Several people have asked me what they can do in the winter other than ski. Well, we are fortunate to live fairly close to the best winter activities on earth. Lake Placid is a little over three hours away. The Olympic games have been held there twice – first in 1932 and again in 1980. There is a huge training facility there that is open to the public.
The highlight of visiting Lake Placid is the world class ski jumps – one 90 meters tall and the other 120 meters tall. You can take a glass enclosed elevator to the top of the taller jump, where you can sit and watch the skiers race down the ramp and fly out into the unknown. You can also ride the Sky Flyer Zip Line back down. It mimics the descent of the ski jumpers and will give you the heart-pounding thrill of the weekend. The Sky Ride Gondola also carries eight people up to the base of the jumps, giving you a birds-eye view of the landing area.
On a positive note … the facility is open year round. During the summer, skiers can practice their jumping on the artificial surface and even perfect their skills by doing aerial jumps into the pool at the bottom of the jumps.
Okay, what can you do in Lake Placid besides checking out the ski jumps? With the Iditarod taking place in Alaska right now, maybe you’d like to try riding on a dog sled. There are two groups offering dog sledding right on Mirror Lake in the center of town. Mike Arnold Dog Sledding and Thunder Mountain Dogsled Tours both offer an experience that you’ll never forget. Imagine racing across Mirror Lake in Lake Placid’s cold, crisp air on a sled pulled by dogs that just love to run. Rides are offered most weekends (Thursday through Sunday) on a first come, first serve basis.
Maybe you’d like to ice skate in the Olympic Center where the United States Hockey Team took the gold medal by beating the Russians in the 1980 Olympic games. There won’t be 10,000 Americans cheering you on, but it sure would be fun. Rental skates are available.
Everyone will love the Lake Placid Toboggan Chute. The ice-covered chute is 30 feet tall and will shoot you out onto Mirror Lake around 1000 feet. Imaging that kind of fun for a mere $20 for adults and $10 for children. The toboggan is included.
And then there’s Mt. Hoevenberg. That is a another of the highlights of the Lake Placid area. Right now, the world class bobsled run is temporarily closed for repair, but when it’s running, you can ride down the track, taking all the twists and turns at speeds reaching 50 miles an hour. During the summer they change the runners out for wheels, so you can ride year round unless some world class event is happening.
Your visit to the Lake Placid area can offer far more than the Olympic events. The Ice Palace in Saranac Lake, just 10 miles away, is well worth the drive. The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is scheduled to open on February 7th. The Palace is made of thousands of blocks of ice cut right from Saranac Lake. It’s a thing of beauty especially at night when it’s all lit up. By the way… there’s no charge to visit the Palace.
For those more adventurous folks … there are miles and miles of cross country ski trails in the area. You can glide on pristine trails or snowshoe through peaceful forests.
There’s night ice skating at the Olympic Speed Skating Oval. You can skate where US Speed Skater Eric Heiden won five medals at the 1980 Games.
Okay … I couldn’t help it. Just a few miles away is Whiteface Mountain Ski Area. Whiteface has the greatest vertical drop of any ski area east of the Rockies. We try to ski Whiteface once a year. Compared to privately owned ski areas, the daily rates are rather reasonable. The mountain is magnificent, with a multitude of trails, numerous lifts, a beautiful lodge and great grooming. Whiteface Mountain is a downhill skier’s paradise.
My wife and I visited Lake Placid to watch the World Cup Bobsled races a couple of years ago. We had a wonderful time. Motels were very reasonable and the restaurants were great. We especially enjoyed just wandering the streets of the quaint, alpine-style village and visiting its many shops. Check it out, but trust me … you won’t regret it, and the kids will talk about it for years to come.