Posts Tagged ‘winter sports’

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Learning to Luge: The Fastest Sport on Ice

Luge2_newThis summer children are invited to test their skills at “the fastest sport on ice.” Based in Lake Placid, the USA Luge headquarters runs a series of free Learn-To-Luge programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 pm from the transfer station road to the dump throughout the summer months.

According to Recruitment and Development Manager Fred Zimny this is the third year for these local clinics where the mobile luge starting ramp is moved to the entrance of the Lake Placid transfer station (Dump Rd.) after hours and children ages 8-13 learn to slide on real luge sleds.
» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

ORDA Offers New Options For Locals, Frequent Visitors

ORDAThe New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority’s (ORDA) Olympic venues are offering  a new ticket option for locals and frequent visitors: a $79 Gold Pass that provides unlimited access to the Olympic sites.

The Gold Pass includes unlimited admission to the Olympic Jumping Complex, including the Summer Jumping Series; the Olympic Sports Complex, Olympic Museum, Veterans’ Memorial Highway and the Whiteface Mountain Cloudsplitter gondola rides.  It can also be used for admission to Oktoberfest, the Flaming Leaves Festival, Saturday Night ice shows, selected events and 20-percent off the Lake Placid Bobsled Experience and Skeleton Experience. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, May 16, 2013

State Run Adirondack Ski Areas Rebound in 2012-13

Whiteface Dec 12 2012According to preliminary data for this year released by the National Ski Areas Association, after a disappointing 2011-12 winter, ski resorts reported an 11% increase in visitation nationally, with a 20% increase in skier visits in the Northeast region.

Not surprisingly given the reduced snowfall last year, results at Gore and Whiteface, both operated by the Olympic Region Development Authority (ORDA), improved significantly for the 2012-13 season. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Peavine Swamp Trails: Skiing the Quiet Groves

peavineOn the Peavine Swamp trail system in the northwestern Adirondacks near Cranberry Lake I found a tranquil route through open forest, culminating on a knoll overlooking the Oswegatchie River. Removed from the more challenging terrain of the High Peaks backcountry, the trails allow the skier to settle into a soothing rhythm of kick and glide over level ground and rolling ridges. The occasional gully or steeper pitch is enough to rate the trail’s difficulty moderate or intermediate—but in a low-key way.

It’s a good trip for looking around and appreciating the forest, and on a clear day in early January, I was  accompanied by two skiers who were well qualified to be guides through these woods: Jamie Savage, professor at the Ranger School in Wanakena, and John Wood, senior forester for the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Jamie uses these lands as an outdoor classroom for his students. And John, working with Jamie and other partners in the area, has been developing plans for increasing hiking and skiing routes near Cranberry Lake. » Continue Reading.


Sunday, February 24, 2013

“Odds and Ends” Lake Placid Winter Lecture Series

STBD_DVD_Cover_DM_Proof_300dpiThe Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society has announced the second in its 2013 “Odds and Ends” Winter Lecture Series on Wednesday, February 27 at Howard Johnson’s Restaurant in Lake Placid. The lecture will begin at 7:00 pm with attendees encouraged to come for dinner at 6:00pm. The second program in the four-part series is titled “Small Town, Big Dreams – The Story Behind Lake Placid’s PBS Documentary”.

From a surprise discovery in a museum vault to a locker-room interview about the Miracle on Ice, learn the story behind the film that brought Lake Placid’s tale to a nationwide PBS audience. Join filmmaker Scott Carroll and former Lake Placid News reporter Marc Nathanson for an inside look at how they turned the history of Lake Placid into the award-winning documentary film “Small Town, Big Dreams: Lake Placid’s Olympic Story.” Listen to never-before-heard audio clips from the cutting room floor featuring the voices of some of Lake Placid’s most important historical figures. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, February 7, 2013

Empire State Games Beginning in Lake Placid

esg-logoThe 2013 Empire State Winter Games kick off today.  A Lake Placid tradition, the games include alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled, cross country skiing, figure skating, luge, Nordic combined, skeleton, ski jumping, skiercross/boardercross, ski orienteering, slopestyle, snowshoe, long and short track speed skating, women’s ice hockey, and several sports for adaptive competitors.

The Empire State Games were previously organized and sponsored by the State of New York until budget constraints cancelled the games in 2011.  A group of local sponsors, including the Lake Placid Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Olympic Regional Development Authority, and the Village of Lake Placid, stepped forward to host the event themselves.

The Empire State Games start officially at 6 pm today, with Opening Ceremonies that feature the Parade of Athletes and a 2012 highlight video. The keynote speaker this year is 2010 Olympian and 4-time Norton U.S. National Champion, Chris Mazdzer. The Opening Ceremonies are a chance for the athletes to celebrate the beginning of an exciting weekend of competition. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, February 6, 2013

2013 Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships

MysticIce_1After three days of competition, two fireworks displays, and one giant skating party, the Olympic Regional Development Authority and the Skating Club of Lake Placid brought the 2013 Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships to a close. Approximately 2,000 synchronized skaters came to the village of Lake Placid for the competition, and competed at the Olympic Center from January 31st through February 2nd. The Championships were a qualifying event, and the teams who placed move on to the US Synchronized Skating Championships in Plymouth, Michigan from February 27 – March 1. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Adirondack Family Activities: Lake George Winter Carnival

SnowTubing_newFebruary may have fewer days than any other month, but Lake George has made sure to pack it with as many activities as possible. This weekend kicks off the second weekend of a month-long celebration of winter at the Lake George Winter Carnival.

