Do you believe in miracles?
If you’re a hockey fan–and even if you’re not, but have seen the 2004 film Miracle, with Kurt Russell as the coach of the 1980 Miracle on Ice Olympic hockey team that defeated the Russian team in a stunning upset–you’ll recognize the line above, and the town where it all happened.
Here’s the fearless Zamboni driver cleaning the ice in the 1980 rink, with the jerseys and names of the famous team as a backdrop.
I was in Lake Placid for a bit of a yearly miracle–a figure skating camp for adult skaters. Current and past coaches have included Albertville silver men’s medalist Paul Wylie; three time Canadian national champion in ice dance Lorna Wighton; two time American national bronze medalists Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre; two time national bronze pairs medalist Karen Courtland Kelly; and a host of others with national and Olympic credentials. If you’re a figure skater over the age of 21, it’s a great supportive atmosphere to learn new skills and take some extra lessons.
But there’s a lot more to Lake Placid than this, since this alone is not an outdoor adventure (although there was roller/inline skating time available through the facility on the Olympic Oval this year). And the Silver Lady cannot survive on figure skating alone!
Passeggiata Around Mirror Lake
A passeggiata is defined as “a leisurely walk or stroll, especially one taken in the evening,” and is common throughout Italy, usually in the evening before dinner. I engaged in this my first evening in Lake Placid. Many others were doing the same–older couples, moms and dads with strollers, and exercisers. And most of us were doing a circumnavigation of Mirror Lake. It’s 2.7 miles all the way around, passing through various neighborhoods, by private and public camps, and then through the town at the end. It’s not particularly adventurous but it’s fun to the see the gardens of the rich and get a little extra exercise in (when the four hours you’ve spent skating are not enough!).
It was also a good warm-up for the next day’s hike up Mt. Hoevenberg. I took the East Trail up, which is a recent addition and very well-maintained. It’s described on various sites as “moderate” or “moderately challenging,” possibly to discourage people who might be at the facility to buy a t-shirt and decide on a whim to hike up the mountain wearing flip-flops. (For the record, the Silver Lady thinks this is a good idea exactly NEVER.) For more experienced hikers, it’s a moderate hike on the easy side, with extremely rewarding views at the top.
Hiking Mt. Hoevenberg
It’s 974 feet of elevation gain, 3.7 miles total, and took me an hour and forty-four minutes. Surprisingly, it was fairly uncrowded hiking up, although coming back down I encountered a large group of college students. There are a number of stone stairs, although they are relatively easy to climb compared to the ones in Acadia.
There’s no issue with parking, as the hike starts around the back of the main facility at Mt. Hoevenberg, near the “mountain coaster,” possibly the slowest moving roller coaster in the U.S. You can go in, watch the climbers on the climbing wall, use the bathroom, and head out afterwards, then buy your t-shirt on the way out. Other available activities include the aforementioned “coaster,” the Bobsled Experience (not on ice), Discover Luge (on wheels), Discover Biathlon (either biking combined with shooting or just shooting), and bike rentals. The “Discover” activities include a lesson.
Of course, I went back and skated in the afternoon! But the following morning was reserved for kayaking on Lake Placid.
There are many places for paddlesports in the area, and I usually put in at the small carry-in boat launch at Ampersand Bay (Note that you CANNOT put in at the Ampersand Bay Resort unless you’re staying there–you need to continue down Bayside Drive past the resort, and turn in at the small parking area in the woods). This gives you access to Lower Saranac Lake and the Saranac Islands, which can be a spectacular paddle on the right day. There are campgrounds on the islands as well.
This was unfortunately temporarily closed while I was visiting, so I put in at Lake Placid instead. Lake Placid is not the lake you walk along as you walk through the town–that’s Mirror Lake, as described above. To reach the Lake Placid dock, head down Mirror Lake Drive from Main Street and turn right on George & Bliss Lane (Note: the Silver Lady was unable to determine who George and Bliss are or were. A quick internet search revealed nothing other than the fact that many camps are named after them. Possibly upstate New Yorkers in the know have the skinny on this), where Mirror Lake and Lake Placid are on your right and left. There are two parking areas and a concrete dock.
There are beautiful views and some interesting boathouses all around the lake. It made for a great morning paddle.
Then it was back to the rink for one last afternoon of skating before dinner!
All in all, it was a wonderful four days of skating and outdoor adventure–and I would do it again in a New York minute!
And as a farewell to you, dear Reader, here is a picture of a rugby player at our hotel wearing a weight as a hat. The Silver Lady does not know why he did this, but my hat (which is a flimsy thing which in no way weighs twenty five pounds, as this gentlemen’s did) is off to him. Thanks to my dear friend Madama Pat for the photo:
Particulars
Where to stay:
Both Madama Pat and the Silver Lady stayed at the formerly locally owned Art Devlin’s. We have stayed there multiple times in the past when the hotel was owned by Art Devlin Jr., son of the eponymous Art Devlin Sr., who was an Olympic ski jumper. The new owners, including the owner of the nearby Sara Placid Inn and Amanda’s Village Hotel, both in Saranac Lake, are continuing to display Devlin’s medals.
Renovations made for more attractive bathrooms and nicer chairs in the more expensive rooms, but sadly, this year service was somewhat lacking–housekeeping is supposed to be by request, but unfortunately my requests to have the broken screen door fixed and the trash removed after four days were agreed to happily but never accomplished. The Silver Lady does not approve of this behavior. Perhaps it is just a bump in the road.
Other hotels in the area include the Golden Arrow, which is very pleasant and has the added bonus of having a beach (and kayaks) on Mirror Lake, but is accordingly quite pricy; the Hampton Inn on Mirror Lake Drive; and the Crowne Plaza Lake Placid. There are, of course, many Airbnbs, rentals, and very expensive hotels such as the Mirror Lake Inn, the Lodge at Whiteface, and the Lake Placid Lodge.
Where to eat:
1) the Great Adirondack Brewing Company, which stayed open late and had good beer. I had fries and mussels: they were good, but some of the fries were mysteriously cold while others in the basket were hot.
2) A restaurant at the Crowne Plaza we know only as “the restaurant at Denise’s hotel” because Denise was, well, staying at the hotel there. Investigation suggests that it may be called The Great Room. It was in a big room so that makes sense, from the Silver Lady’s point of view. My salmon was good but it seemed there was variation amongst us as to the quality of the food. Our waiter, Jason, was charming. Thank you, Jason! (Hopefully, that is really his name. The Silver Lady and Madama Pat had several cocktails that evening.)
3) Big Slide Brewery and Public House, which had a nice outdoor area to wait in, but only a few outdoor tables, so after starting our evening outside with drinks, we ate inside. Curiously, three of us suddenly wanted wine rather than beer despite being in a brewery, and we may well have exhausted their supply. Pizza was good, but they were unable to add anything to the set pizzas (i.e., you could not choose your toppings). Beer, according to Madama Pat’s husband, was good.
4) Luna, on the main drag. My favorite of the restaurants we ate at this year, with an eclectic menu and a good wine list.
Lake Placid Pub and Brewery is a perennial favorite but I didn’t make it there this year. It can be hard to get a seat so go early and enjoy!