At the height of summer, the trailhead at the in Lake Placid, New York, sees an average of . At midnight, it’s deserted. The booth at the entrance is unmanned, relying on an honor-system envelope drop to collect the��. One��summer night in the lodge and surrounding campsites, hikers were tucked into sleeping bags, resting up before or after a big trek. The previous day’s stragglers had��long since made it to their cars, and the morning’s early birds wouldn’t be starting for a few more hours. But Sheena Tuthill and her obstacle-course-racing training partners Anne Farnan Herrick and Amanda Labbé��were��just setting off on a hike, keeping their voices low as they passed��the sleeping campers.

The women met at a CrossFit gym and began night hiking as a way to change up their typical workouts and prepare for��grueling��24-hour races in 2019. Others from their gym frequently join them for trail runs and hikes in the dark, but��it was��just the three of them that night. By the time they finished��at noon, they had��covered more than 15 miles and summited three mountains. As day hikers swarmed��the trails,��Tuthill and her friends were��making the 100-mile journey home to the Albany area. Due to the travel time to and from Lake Placid, they’d��been awake for 30-plus��hours. If it sounds torturous, well, it is. “Coffee’s a must,” says Tuthill with a laugh. But she’s discovered she actually prefers hiking at night. “You don’t have the crazy-hectic trails full of a bunch of people. It’s just quiet and peaceful, and you get to experience the mountain itself,” she says.

Like many, Tuthill has her sights set on climbing all 46 of the Adirondack High Peaks. So far she’s hiked five at night and two during the day. If she finishes the remaining 39, she’ll qualify for membership to the storied 46ers club and receive the . The feat, which was once relatively obscure, has gained popularity in recent years. Like many picturesque national and state parks, the High Peaks region��is experiencing an influx of visitors. It took 77 years for the 46ers to admit the first 5,000 members. For the second 5,000, . The tag on Instagram shows��7,500 posts, and a dedicated to hiking in the area has 24,000 members.

As interest in the 46er club grows, solitude is something that’s increasingly hard to find in the High Peaks. “Right now we have a fad of the 46 High Peaks, and those mountains get more traffic because of the challenge,” says Bethany Garretson, a professor of environmental studies at Paul Smith’s College, the only four-year institution inside��.

The pandemic has added��another layer of complication to these concerns. Since , Canadian hikers cannot currently hike in the region, reducing the number of visitors, but��restrictions imposed��in light of��the virus have kept parking tight. Many of the High Peaks are located near tiny Keene, New York, which has suspended shuttle service from its�� and in town. The Adirondack Mountain Reserve Trailhead, which in the summer of 2018 saw an average of 127 hikers registered each day, has reduced the capacity of its parking lot to . There are no official numbers yet, but says the pandemic hasn’t from the Adirondacks.

Many of the proposals for mitigating increased visitors to the area—permits, shuttles, more parking—require organized action by the Department of Environmental Conservation��(DEC)��or local governments. While they grapple with finding the best long-term solution, individuals who still want to hit the most popular trails are left to their own devices. To secure a coveted parking spot and avoid bottlenecks on the paths, conventional wisdom says to arrive at the trailhead early, say 5 or 6 A.M. But some, like Tuthill, have taken it a step further and begun hiking at night.

One major advantage of beginning at night is being able to cruise up to a usually jam-packed trailhead parking lot and pick any space. In fact, parking is a major reason��Eric Avery goes��at night. Avery has been a 46er since 2010 and still frequently explores��in the region. He took up night hiking several years ago, around the same time he became interested in photography, and found that catching a sunrise or sunset gives him the opportunity to capture the landscapes in a different light. “You see everyone posting the same boring photos. You know, blue at the top, brown in the middle, green at the bottom. Nobody wants to see that,” he says.

Photography is also a draw for Daniel Stein. Prior to the pandemic, he drove up from New Jersey to take long-exposure photos of the night sky from summits in the Adirondacks. Last fall,��Stein hiked Giant Mountain to catch the sunset and photograph the Milky Way. On the ascent, he says, “it was beyond crowded.” After lingering on the summit well past dusk, however, he encountered virtually no one on the return trip down. On a fair-weather weekend in the fall, that’s nearly unheard of.��To be clear, there are certain increased risks associated with night hiking: the chance of encountering , like coyotes, is one, but making noise to keep them away is just a reason to keep the conversation going.

