Fall & Winter in the Same Day...

As NYSEF (New York Ski Education Foundation) racers do a training skate up the Whiteface Memorial Highway, the season changes the higher they climb.

Photos by Pat Casey and Pete Vordenberg

Donnelly's Ice Cream

Photo from flickr user d-4ce

Operating out of a former Dairy, Donnelly's Ice Cream features the creamiest homemade soft serve. Each day, only one flavor is available, always twisted with vanilla. Weekends are always chocolate, while weekdays alternate through fruit, nut and other flavors. Last I visisted the flavor happened to be Strawberry, but no matter the flavor, you can't go wrong!

The shack, located at the intersection of Routes 86 & 186 is located in between the Paul Smiths College / Lake Clear Airport area and the village of Saranac Lake. Make a stop on the way back from the Saranac Inn Golf Course or just go for a drive. The mountain vista that faces the shop is pretty impressive in its own right. Donnelly's is open Memorial Day through Labor Day and should not be missed by any ice cream lovers. Til next year!

The WILD Center

The recently opened, 31 acre indoor/outdoor WILD Center at the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks is a fascinating set of live exhibits that help visitors understand the nature and science of the Adirondack Park.

"The Wild Center has live exhibits, and chances to hike and explore the Museum's 31- acre campus with naturalist guides or on your own. There are theaters with high definition films, plenty of hands-on nature, and hundreds of live animals from rare native trout, to river otters, to turtles the size of walnuts and many other often hard-to-see residents of the woods and waters."

Photos from flikr user ep4919

The brand new museum is drawing rave reviews for its engaging and breathtaking exhibits that make it a great destination for families.

Check out the New York Times article on the WILD Center.

Summer Hike: Pitchoff

My nephew and his friends came to visit recently, and they hiked Pitchoff. The summit sits at 3,497 ft and actually features several summits with views of the Cascade Lakes, Cascade Range Marcy, Colden & Algonquin as well as the Sentinel Range and Whiteface. On a clear summer day you can see Vermont's Green Mountains to the East. The trial is popular, although there will always be fewer people on this trail versus the nearby bald summit of Cascade. Some rock scrambling is involved in this otherwise moderate hike. Some rock portions can be slippery without appropriate footwear.

The trail head sits in between Keene and Saranac Lake on NY-73.

Golfing at Saranac Inn

Seymour Dunn, renowned Scottish golf pro and architect designed the Saranac Inn course in 1902. The 18 hole course was once part of The Saranac Inn, one of many Great Hotels in the Adirondacks before it burned in the 70s. The 18 hole course, located across the street from Upper Saranac Lake is considered to be among the best maintained in the Northeast and especially the Adirondacks. The course is challenging with fast greens and was awarded Golf Digest Best Places to Play - "The best course in the Adirondacks is immaculately maintained with friendly service and spectacular greens, tees and fairways." The Inn also offers rentals, lessons and a driving range.

To make a tee-time call (518) 891-1402.

World Cup Snowboarding at Whiteface!

This Week, Thursday March 8 and Saturday - Sunday, March 10-11, Whiteface will host the State Farm US Snowboard Cup.

Thursday and Sunday will see the SBX races including back-to-back world champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), double X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA) and recently crowned U.S. champions Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Girdwood, AK) and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI). Jacobellis, Holland and Chythlook-Sifsof all podiumed earlier this month at the opening World Cup of the season in Furano, Japan.

Saturday, March 10 will be the half-pipe competiton with reigning halfpipe winners Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, CO), the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, and ’07 Grand Prix champion Tommy Czeschin (Mammoth Lakes, CA) back along with two-time X Games champion Steve Fisher (Breckenridge, CO) as the ‘Bear Superpipe’ hosts the world’s best for the third straight year.

Also on tap for Lake Placid is the crowd favorite Paul Mitchell Progression Session, this year staged at the MacKenzie Intervale Ski Jumping complex, home of the 1980 Olympic ski jumps. Riders will rocket down the ski jump outrun of the 120-meter ski jump into a monstrous 30-foot quarterpipe. Up for grabs at the end of the jam session is $7,500 in cash, plus an additional $2,500 for the rider who stomps the Rip It Trick of the Day.

Watch the halfpipe competition on NBC, Sunday, March 18 at noon.

All events are free to the public, for more information click here.

Loads of Snow!

This is a picture of my nephews playing in the snow in Saranac Lake. After the big recent storm that dropped around 30 inches of the white stuff, its been snowing near non-stop this weekend. 73 trails are open at Whiteface, with great conditions. I went Saturday and there was lots of snow and the glades were open! Lots of fluffy stuff to get distracted by.

There is great tubing and sledding happening at hills all over town - but the hills are especially long at the Lake Placid Club golf course. Check out Wilmington Road headed toward Whiteface (keep following Main St. south past the Olympic Arena and Stewarts, after the second stop light look to the left). Tubes and sleds are available at Rite-Aid and sometimes Price Chopper.

The Toboggan Shoot in Lake Placid is also open! Read about it in my previous post here.