on those days that are famous for something else.

nyskiblog.com

There aren’t any deep insights in there- just the observation that each gun’s product is likely to be a little different from the last. I’m in the ski around the whales rather than over them camp. They are often steeper or more irregular than they look from a distance - to whit

 

[wonderpony]

Black Friday at Hunter Mountain

Skiing on those days that are famous for something else.

nyskiblog.com

There aren’t any deep insights in there- just the observation that each gun’s product is likely to be a little different from the last. I’m in the ski around the whales rather than over them camp. They are often steeper or more irregular than they look from a distance - to whit
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Thanks!

 

[dc3]

No good additions as my technique is either react or avoid, however could not pass up a chance to share some of my favorite gore whale photos!

 

[Johnny V.]

They are often steeper or more irregular than they look from a distance -

Yup........the moguls are always bigger and the slope is steeper than it looks like from the chair!

 

[tirolski]

No good additions as my technique is either react or avoid, however could not pass up a chance to share some of my favorite gore whale photos!

The Rumor whale pic shows some of the dangers.
They put lollipops on the bottom one with a blow hole and it looks like there was some possible avi-like slippage to it's left looking up.

 

[tirolski]

No good additions as my technique is either react or avoid, however could not pass up a chance to share some of my favorite gore whale photos!

Got some old whale pics from Lab & Song.

Lab whales
This trail goes from the triple to the double and is a good cruiser.
Late December 2022

Song whales
Frozen Otisco Lake below.
Late Jan 2025

A healthy whale catching some rays pre demolition.

Last year whale at the base with a blow hole.