Navigation can be more difficult by the narrow beam of a headlamp, but that��can also necessitate��being more present in the moment. Without a wide periphery or long-distance views, the attention��is on the immediate trail, which forces��hikers��to rely��on other senses to assess what’s nearby. “It gets you into that mode where you’re really focused on what’s directly in front of you,” Stein says. Staying on the trail requires more attention at night, when trail markers may be more difficult to spot. The required vigilance can lead to mindfulness that verges on meditation. As Tuthill says, “Most of the time, you’re not in the moment in life, and it just kind of reminds you to just think of what’s right in front of you.”

In the darkness, the lost solitude of the High Peaks is reborn.��“And the stars. Oh my God, the stars,” says Avery. It’s again possible to stand atop a summit and feel the wild, lonely thrill that’s usually��hindered��by crowds. Stay long enough, and you may occasionally spot the glint of a headlamp on a neighboring peak. A reminder that, even at night, there’s someone else out there.

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To qualify as a proper ski town, a destination��needs a few things. For starters, a decent ski hill. It doesn’t have to be a big, flashy resort—just a good-sized mountain and ample snowfall (and a lively bar at the base lodge always helps). Beyond that, it’s nice if there’s��a downtown with some shops, cafés slinging quality food, and housing and lodging that real people with normal jobs can afford. If a town has those things, then chances are a close-knit community of mountain dwellers has formed.��Read on to discover the next great affordable ski towns.

Revelstoke, British Columbia

The ski area that towers above the quaint mountain town of Revelstoke is relatively new��by ski-resort standards.����(day tickets from $109), which now boasts the most vertical��in North America—5,620 feet from the top of Mount Mackenzie—opened in 2007. Since then��the town’s population has boomed to 7,500. With an average of over 400 inches of snowfall a year, you’ll find reliably good skiing, whether you’re backcountry touring on Rogers Pass, riding the gondola at the resort, or heli-skiing with��. Access to the mountains is this town’s biggest asset, thanks to its location smack in between the Monashees to the west and the Selkirks to the east. The closest airport is Kelowna, two hours away, but that keeps the crowds low. Don’t miss La Baguette for fresh croissants and the best breakfast in town, and stay at (from $274) for ski-in, ski-out access.

Ogden, Utah

There’s a reason ski-industry brands like Atomic, Salomon, and Scott have moved their U.S. headquarters to Ogden, population 87,000, over��the last few decades. The city is affordable—average homes go for around $250,000—and close to ski areas like ��(from $95) and����(from $105). You’re 30 minutes from Salt Lake City, but it feels far from the hustle. This historic railway town has rebooted itself in recent years, offering��a thriving food scene, a growing number of craft breweries and distilleries, and the new arts-centric Nine Rails Creative District, the latest��home for galleries and murals. Check out the recently opened��, and stay in one of 15 rooms at the�� (from $229), a boutique inn in nearby Huntsville that has an in-house observatory��for stargazing.

June Lake, California

Just 30 minutes northwest of��Mammoth Mountain, June Lake is Mammoth’s much sleepier sister town, with some��700 year-round residents. The family-friendly ski hill of����(from $87)��is the local spot, and while the resort itself is small—just 1,500 skiable acres and seven lifts—the backcountry access is unparalleled. You can hit��eastern Sierra gems like the Negatives or Devil’s Slide from the resort’s backcountry-access��gate, and�� offers��guided tours into nearby zones. A new wave of entrepreneurs has arrived in the town of June Lake, opening up shops and après��spots��like the��, a music venue, and the coffeehouse��. (from $199) has lodge rooms, cabins, and an indoor pool with views of the mountains, while the (from $95) is a no-frills motel that’s centrally located and allows dogs.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Not traditionally thought of as a ski destination, the artsy city of Santa Fe, population 83,000, is surprisingly��close��to��world-class skiing.����(from $84) is a local’s hill just 30 minutes from downtown’s historic plaza, and with a base elevation of 10,350 feet, it’ll have snow even when lower-elevation spots get warm and melt. You can ski-tour uphill in-bounds��while the resort is open, if that’s your thing. Otherwise��enjoy powder after a storm, burgers smothered in green chile, and a post-ski soak in the hot springs at��, where you can stay in an adobe house featuring��Japanese decor just down the hill from the ski area��(from $255). If you need a bigger mountain,����(from $110), with its notorious steeps and backcountry runs, is just two hours��north.

