Skate, ski, and celebrate the season.
ADK Winter is Calling Your Name
1.
Picture-perfect holidays
Snow-covered mountains, iced-over lakes, and snowflakes that swirl around like a perfect natural snowglobe. Winter in Lake Placid is magical, especially around the holidays. We have a jam-packed calendar featuring a variety of town-wide events and activities, helping to make the season even livelier. We love the holidays so much we begin the fun in mid-December with the Holiday Village Stroll and extend our celebrations into the New Year. Whether you're looking for family fun or a romantic weekend with your sweetheart, come to Lake Placid this holiday season.
2.
Winged migration
Friends of mine were recently heading to the Malone Rec Park to see the geese which have been accumulating there of late, and I was happy to have the chance to jump in with them. We arrived at the Rec Park to find a large flock of geese - mostly Canada geese, but there have been growing numbers of snow geese on the pond at the center of the park as well. This is the time of year when the geese arrive and stay for several weeks as they migrate south.
3.
Top holiday experiences
Traveling over the holidays can make for very special memories with loved ones. The kids are out of school and the magic of the season is in the air. Time is one of the most cherished commoditites and how you spend holiday time will be something you hold dear for years to come. The Whiteface Region has so much to offer for the entire family, and the holidays are a great time to come and enjoy. You can be in a majestic mountain town that offers adventure, downtime, and a lot of holiday cheer. Here are the top ten reasons you will love it during the holidays.
4.
Big game, long season
White-tailed deer, black bears, grouse, turkeys, ducks, coyotes, and small game are just a few of the Adirondack wildlife found on one-million acres of public land here. The deep woods and isolated waters have challenged and rewarded skillful Northern Zone hunters for centuries.
5.
Handcrafted Tupper Lake
The leaves have fallen, the air is brisk, and the winter holidays will soon be here! Tupper Arts has been busy planning a variety of winter activities for all ages.
6.
Learning to ski
Staring down from the top of a mountain was not something I ever pictured myself doing on a crisp Friday morning with temperatures in the teens. But, there I was, perched at the top and ready to glide down on a pair of downhill skis.
This is not a completely accurate picture, though. I was at the top of the bunny hill at Gore Mountain, and I was learning to ski. I convinced a friend — who like me is terrified of speeding down a steep and snowy mountain — to try out alpine skiing. I wanted to try skiing because I wanted to test my mettle. I wanted to build confidence. I wanted to try something completely outside my repertoire of knowledge. I can now claim that skiing is amazing and that everyone, yes everyone, should try it. But, first take a lesson.
7.
In the studio
Among a drawer filled with different gemstones that Kristina Mueller — artist and Lake Clear resident — has been collecting, a small silver pineapple charm stands out to me. I pictured it dangling from a silver chain with its charming spiky fronds and grooved skin. It’s no bigger than a thumb print but looks precisely like a pineapple. There were several of them so I couldn’t resist asking what she planned for these irresistible treasures. She laughed and told me it’s for family and friends that share an inside story regarding a Phish concert. I, without irony, asked if she would add them to her collection to sell. She shook her head “no.” She’s not interested in mass producing.
8.
Year-round birding greats
The Champlain Valley offers excellent year-round birding, beginning with the cold and ice of winter. The New Year celebration is often marked by an ice edge advancing from the south, scooping the ducks and other aquatic species up and plunking them down near the Champlain Bridge and Crown Point. Thousands of waterfowl can be present in the Crown Point and Port Henry area at once, and birders can sift through the more common species for specialties like Barrow’s Goldeneye and Tufted Duck. As the lake freezes, the birds become more and more condensed in the remaining open water, and birders should visit wide places in the lake like Ausable Point and Noblewood Park as well as the Essex and Cumberland Head ferry terminals to find open water.