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HELPSTRAVEL TOOLS
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In Lake Placid village you're bound to bump into athletes who propel down twisty tubes, jump ice-capped moguls and rocket off bone-chilling high jumps. And though it’s been years since the first Olympics (1932 & again in 1980) the world-class training center reminds visitors that the town continues to host World Cup events. People-Watching From a High Peak You don't need your ski poles for a birds-eye view of the 46 picturesque Adirondack High Peaks. Ascend the eight-person Cloudsplitter Gondola at Whiteface Mountain purely as a tourist. The short 15-minute ride jettisons over icy streams, thick forests and skiers below tackling icy black diamonds and harrowing mogul runs. West coast powder-pushers can only dream of skiing here. An observation deck allows you to the spot the Lake Placid ski jump to the West and Lake Champlain to the East.
Upstate New York is a terrain rollercoaster. Gentle ridges, low valleys, shallow creeks and cascading waterfalls complete the picture. To better
Outdoor guide and teacher, Elizabeth Lee, can identify the tracks of raccoon, fox, mice, rabbit, wolf, moose and deer. She has a sniffer so refined she can even smell prey after it leaves a scent. I hired Lee to take me on a lovely snowshoeing trek along a gurgling brook to the clearing of Cooperas Pond. Buoyed by a bright blue sky the sweet sounds of chickadees, sapsuckers and kinglets followed us to the pond’s shady bank.
She spots a frisky otter as it dives though an open hole in the waters edge. Blowdown makes for the perfect hiding place for porcupine and skunk. Yes, bears also live in the Adirondacks but you're likely not to confront one because they tend to hibernate in the winter. Cross-Country Skiing with Ease Because you’re sampling easier activities you’ll also find time to squeeze more of them in. The Cascade X-C Ski Center offers rentals for every level of ability including telemark, racing and backcountry. Groomed trails crisscross 12-miles of serene wilderness. The meditative activity is quieter, cheaper and odds are good you won’t sprain an ankle or break a bone. Wax up on a moonlit evening and ski past crackling bonfires, live music and hotdogs roasting on outdoor pits. Moderate Ice Climbing
It's not the Iditarod but take a quick spin behind an eager team of Alaskan Huskies as they mush across the frozen Mirror Lake. Or test your adrenaline on a dramatic toboggan ride down a 50-foot tower. Slow down the pace in the afternoon with a romantic horse-drawn sleigh ride. Still have energy leftover? 4-Diamond Breakfast and Spa After a morning meal of flapjacks, sweet maple syrup and flavored tea, I’m pampered one last time in an Adirondack-themed hot tub at the Mirror Lake Inn & Spa. Ed and Lisa Weibrecht are the doting proprietors of this historic estate that opened its doors to guests in 1926. The same cozy antique furniture, a solid mahogany piano and grandfather clock adorn the lobby and front desk area. Linger near the warm rosewood fireplace while you admire the vintage library collection and mounted big game trophies. In the depths of winter twinkling lights adorn windswept pines heavy with snow. Lodging here suits everyone’s needs but because of a tragic fire in 1988 the only original bedroom is in the Main Building. Plead for it if you have to! The nearby Cottage Café serves up traditional pub fair on the lake while The View caters to foodies of fine-dining.
More information on visiting Lake Placid: Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa
Whiteface Mountain Golden Arrow Dog Sled Rides Exit 31 on Route 87 Sonja runs Pilot Girl Productions, a video business in NY state.
Watch Sonya's videos below.
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The easy roundtrip Sentinel Range Wilderness Trail includes three ponds between one and four miles in distance. Lee surprises me with news that the Ausable River offers fishermen (even in the winter) the best trout catching on the East Coast. 
It sounds dangerous but Lee says it's not "if you know what you're doing and learn to read the ice and respect the conditions." Canadian climbers drive over 1000 miles to ice climb Mount Pitchoff just north of Mount Van Hoevenberg. There are more climbs here than parking spaces. Depending on the slope and texture of the ice, climbing requires special equipment like ropes, harnesses, ice axes, carabiners and crampons for your boots. If you're nimble enough to scale this precipitous cliff there are plenty more along the southern face for further views of Chapel Pond and the Cascade lakes far below.
Cascade Cross Country Center