Bethel, Maine

Bethel is a small town, with around 2,600 living there full-time, but it’s a vibrant community. In 2016, the town raised $35,000 on Kickstarter to help reopen the local movie theater as a hip community cinema, and a new bowling alley called River Lanes recently opened next door. You’ll ski����(from $109), a sprawling resort that includes eight neighboring peaks. Midmountain, at the Peak Lodge’s restaurant, a new chef��is now preparing dishes like whipped-ricotta toast and egg and pork belly buns.�� near the base of Sunday River has some of the most affordable rooms in town (from $99). Grab a beer at once you’re off the hill. For a smaller, throwback ski area, the cooperatively owned����(from $29) is 15 minutes away and now on the new��.

Victor, Idaho

Just over Teton Pass from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, you’ll find the low-key ranching communities��of Teton Valley, which include��the towns of Victor and Driggs, Idaho. Housing prices are spiking here, too, but the Teton Valley remains considerably more affordable than Jackson, and the access to skiing is nearly as good.����(from $98), 30 minutes down the road, has the region’s only cat-skiing operation and gets more than 500 inches of snow a year. You could also just do backcountry laps off Teton Pass or drop down to world-famous Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.��The small but growing town of Victor, with a population of 2,200, is home to not one but two microbreweries. Start your day with the two-course home-cooked breakfast at ��(from $149).

Lake Placid, New York

It’s been exactly 40 years since Lake Placid hosted the Winter Olympics. The town has changed a lot since then, but winter sports are still a priority. Take part in its�� by visiting the Olympic Museum,��bobsled down a high-speed track at��the Olympic Training Center,��or ski����(from $49), a half-hour��away, which claims the most vertical in the East. The town itself, with its 2,300 residents, is situated on scenic Mirror Lake, with Adirondack peaks spiking up in every direction. The�� (from $99) recently renovated its apartment-style lodging, which is close to town and steps from the tasty sandwiches of��Saranac Sourdough. Don’t miss�� down a 30-foot-high former ski jump onto frozen Mirror Lake.

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15 Leaf-Blurring Fall �����ԹϺ���s

I like to stand around and stare at flaring orange maple trees as much as the next guy—I’ve even been known to climb up into them for the total color immersion experience. There’s no better time for aerobic activity than autumn, however, with its cooler temps and the sense you are running to stay ahead of the coming winter. Watch the colors flash past on these autumn adventures, even if a few of those pigments are brightly colored towels draped across on the beach, and you are riding the deck of a surfboard.

Paddle the Gauley River

Summersville, West Virginia

The Class IV-V Gauley sports some of the best whitewater in the North America; and thanks to regularly scheduled releases in September and October, it’s a must pilgrimage for raft guides and kayakers from across the continent. The 12-mile Upper section features legendary Class V drops like Pillow Rock, Lost Paddle, and Sweets Falls, where hundreds of rafters line the banks to eat lunch and watch the carnage of rafts flipping. Accordingly, young rafters and intermediate kayakers should consider taking to the 16-mile Lower run, which still sports dozens of juicy rapids and a handful of Class IV-V. This year, because the dam is being drawn down for maintenance, there will be 32-days of runnable flows instead of the normal 23, including six Wednesday and Thursday releases of 5,300 cfs, too high for commercial trips to run the Upper. As they say in WV, “Get Sum!”

BEST TIME TO GO: Wednesdays and Thursdays, Sept. 18-Oct 3, for private boaters looking to get scared, or Oct 19-20, when the maples blanketing the gorge should be nearing peak splendor.

ROUTE: Put-in for the Upper at the park just below Summersville dam off Highway 19, but most of the raft companies are clustered 15 minutes down the road in Fayetteville.

DRY OFF: Stumble from the outfitter �����ԹϺ��� on the Gorge’s buses to the deck at , overlooking the New River Gorge at their resort. It’s fine dining with a red-meat-heavy rotating menu and a full bar, but they won’t kick you out for wearing wet sandals.