According to Lake George Winter Carnival Committee Volunteer Brenda Travis this is the 52nd year of the Carnival. She remembers coming to Lake George as a teen and looking forward to all the Winter Carnival events.

“Now I am helping to organize the activities,” says Travis. “The Carnival is so much fun and has so much going on. This weekend will be the Northeast Snow X series Carnival Cup. This is a new event. It is a snowmobile race with professionals going around a track and jumping moguls.  Sometimes they can get up to 12 ft. in the air.” » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Adirondack Family Activities: Titus Mountain’s New Trails

Titus_Lodge_newRecently acquired by the Monette family of Malone, Titus Mountain Family Ski Center has undergone a facelift that our family has met with welcoming arms. My kids have skied at most of the Adirondack and beyond ski mountains and have found Titus Mountain to be a perfect place to experience family-friendly trails and gain some ski lift independence.

The elevation is 2025-ft and the crumpled trail map I find in my ski jacket shows that Titus Mountain has six double chairlifts, two triple chairlifts, and two hand-tows serving 42 trails and two terrain parks. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Paul Smiths VIC: A Sure Thing For Skiers

Heron Marsh at Paul Smith's VIC. Photo by Susan BibeauWinter started slowly, so after we received a few small snowfalls in late November, I jumped at the chance to go on my first ski of the season. Since we still had no base, I figured my best bet would be the Adirondack Visitor Interpretive Center in Paul Smiths.

The VIC is fun to ski anytime, but it’s a particularly good choice early in the season or in a low-snow winter. Its smooth trails don’t need a lot of snow to be skiable. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Skiing on Oseetah Marsh and the Jackrabbit Trail

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOseetah Marsh just outside Saranac Lake is the destination of one of my regular lunch-hour ski trips. It’s short, easy, and scenic, with views of the McKenzie Range, the Sawtooth Range, and nearby Scarface Mountain.

Yesterday I did the trip for the first time this winter. Why did I wait so long? To get to the marsh, I follow a snowmobile trail through a beautiful pine forest. Until this afternoon, every time I reached the edge of the marsh I found a small pool of black water, bordered by very thin ice. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

31st Lake Placid Loppet Set for Mt. Van Hoevenberg

LOPPETThe 31st Lake Placid Loppet cross-country ski races will be held Saturday, January 26, at the Olympic Sports Complex Cross Country Ski Center, in Lake Placid, N.Y. The race is being presented by High Peaks Cyclery.

The Lake Placid Loppet has established itself as one of the best events of its kind in the country. Over the past 30 years, thousands of skiers have enjoyed skiing and racing on the Mt. Van Hoevenberg trails at the Olympic Sports Complex. As part of the American Ski Marathon Series, the event attracts hundreds of skiers from across the United States and Canada. It consists of a 50 kilometer Loppet (30.1 miles) and a 25-kilometer Kort Loppet (about 15 miles).
» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Adirondack Family Activities:
Events At The New Land Trust, Newcomb AIC

AdirondackInterpretiveCenter_newThe recent warm front didn’t do the snowshoe/cross-country ski trails any favors, but it also didn’t completely wipe out the snow. Though some area ski centers around the Adirondack Park have taken a significant hit, most are grooming their trails for business. It has been tricky to find the places that are shielded enough to maintain a significant base for those of us looking to snowshoe or cross-country ski.

New Land Trust in Saranac, along with Dion Snowshoes, is hosting Cock-A-Doodle-Shoe as a Northeast regional qualifier for the 2013 USSSA National Snowshoe Championships on January 20. The 10K snowshoe race with cover a varied terrain from flat ground to rolling hills among the New Land Trust’s 287-acres. The competition is open to all levels and participants will compete for a $150 cash prize » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Backpacking: Battle of the Seasons

When I recently wrote about missing the winter camping experience, I never imagined there would be anything other than a tepid response. Who could possibly have a strong reaction to a middle-aged man reminiscing about his past winter backpacking experiences? I certainly did not expect any type of counterpoint to appear defending winter backcountry adventuring in all its frigid glory.

Yet, a recent Lost Brook Dispatch made an effective argument extolling the virtues of backpacking during the winter months, including a good-natured cajoling from author Pete Nelson for me to get back into the Adirondack winter camping game. This article serves as a counterpoint to his counterpoint, including a description of why I feel the warmer months offer a vastly superior backcountry experience in the Adirondacks than the colder months of winter.
» Continue Reading.


Saturday, January 5, 2013

Lost Brook Dispatches: The Pleasures of Winter Camping

The family and I are just back from our annual winter trek to Lost Brook Tract and I have a joyful urge to write about how terrific winter camping is.  My timing is not intended to offer any sort of counterpoint to Dan Crane’s recent post; the last time I checked he and I don’t  coordinate our contributions.  But counterpoint it will be.

In fact, let me begin with Dan: Dan!  Dude!  Get back out there and pitch your tent, buddy.  There’s plenty of winter to go and I can vouch for the fact that there are perfect conditions in the back country right now – no doubt there will be for quite some time.

Why do we go backpacking in the Adirondacks?  I submit that if you were to make a list of the reasons you go into the wilderness for an extended period, you would find that almost all of them are more valid and better fulfilled in the winter (I know, I know… yeah, sure, but it’s cold Pete).  » Continue Reading.



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