Check off a bucket list vacation and enjoy hard water season.
Experience Adirondack Winter Adventure
1.
In a wild place
Adirondack resident Beth Melecci loves to experience the rising of the sun. For her, the regular arrival of the sun over the horizon isn't just another day, it's a new day. It has promise, both for the world around and for herself, with everything coming alive and starting fresh. Happiest and most at home in the woods, Melecci is a state-certified hunting and fishing guide, singer/songwriter, and yoga and meditation instructor. She's a great example of someone who is in tune with herself and with the magical, visually stunning wilderness that is the Adirondacks, a place she loves to call home and encourages others to explore and enjoy.
2.
Whiteface bucket list
Whiteface Mountain, located in the picturesque mountain town of Wilmington, is famed for its role in the 1980 Winter Olympics. And for skiers and riders, it has become a bucket list mountain for a number of reasons - from the biggest vertical in the east to its après scene.
Want to ski in the footsteps of Olympians? Want to take a single run that lasts 20 minutes? Want to treat yourself to a spa day or locally-made craft brew after a day on the slopes? You’re in luck, because Whiteface Mountain and the Lake Placid region allows you to do all that and more!
3.
Riding the trails
A group of us had planned to take a ride out to the Thirsty Moose for lunch one Saturday at the beginning of the season to see how the trails were. This is one of my favorite rides in the Tupper Lake Area. It’s a nicely groomed ride, scenic, and ends with a tasty destination.
We started off from Tupper Lake around 10 a.m. and headed out of town past Raquette River Brewing and down Pitchfork Pond Road. It was a beautiful blue bird day with the sun shining, and there were about six snowmobiles in our pack. We took off out of town via the Matumbla trails. The riding was smooth with the occasional rock or stick poking through as it was still early in the season. We passed many different packs of snowmobilers as everyone has been waiting for a big snowfall to get out and ride!
4.
Winter family fun
If a game of King of the Hill that ends in tears and a handful of snow down your collar is your typical day of winter family fun — let me help you out!
Saranac Lake is bursting with cool things to do that will leave the whole family smiling from ear to ear. Here are five things for your clan to try on your next Adirondack winter vacation in Saranac Lake.
5.
Learn to ice fish
For those who don’t ski or snowmobile but still love winter, ice fishing is something you might enjoy! Spending a day admiring beautiful Adirondack landscapes, being outside in winter relaxing with friends or family, trying to catch a fish under the ice -- that’s what ice fishing is all about. Nothing too complicated.
The surface of the frozen lakes in winter can be brutal. Strong winds and heavy snow in the forecast mean it might not be the best day for an ice fishing trip. The best time to go is when the barometer is stable and the wind is calm. These conditions are present quite often in the Central Adirondacks in February.
6.
Bulwagga Bay experience
Looking out over the gentle vast expanse of Lake Champlain, flanked by the craggy peaks of the Adirondacks and the purple mountains of Vermont, winter seems more forgiving. As my first holiday season approached, I watched the ice creep ever forward on the lake; the birds resting on the edge of the ice shelf marking the boundary between frozen and moving waters.
I came to the area to take stewardship of Crown Point State Historic Site, the site of two pre-Revolutionary War forts. I am the out-of-towner amongst the true caretakers of our grounds, all of whom are lifelong residents. As the temperature dipped lower, and I overheard talk in the lunch room, I learned that means they are also lifelong fishermen. Just after the turn into the new year, I could hear daily condition reports from lake to lake, what species were caught, who got out earlier, who stayed out the latest and stories from a time in which each ended with “it’s not like that anymore.” The only fishing I’ve known was one trip out with my grandfather in Chenango Valley (it consisted of mainly staring at him, staring at the water, and asking when we were heading back) and a middle school excursion in Long Island Sound, catching only a blistering sunburn. Fishing hadn’t yielded any great memories for me. But something was different about this place. So, I start to do what a historian does. I start researching to understand.
7.
Fire and ice
A day in the Whiteface Region means being busy with outdoor adventure. Everything from skiing at Whiteface Mountain, hiking on a beautiful wintry trail, to snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the woods. Busy, cold days make warm aprés a must. You need to thaw out and where you do this is an important decision. If you are like me, you will be looking for a warm, cozy environment. What does that mean to you? Well, to me it means candles, a fireplace, maybe a couch to chill out and warm up on, warm service, and, of course, drinks. I am on a quest to find this for you. Now that we know exactly what we are looking for, let's find the places that meet our standards. Cozy aprés on the way.
8.
Reasons to ski Titus
Winter is here. In the foothills of the Adirondacks, that means lots of things - snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, hot cocoa and hot toddies at our local restaurants, and of course, skiing!
I read a great quote the other day: "If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life but still the same amount of snow." I don't know who I should credit that to, but it's a sentiment that resonates throughout our local area.
And what better way to find joy in the snow than to take a ski holiday? You might find yourself asking, "why should I ski and stay in Malone?" Glad you asked.