Ride Grand Teton National Park

Jackson, Wyoming

After years of lobbying the Park Service for a dedicated bike path through —for safety from swerving RV drivers gawking at the view—local cyclists won 14 miles of it in 2011. Add another seven miles from the town of Jackson past the National Elk Refuge’s meadows, and you get 20 miles of largely level, traffic-free riding to Jenny Lake through yellowing cottonwoods along the rampart of the Tetons, which will likely be frosted with early snows in October. Take care to avoid bison, elk, and moose crossing the path as they descend from the high country for winter, unless you want to go down as the first cyclist trampled by a bison in the park.

BEST TIME TO GO: Mid-September; cottonwoods and aspens peak fairly early in Jackson Hole.

ROUTE: Ride the 20-mile pathway to Jenny Lake, and then loop back to Jackson via the Moose-Wilson road, 13.5 miles of which are on pathway. Stop in to Teton Village for lunch on the deck of the Four Season’s new at the base of Jackson Hole ski resort. Total route: 50 miles.

HITCH YOUR MOUNT: Lock your bike outside of the iconic and hop onto the horse-saddle bar stools. There’s swing dancing to live music six nights a week and Grand Teton Brewing beers on tap. It’s pretty much a drinking/dancing establishment, so to refuel you’ll want to head around the block to Pinky G’s for a slice.

Run the Deschutes River Trail

Bend, Oregon

Lace up your trailrunners for the relatively level Upper Deschutes River trail south of Bend, which slaloms along the pristine river past frothy white waterfalls and jagged black lava flows for 8.32 miles. In the fall, placid pools between Class V rapids reflect yellow aspens and orange willows, with the occasional view of conical Mount Bachelor rising above the meadows and forest. The dusty earth makes for soft footfalls and there’s just enough twists and rock dodging and to keep things interesting. Rest your searing lungs before you head back at the Benham Falls overlook, a bird’s-eye view of the 100-yard-long maelstrom.

BEST TIME TO GO: Early October, when the riverside willows flare gold.

ROUTE: Head south out of Bend on Century Drive and turn left to and take a left to Meadow Camp Trail Head. To shuttle the trail, leave a vehicle at Benham Falls Campground off Forest Service Road 4100.

SAKE TO ME: Kick back beside the open-flame hearth on the patio at in downtown Bend. Order the Steamed Buns—delectable pork belly, tart kimchee, and cucumber wrapped in a steamed bun. Wash them down with whatever they have on tap from , the Bend brewery that is devouring market share from longtime stalwart Deschutes Brewery.

Surf Hanalei

Kauai, Hawaii

I don’t know how long your vacation is, Corey, but there’s enough in the undeveloped expanses of Adirondack State Park to keep you occupied for years. Even though two Winter Olympics have been held in this protected, New Hampshire-sized swath of northern New York, there’s plenty to do in the summer and fall as well. … Continued

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I don’t know how long your vacation is, Corey, but there’s enough in the undeveloped expanses of Adirondack State Park to keep you occupied for years. Even though two Winter Olympics have been held in this protected, New Hampshire-sized swath of northern New York, there’s plenty to do in the summer and fall as well. Here are three adventures you shouldn’t miss.

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Find a Swimming Hole

There are roughly , and though many of the larger bodies of water, like Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Raquette Lake, are well known, there are legions of more hidden watering holes practically begging for you to jump in. One of the easiest to access from Lake Placid is clean, tree-encircled Copperas Pond, a short hike off Route 86 in Wilmington near the Whiteface Ski Area. Drive from the intersection of routes 73 and 86 in Lake Placid toward Wilmington, and look for the trailhead on your right after about six miles. The well-maintained but barely used trail climbs a half-mile to Copperas Pond.

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Raft the Hudson

Rafting on the Hudson is nothing special—except for the 17-mile dam-controlled stretch that runs through the Adirondacks. The class III to V rapids near Indian Lake include some of the most adrenaline-pumping whitewater in the Northeast. offers trips starting at $75.

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Climb Something

The Gunks are the best-known rock climbing destination in New York, but they’re not the only crag. The secluded walls near the town of Keene Valley have thousands of classic routes to keep climbers of all levels dancing in their cramped, painful shoes. Favorite spots include the Beer Walls, King Wall and Creature Wall. guides climbers for $180 a day.

