Skier dies in Whiteface accident

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December 29, 2008

By LUCAS BLAISE The Press Republican Mon Dec 29, 2008, 11:10 PM EST

WILMINGTON — An out-of-town skier died on Whiteface Mountain Monday afternoon after exiting a connector trail and hitting a tree.

Gerald M. Reilly, 44, of Morristown, N.J., was skiing on John's Bypass Trail, a connector that's accessed from the top of Little Whiteface via the gondola.

In a news release, Ray Brook-based State Police reported that Reilly lost control, "exited the trail and entered an adjacent wooded area, striking a tree and coming to rest."

Reilly was transported to the base of the mountain by Whiteface Ski Patrol. He was pronounced dead at 12:36 p.m. at Adirondack Medical Center in Lake Placid.

An autopsy by Dr. C. Francis Varga, of Adirondack Medical Center Morgue in Saranac Lake, revealed Reilly died from traumatic internal injuries due to a skiing accident, the news release said.

According to Whiteface Mountain's Web site, 43 of 76 trails were open Monday, most of which were intermediate and beginner level.

Essex County Coronor Walter Marvin Jr. ruled the death to be an accident.

John's Bypass is a medium-difficulty trail, with wooded areas on both sides and a steep incline on the right.

The trail connects two intermediate trails Excelsior and Lower Cloudspin.

Warmer weather over the weekend may have affected mountain conditions.

Whiteface Mountain's Web site forecasted a mixture of loose and frozen granular snow for all its trails and wind gusts up to 15 mph Monday morning.