America's skiing heritage is a major theme of my current Odyski, and today let's take note of two significant 50th anniversary celebrations that happen tomorrow. Both Wildcat, in northern New Hampshire, and Whiteface, in upstate New York, first started spinning their bullwheels on Jan. 25, 1958.

They'll celebrate with some special events and some very special pricing.

Closest to home for Maine Ski Bum readers, Wildcat drops its price to $9 for the day tomorrow. Historically, that represents nine rides at $1 apiece on the mountain's first-in-the-U.S. gondola. One-ride tickets were the norm in those days, and a nine-run day on the 4,000-foot mountain was considered to be about the max.

Wildcat opened a new chapter in American skiing when it opened its first-in-the-U.S. gondola. The mountain celebrates its 50th anniversary tomorrow with prices rolled back to opening day, Jan. 25, 1958.
PHOTO COURTESY WILDCAT MOUNTAIN

Today the gondola is gone, replaced by a much faster high-speed quad. And by Saturday, that $9 bargain price will also be gone. Of course there will be commemorative events both tomorrow and Saturday. Check the Wildcat website for details.

Less than a week ago I was schussing Whiteface, New York's loftiest ski mountain. They'll offer a $30 ticket price tomorrow. Of course that's still a few times higher than their opening-day price. But then again, they still have a gondola. Mind you, not a 50-year-old machine, but it's still a gondola.

Ski Bum readers have seen quite a bit of Wildcat over the years, so let's take a brief look at Whiteface.

Located about 20 minutes from Lake Placid, Whiteface offers the most vertical skiing in the East. That's 3,166 vertical feet off the summit quad, and about 2,500 off the shoulder peak that's reached by the eight-place gondola.

With 3,166 vertical feet, upstate New York's Whiteface Mountain is tops in the East.
IMAGE COURTESY OLYMPIC REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Whiteface was the site of the downhill, slalom and giant slalom races of the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games. Some of the significant spots, such as the starting and ending points, are marked by signs.

The celebration continues on Saturday with the "Ski Sweater Ball." Check the Whiteface website for details.

It's still a significant venue for World Cup racing. On the first day I visited, a U.S. woman, Emiko Torito, won the Ladies Moguls of the Nature Valley F.I.S. World Cup Freestyle. I watched her -- seeded 29th -- as she skied the two-jump course on Lower Wilderness with dazzling speed and sick style to win the final and deciding run. It was her first-ever first-place finish in a World Cup event.

Although Emiko's family hails from Denver and she currently skis out of Steamboat Springs, she trained in New England.

I've covered a number of World Cup events over the years, and I know that hosting them is a major effort that seldom pays dividends, at least in the short term. I expressed my appreciation to communications director Sandy Caligiore.

"Running these events is part of our Whiteface heritage," he replied.

Whiteface boasts far broader appeal than World Cup and Olympic-level racing. If your family includes some pint-sized future (or wannabe) Olympians, you'll also find a warm welcome, especially at Whiteface's Easy Acres Family Center.

You don't have to be at the World Cup level to enjoy Whiteface today. With a large learning area, Whiteface is a topnotch place for skiing and snowboarding families.
PHOTO COURTESY OLYMPIC REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

And speaking of the future, when you ride the Face Lift (high-speed quad), look to your right and note the new trails that have been cut. Sandy says they will be ready for skiing and riding in the 2008-2009 season, covered by snowmaking and accessed by a fixed-grip triple chair.

Nothing like starting a new chapter in history for Whiteface's 51st season!

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