Major Snow! Winter Carnival this Weekend!

We received a foot of the white stuff overnight, and the extended forecast is pointing to snow every day for the next 10 days!


Photo from flickr user Capn Tom

The Ice Palace is finished and lit in preparation for this weekend's culmination of the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival! Highlights include Saturday's Parade at 1pm, on Main St and Broadway, with floats and performances tied into this year's Horray for Hollywood theme as well as fireworks on Sunday night at 7.

Check out the Full Schedule of Events

Nokia FIS Snowboard World Cup at Whiteface

The Visa US Snowboarding Cup / NOKIA FIS Snowboard World Cup will be happening at Whiteface February 29-March 3.


In addition to PGS (gates) and individual SBX (snowboard cross) events, this year will feature a team SBX event - a unique competition not usually seen anywhere but the X-Games.

Check out this video of the 2007 competition:


Saturday night, March 1 will also feature the Paul Mitchell Progression Session at the Olympic Speed Skating Oval - a Big Air/Wall Ride Exhibition, with live music by The Press Project, giveaways and games. Don't miss out!

Full Schedule of Events via ORDA

See it here first - Lake Placid Aerials: VIDEO

This past weekend's Nature Valley completions were a blast, and as hinted, I ended up at the night time aerials competition at the Lake Placid Ski Jumps. The band was a hit and the falling snow (not to mention the ridiculous flips and twists) topped off the whole experience for the energized crowd.

Jumpers from the US, Ukraine, Australia and more were on hand to test their skills - check out this short video I took:



See all the action this Sunday on NBC at 3:30. There's always something happening here. Come visit!

This Weekend: Nature Valley Freestyle Cup!

Today marks the beginning of this weekend's Nature Valley Freestyle Cup - FIS Freestyle World Cup, happening today, January 18 - Sunday, January 20, 2008 at Whiteface and the Olympic Jumping Complex (Ski Jumps). Today moguls training and showcases are taking place on Whiteface's Wilderness trail. A lift ticket is required to view the moguls competitions.

Saturday will be dedicated to the Aerials competition at the Ski Jumps. Training sessions begin at 12:15, with the fun really getting going at 6 pm when the nighttime aerial party kicks off, featuring live music by Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. The group's music is considered a mix of relentless reggae sound, Roots reggae and experimental dub (check out their music on MySpace). Mens and Women's Finals start just after 7:30.

Sunday involves Moguls training (8:15 am onward) and finals (2 pm) at Whiteface.

Of all the happenings, I'm personally most likely to attend the night time aerials competition because it sports some incredible jumps set off by the bright white snow and the dark night sky (and the nice festive atmosphere helps too!). Skiers and riders can easily survey the moguls action (Friday & Sunday) from the Little Whiteface / Mountain Run double chairs that lookout over the Wilderness trail.

Get the full schedule of events via ORDA.

If you won't be in the area this weekend, don't despair too much, you can relive some of the action on tv next Sunday, January 27th on NBC.

Coming Soon: 2008 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival!

A vintage ice castle shot! The 2008 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is fast approaching. The festivities are scheduled for February 1 - 10 and construction on the 2008 ice palace has begun. This year's theme is Hooray for Hollywood, which should make for some great parade floats.

According to the SL Winter Carnival official site, the carnival began "as a one-day event to break the monotony of the long Adirondack winter, the Carnival has grown into a ten-day festival that includes sporting activities, dances, dramatic and musical productions, two parades (one especially for children) and two sets of fireworks above the world famous Ice Palace. In spite of the many changes, the Carnival has retained the warmth, charm and camaraderie of a family and community celebration, replete with reunions of friends and families."

This event is the crown jewel for Saranac Lake and is a personal favorite. The parade is a hoot and the ice castle is always impressive, even more so for kids. Come check out the 111th Winter Carnival!

View my post on the 2007 Carnival here.

Major Snow! Whiteface opens Summit!

Photo from flickr member dgstokes007

This weekend we dealt with the major storm that brought varying forms of precipitation to the entire Northeast. The storm dropped around 18 inches in town with 21" falling on the slopes of Whiteface. This has led to the opening of Summit trails Paron's and The Follies served by the old Lift 6, now known as the Summit Quad. These trails are blue squares and can make for a nice long run from top to bottom, with both trails emptying out onto the popular Excelsior trail.


The glades are also open at Whiteface, and they are in impressive condition, with up to 4 ft of snow base in some spots. 65 trails are open! The skiing/riding is ridiculously good, and Skyward (the steep black diamond summit trail that served as the start of the Women's Downhill in the '80 Winter Games) will be opening this weekend.

Also of note, all 31 miles of the cross-country ski trails at the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg are now open as well.

This holiday season in the Adirondacks is shaping up to be one of the most beautiful and active yet! Don't miss out - come check it out!

World Cup Bobsled & Skeleton!

Photos from flickr user rsgdodge

This weekend, The Olympic Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg will be hosting the third stop of the Veissmann FIBT World Cup competition. Skeleton (single rider, head-first) races are scheduled for Friday, with bobsled (2 man and 4 man) races taking place Saturday and Sunday.

Look for Germany and the US to continue duking out their rivalry on the ice in bobsleigh, while the Brits, Canucks and Yanks are likely to dominate the skeleton races. Admission is free when you bring a new unwrapped toy (stop by the ORDA store on Main St. in Lake Placid for extra passes). Saturday and Sunday will also feature trackside parties and giveaways throughout the day and an ongoing party at the base lodge with the Lake Placid Bavarians and Santa.

Schedule details