This is the only Winter Olympic venue within driving distance of my home. I actually went here for a weekend once; a large portion of it was spent driving. Although it isn't (for me) as exotic or has the cultural differences that the other venues do, I have to admit, I like it. I have been here three times but only for short periods. On one visit I got the Winter Olympic Passport, which is good value, this includes admission or discounts to most of the 1980 venues which are largely still intact. I wanted to try the bobsled but it was not operating because it was "too cold". Too cold!?! I remember it being pretty damn cold (-25C ish), but bobsledding is a winter sport. It is like saying the grass on a pitch is too green to play football. My one regret is not doing some cross country skiing while I was there too. You can go up the ski jumping tower, there is a great view of the surrounding area and looking down the slope gives you a lot more respect for the athletes who are brave enough to do the sport. The town itself is small and quaint and there are a variety of places to stay. From dodgey motels to the Hilton.
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| Ski Jumping Towers |
It is true, Whiteface (the skiing venue) has earned its nickname Iceface. I have encountered, icy, or hard packed snow conditions every time I have been here. It has also been extremely cold (-35C at the summit) and windy when I have been there. Fairweather (West Coast) skiers should certainly think twice about going. But the mountain is quite large especially by East Coast standards with 1085m (3430') of vertical, the largest on the East Coast of North America.
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| A view of Whiteface |
The runs are quite challenging, blues and black diamonds are the norm. There are a few gladed runs and moguls which add variety. It takes about 20-30 minutes to ski the entire mountain from top to bottom. I think if I was here for an entire week I would get a bit bored, but it certainly holds my attention for three days. Another bonus is the lack of lift lines. Compared to Tremblant, they are almost non existant. Somedays it feels like you have the whole mountain to yourself. I think I might have to go back sometime in the next few years and reassess my on-piste rating after skiing some of the mountains in Europe.
Off-piste: Bronze
Unfortunately, the feeling of having the mountain to yourself sometimes extends to the town too. There are some nice restaurants in town. I remember having some good meals in Charlies, for some reason I remember having a particularly good soup there on one occasion. The pubs are generally pretty quiet, however, to be fair, I have not been there on a weekend, but compared to Europe, Lake Placid may as well have tumbleweed blowing through it.
Overall Bronze
Marc Says Don't get me wrong, it is great having such a large mountain in driving distance, and it is great for 3-4 day trips. But, to be honest it is small potatoes compared to some of the interlinked resorts of Europe.
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