Month: September 2020

In 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in the superbowl, winning their 6th title. That fateful sunday was the first time I went skiing, barely able to stay up on the bunny hills. I instantly fell in love, and the next monday my mom let me skip school to spend the whole day at our local mountain, Ski Roundtop. Throughout the day, I worked my way from a beginner to being able to make it down every trail but the hardest one (http://www.skiroundtop.com/lifts-trails). In the next few years, I spent my nights after school learning all the secrets of the mountain, wanting more. Finally, my parents decided something had to change.

On my first trip skiing anywhere besides Ski Roundtop and the nearby Seven Springs in Pittsburg, I had the pleasure to travel out to Salt Lake City, Utah, to visit Powder Mountain. It is a small resort, known mostly by the locals. My grandfather grew up loving the mountain, and highly recommended it for us to take a trip to. My first time waking up in our condo at the top of the mountain, I was blown away (https://www.powdermountain.com/groups-and-weddings/lodging). The “mountains” i had skied on before had done nothing to compare me for the jagged peaks that towered above the tree line and the clouds.

Powder Mountain is a particularly unusual resort because it starts at the top. That is, the lodges are at the top, and you ski down the mountain first, then ride the lifts to get back up. The mountain is named accurately, as there are miles and miles of terrain and hardly any people to ski it. A common tagline of the resort is having “nonexistent liftlines” and I am happy to say I agree. One of the best parts of the resort in my memory was the vast amount of backcountry, or ungroomed, terrain they had available for beginners. At most western resorts, the newer skiers stay towards the groomed trails, and the experts are rewarded with the unmarked powder stashes. Here though, there are flat open bowls and gentle glades My trip to Powder Mountain was my first and one of my only experiences of a true “powder day”. Even as a young 9 year old, I was weaving in and out of trees, slowly becoming more comfortable at forging my own path to the bottom.

Filled with a unique culture and vibe, Powder Mountain has feeling of its own small community. The nearby town of Eden gave me the sense of the Wild West. I wouldn’t have been surprised if a cowboy had come riding down mainstreet (https://www.timbermine.com/). Everyone seemed to like each other, and you got the idea that all the guests loved to ski there. At one point, the Paradise Express lift comes so close to a snowy cliff that there is a sign stating “Please do not jump off the lift”. I remember thinking that was the weirdest and funniest thing as a kid. Who would ever want to do something stupid like jump off a ski lift? Sadly, my naive attitude about skiing, and life, has changed, as I now regret tons of dumb stuff i’ve done on the ski slopes, but those are stories for another day. Powder Mountain will forever stay in my memory as my first ‘real’ ski resort, and I can’t wait to one day return.

Groomed Terrain: 3/5

Backcountry Terrain: 5/5

Crowds: 5/5

Accessibility: 4/5

Resort Amenities: 3/5

Ticket Value: 3.5/5

Panorama: 4.5/5

Final Rating: 4.0/5 – “A local’s paradise”

In 1980 during the height of the Cold War, with tensions between the U.S.S.R. and United states at a critical peak, a match of the ages was set to be played. While previously just a small town nestled in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, Lake Placid had been transformed to a bustling center of global cooperation to host the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. In what’s now a household name, the U.S. men’s hockey team defeated the Soviet Union to win the gold medal in the “Miracle On Ice” (The most important battle of the Cold War). When I visited Lake Placid, I had the opportunity to see the very historic Herb Brooks Arena, in which the game was played. A few friends and I were actually able to sit down for free and watch a local hockey tournament. Instantly accepting us into the crowd, the locals welcomed us in as we became the young kids biggest fans (https://www.ushockeyhalloffame.com/page/show/831562-the-1980-u-s-olympic-team).

Lake Placid was home to the winter games in 1932 and 1980, and it shows. To this day, the town still has the feel of an olympic village. Walking around the frozen lake, I could imagine thousands of people packed into the cozy environment from around the world, filled with their nation’s pride. Encircling the 122 acre Mirror Lake (the real Lake Placid is much larger and located next to the town), all manners of shops, restaurants and bars line Main Street. When I stayed in town, I had the pleasure of meeting local skier Joe Kostelac, who was kind enough to share some of his favorite spots with me. “If you want somewhere to eat, you gotta go to Smoke Signals. The atmosphere is warm and pleasant, right next to the lake. The food’s great and they give out generous portions. Tourists love heading to Bear Essentials and Locker Room 5 to buy clothing and souvenirs commemorating the 1980’s hockey team. Oh and of course, if you like Crepes, you have to try Big Mountain Deli and Creperie. Some of the best I’ve ever had.” For me atleast, my favorite thing to do in town was to simply gaze across the lake at the lights dotting the opposite shore, white fluffy flakes slowly piling on the ground.

Of course, the crown jewel of Lake Placid is the ski resort Whiteface Mountain. With an elevation drop of 3,430 ft, it is the tallest resort on the east coast. All though it’s not necessarily my favorite mountain in the northeast, there’s nothing to complain about (https://www.whiteface.com/mountain/trail-map).  Home to the Cloudsplitter Gondola (which quite literally takes riders above the clouds), Whiteface boast impressive terrain, with steep long runs that reminded me of Colorado. The gondola rises fairly high above the ground, crisscrossing deep wooded valleys as it climbs the mountain. There’s even an operational bobsled track left over from the winter olympics that you can ride down, if you have the guts.

Just walking around the village, it felt like a Christmas movie. A large Ice Skating rink, were you can learn (and fall) with your friends, is located in the center of town, right across from the Olympic Museum (http://www.lpom.org/). Looking up and seeing the five classic rings, I could imagine myself an athlete, training for my opportunity of a lifetime. Another highlight of my trip was getting an up close look at the ski jumping complex, towering 90 meters into the air. I always wondered what it would be like try that, yet I’m thankful I’ll never find out for myself. Lake Placid was one of my favorite places to stay, and I think Joe described it best when he said “It’s like the real life version of the Hallmark Channel”.

 

Groomed Terrain: 4/5

Backcountry: 2/5

Crowds: 4/5

Accessibility: 2/5

Resort Amenities: 5/5

Ticket Value: 4/5

Panorama: 3.5/5

Final Rating: 3.5/5 – “The resort is special, but the town is a true winter wonderland…”