CROSS COUNTRY SKIING AND SNOWSHOEING IN THE ADIRONDACKS

For those who are not too thrilled about going downhill at great speeds, snowshoeing and cross country skiing are great ways to enjoy the natural beauty of the Adirondacks in winter time and the The Lake Placid Retreat is nearby some of the region's best trails.

Snowshoes can be rented for a nominal fee from one of a number of outfitters in town including Lake Placid Mountaineering 518 523 7586, Mountain and Bordertown 518 523 9443, and Maui North Ski, Bike and Surf Co. 518 523 7245. Cross country skis and boots can be rented from the Cascade Cross Country Ski Center 518 523 9605

For snowshoers, there are hundreds of miles of trails ranging from difficult to easy. A few easy ones we'd suggest are:

1. Dam at Lake Placid: located just a couple minutes by car from the Lake Placid Retreat. Turn right out of Cayuga Way onto Stevens Road, then take your first right at the at the 4-way intersection onto Route 86. Continue about a mile to the Howard Johnsons. Park in the Howard Johnson's parking lot. The trail goes up behind the Howard Johnsons and even though it starts out inauspiciously you're soon in very nice woods. Follow the trail about 1 mile. When in doubt follow signs for the Jackrabbit Trail. It will lead you past a river and then to a dam on the shore of Lake Placid. This is a nice easy XC Ski trail that kids and parents will enjoy.

2. Whiteface Landing/Lake Placid shoreline trail: About a five minute drive from Lake Placid Village this is a nice flat trail that takes you along the wildest shore of Lake Placid Lake and leaves you at the foot of Whiteface Mountain. There's a dock at the end of the trail that makes for a good picnic spot. If you go all the way to the dock it's about a 6 mile round trip walk. Sounds long but it goes quickly as it is very flat. To get there, turn right at the top of Cayuga Way onto Stevens Road. Then make your first left onto Route 86. Go through town and continue straight through the Route 73/Route 86 intersection. In other words, stay on Route 86. Look for the brown and yellow trailhead sign that says Whiteface Mountain and Connery Pond on your left. Drive down the dirt road and park in the small dirt parking area at the end of the road.

3. Mt. Jo: This is a small mountain in the High Peaks Wilderness Area with excellent views at minimal physical investment. To get there, take route 73 back in the direction of the NY Thruway. A little ways past the ski jumps you'll see a brown and yellow sign marking the turn off to the High Peaks Wilderness Area. Make a right and continue for 5 miles or so until the road dead ends at the Adirondack Loj, the main departure point for the Adirondack high peaks. The trailhead to Mt. Jo is to the right of the ticket booth. There is a long, gradual trail to the top and a short steep one as well. Note: other trailheads can also be accessed here, but in winter the higher peaks should not be taken on if you do not have winter hiking experience. Weather is extreme on the high peaks and conditions can deteriorate rapidly. There are many other day hikes to do and any guide book will lead you to them.

For cross country skiers, the opportunities are just as good, if not better. The Cascade Cross Country Ski Center has lovely short groomed trails and a lodge that serves lunch and hot drinks. Full moon skiing is also featured at the Center.

For those who would like a longer trip, the Jackrabbit Trail system. Laid out by local legend Jackrabbit Johansen, the trail travels from Saranac Lake to Keene covering all sorts of terrain. Generally the trail is broken up into five sections. They are:

Saranac Lake to McKenzie Pond Road - 2 mi. Ungroomed - Difficulty: Novice to Intermediate... One can start skiing the trail at the bandshell on Main Street and find the trail via Riverside Park, but the most popular approach is to start at the North Country Community College Gym. Follow the railroad one-half mile from N.C.C.C., then turn left and follow the trail (part of old snowmobile trail) to McKenzie Pond Rd. at 2 miles.

McKenzie Pond Road to the Whiteface Club Nordic Center - 5.5 mi. Ungroomed - Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced... This section is skied often and should be broken out within a day of any storm. Starting on the road, the trail climbs up past a softball field then along a narrow section to the McKenzie Pond Truck Trail at just over one mile. After another flat mile, the trail climbs for 1.5 mi. and then descends a like distance to Whiteface Club Nordic Center.

Whiteface Club Nordic Center to Mirror Lake - 3.5 mi. - Mostly Ungroomed - Difficulty: Intermediate (Trail fee required to cross Whiteface Club trails)... Generally bearing left on the Whiteface Club trails, the Jackrabbit Trail leaves the groomed trails at 0.5 mi. and reaches the Howard Johnson's Restaurant at 1.75 mi. Crossing Saranac Avenue, the trail goes to the left of the Tops Express store and follows a paved road (usually must be walked) for 0.2 mi. until the skiing resumes on the right. Reaching West Valley Road at 3.0 mi., the trail climbs to the Holiday Inn parking lot. From here, skiers may walk or ski to the right of the main Holiday Inn building and then down the hill. Passing to the left of the Post Office, the route reaches the toboggan slide on the shore of Mirror Lake at 3.5 mi.

Mirror Lake and Lake Placid Resort Nordic Center to the Cascade Cross Country Ski Center - 7 mi. - Groomed (trail fee required) - Difficulty: Intermediate... From Mirror Lake, the Jackrabbit Trail goes past some old Lake Placid Club cottages to Lake Placid Resort Nordic Center. The trail then crosses the golf courses and comes to River Rd. at 3 mi. Paralleling River Rd. for 1/4 mile the trail turns left up a driveway for another 1/4 mile then up through Craig Wood Golf Course and on to Route 73 at 5.5 mi. Crossing Rt. 73, the trail goes gradually down and then up to the Cascade Cross Country Ski Center lodge at 7 mi.

Cascade Cross Country Ski Center to Keene - 6mi. - Mostly Ungroomed - Difficulty: Intermediate... From the lodge the trail bears left along Beaver Run trail for 3/4 mile, then left and on to Route 73 at 1.5 mi. Crossing Route 73, the trail follows a road (may be plowed) for one-half mile then on to the top of the pass at 3.5 mi. From the top of the pass, a series of decents lead to Adirondack Rock and River at the end of the trail. Trail Fees... Since the 1994-95 season, all groomed sections of the Jackrabbit Trail are subject to a trail fee. Each cross country ski center will sell a "Lake Placid Interconnect" ticket which will be honored on the day it was sold at all area cross country centers including Mt. Van Hoevenberg. Season passes are also available. As before, the ungroomed wilderness sections of the trail leading to Keene and Saranac Lake remain free of charge as is the new section from Lake Clear to Paul Smith.

Reservations: TEL 646 239 2114 / EMAIL reservations@lakeplacidretreat.com
To see if a particular date is available please visit our reservation calendar


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