Five things to do in the winter in Lake Placid, NY

New Year’s Day, 2020: I worked a serving shift until 2:00 AM, slept until 9:30, and drove from 11 straight into the evening. The destination was Saranac Lake, New York, where a log cabin equipped with a wood burning fire place and hot tub awaited me. I was headed up with my family for a late Christmas celebration. Located in the Adirondack Park of upstate New York, the Saranac Lake area provided a refreshing winter retreat.

We drove for more than seven hours, each pit stop along the way becoming increasingly colder. By the time we had arrived, I had all but forgotten the traffic and warm temperatures I’d left in Delaware. It felt sort of like being in Colorado again, at least it certainly looked it as we drove on two lane highways through forests of snow-dusted evergreens.

Although we only had three full days, we made the most of it. Below are the highlights of all the stops we hit!

Lake Placid is one of two locations to hold the Winter Olympics twice. Olympic sites practically litter the town ten miles west of Saranac Lake. The arena that houses the ice rinks used in both year’s games and the Olympic Museum is still in use, Although we did opt for a guided tour ($10 per person), the Museum comes highly rated and reviewed.

One of the stops on the tour was the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena. Most popularly known for the
Miracle On Ice, the arena was where the motley team of college and semi professional hockey players from the US beat the USSR in a medal round. The team went on the win the gold against Finland. Hockey wasn’t even all that popular at that time in the US. Not surprisingly, enrollment in youth hockey skyrocketed following the win

To veer away from the historical towards architectural Olympic history, visit the Olympic ski jumping facility. There are two ski jumps: the 90 and 120 meter, although they were 70 and 90 meters, respectively, at the time of the 1980 Olympics. The view from the top is panoramic, with views of Whiteface Mountain, the John Brown Farmhouse, and a sweeping valley. You can also cozy up slope side on the coaches and judges platforms for closer-up views of the steep drops. Definitely keep an eye on the weather for this, as the best views come with clear, sunny days.

Back in 2018 I injured my knee, and lacking health insurance that covered that kind of thing I idiotically pushed my limits. By winter it became sore easily and frequently. Wanting another backpacking trip and not wanting to injure myself further, I used my season pass money for a ticket to Madrid. I finally did have surgery for a torn ACL and meniscus in May of 2019 so I knew this snowboard season would be out. I’ve been a good post-op patient all summer, so when I found out I was visiting Lake Placid I knew I wanted to try a day of riding. I found cheap tickets on Liftopia and spent the bulk of a day at Whiteface.

Whiteface remains a tiny ski area, equipped with the bare essentials: a bar, a restaurant, and a small lodge area with lockers, ticket office, and rental shop.  Right outside the lodge is Cloudsplitter Gondola, which takes riders and skiers from the base straight to the top of the mountain.

I respect any ski area that keeps it low key, and you could tell it was a locals kinda place with the amount of people chatting and catching up with bartenders and Whiteface employees. At just $104 for a lift ticket (although I found them cheaper in advance online), Whiteface is definitely worth it for a day if you’re in the area during Winter! 

My family likes beer. Its not a secret. So when we found out there were a few breweries around the county, we checked one out whenever we could. Attached photo is me drinking local beer in aforementioned wood burning stove in the log cabin.

My favorite was Big Slide Brewery. I had a flight of beers because I couldn’t choose just one, and they were all delicious! I tried the Hot Pepper Pale Ale, Liepzig Gose, Bourbon Barrel Aged Ubu, Beta Hazy IPA, and the Jagged Little Pilsner. They were all wonderful and after the flight and another pint of the Jagged Little Pilsner, I was feeling a little loose, proving the beers were delicious and potent. My sister enjoyed the Pilsner so much she ordered a second, although she mistakenly called it the You Oughta Know Pilsner. I highly suggest Big Slide, their beers were creative and the food varied from traditional pub fare with distinctive salads and sandwiches. It offered something a little upscale and funky without a huge price increase.

We stopped at Lake Placid Pub & Brewery on our first night, after our long drive. I got a couple of the Ubu English Style strong ales. There’s nothing like a hearty brown ale on a cold winter’s night to me, particularly in a wood covered bar. It was worth it for a nice break from the car, and just a stone’s throw away from the Olympic arena, definitely worth a stop, if just for their well crafted beers and cozy atmosphere.

Located inside of an old car wash, Blue Line Brewery had much more of a dive bar atmosphere than a brewery. I got the goat cheese salad which was simple but well executed. They were the priciest brewery despite appearances, but the beers were solid. I forgot which two I got but they were honestly delicious. This one was located in Saranac Lake where our Air BNB was. I guess the Blue Line is some kind of Boston thing because their menu had a lot of Boston sport puns on it, so I wouldn’t go in there with any Yankees or Rangers apparel.

To kill an hour and a half between activities, take a stroll up and down Main Street in Lake Placid. Grab some coffee and start your window shopping, or stop in one of the varied gift stores/ The strip of shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants provides a scenic walk and a nice way to get some fresh air. Granted a lot of shops hock trinkety souvenirs, you’re still likely to find a unique item or to snag.

I stopped in Around the Lake Coffee for an afternoon caffeine boost in the form of a CBD infused latte. My knee was sore from the day of riding and lucky for me, the CBD kicked in swiftly. Their CBD extraction? Pure Vermont maple syrup infused with CBD. The sugar is extracted from the syrup, jarred, and blended into the milk for lattes.

We visited the John Brown Farmhouse on the morning of our third day. Famous abolitionist John Brown lived here for only about six months before moving to Kansas and planning his famous takeover of the Harper’s Ferry Armory in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. But he is buried there and there’s signage all around the National Historic Landmark, but it being winter, the museum and outbuildings were closed. It was a dreamy sight to see in the falling snow, though.

We also visited The Saranac Lake Laboratory Museum. The Laboratory, founded by Dr Trudeau in 1894, was the first laboratory established to research Tuberculosis in the US. He also opened a lodge for patients, and the town of Saranac Lake founded and flourished around supplying the needs of patients seeking the Fresh Air Cure. At this time, the treatment consisting of laying outside for hours a day, summer and winter, was the only known cure for the disease. Although antibiotics were developed later , the camaraderie and peace found in Saranac were especially beneficial for many TB patients, and many opted to stay even after overcoming the illness. 

The Adirondack Park is a 9,375 sq foot Park encompassing the Adirondacks and is managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. For now I’ll settle for the drives through it; but I would highly suggest it for any hikers and nature lovers out there.

High Falls Gorge in Wilmington. At $15 per person, the 30-minute walk boasted four cascading waterfalls.

Thunder Mountain Dog Sled Tours in Lake Placid. The group of Siberian huskies are bred to run and carry the sleds happily race across the lake with their flannel blanketed passengers.