If mountains are more your style, try tackling the Van Hoevenberg trail to the top of the state’s highest peak, 5,300-foot Mt. Marcy. The grueling, switchbacked round trip is 15 miles total. Afterwards, regale your fellow guests with tales of your feat by the towering stone fireplace at the on the shores of Hart Lake. Rates start at $69 per night for space in one of the bunkrooms.

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This is a quaint town with seemingly perfect summer weather (June to September can see 100 bluebird days in a row, with temps in the eighties and nineties), a 1950s five-and-dime facade, and a hardcore endurance sports scene. Set on the north end of a 30-mile-long lake offering 200-plus miles of protected shoreline, Coeur d’Alene hosts an Ironman, its biggest event all year. Road cyclists from all over come to ride the 112-mile, up-and-down route to Hayden Lake, while mountain bikers head for the extensive trail network in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. “Lance Armstrong told me this was the best mountain biking he had ever seen,” said Michael Radovan, a local triathlete and salesman.
NUMBERS: Small homes within walking distance of the lake start at $165K.
INTEL: You can rent your place out for more than double the usual weekly rate during June’s Ironman.
ACCESS: Seattle and Portland are five-to-six-hour drives; Spokane is 35 minutes west.

Vacation Homes: Shasta Cascade Region, California

Trinity River, California

California's Class V Trinity River

This vast wilderness playground is perhaps the most overlooked adventure destination in the lower 48. Hard to understand why. The 30,000 square miles contain alpine peaks, serious whitewater, glaciers, and even volcanoes. The main attractions are 14,162-foot Mount Shasta, with excellent skiing and winter mountaineering, and the Klam­ath River, which has more than 100 miles of navigable rapids as well as exceptional steelhead and trout fishing.
NUMBERS: A cabin on ten wooded acres can be had for $150K. Full-featured homes on 40 acres start around $250K.
INTEL: Siskiyou County has plenty of affordable options within an easy drive of Shasta and the Klamath.
ACCESS: Sacramento (south), Reno, Nevada (east), and Eugene, Oregon (north), are the nearest airports. Each puts you within four hours of the Shasta Cascade region.

Vacation Homes: Ely, Minnesota

The gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which includes thousands of lakes and more than 1,500 miles of canoe routes. The main drag, East Sheridan Street, is lined with outfitters, gear retailers, and eateries. But Ely has a countercultural flair and is famed for its music festivals, wacky Internet radio stations, and eclectic 3,500 residents, including polar explorer Will Steger.
NUMBERS: This is cabin country. Small waterfront places can be had for $200K.
INTEL: Grand Marais, an alternative option three hours east, offers access to both the Boundary Waters and Lake Superior, but prices run about $50K higher than in Ely.
ACCESS: Two hours north of the Duluth airport, four-plus from the Twin Cities.

Vacation Homes: Big Sky, Montana

No, Big Sky is not the billionaire’s Montana. OK, so Ted Turner has a ranch in the area, and two exclusive communities, the Yellowstone Club and Spanish Peaks, are also here. But Big Sky itself is a tiny (pop. 2,200), old-school skiers’ destination with a base area sporting 1970s condos and nothing remotely resembling a “village.” There are never crowds on the slopes, and a $94 combo lift ticket includes access to adjacent resort Moonlight Basin and the largest contiguous ski area in the U.S., with Jackson Hole–worthy extreme terrain on Lone Peak. When the snow melts, runoff feeds nearby trout-choked rivers, including the blue-ribbon Gallatin.
NUMBERS: Slopeside condos fetch $100K–$300K. Walking-distance condos start at $80K.
INTEL: The best values are on the mountain, but the really cheap stuff is around the nordic center, seven miles east.
ACCESS: One hour southwest of Bozeman.

Vacation Homes: Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Cape Cod

The Cape has 560 miles of coastline, much of it protected national seashore, and the hundred-plus beaches face the open Atlantic (surfing), windy Nantucket Sound (sailing), and shallow, protected Cape Cod Bay (kayaking). Fishing can be fantastic on all sides, and there’s glorious (if flat) road biking. And, yes, there’s a lot of mini golf. But the 15 towns on this twisting peninsula offer a much less tacky version of the coastal Americana found from Atlantic City to Myrtle Beach.
NUMBERS: Highly variable depending on location, but you can now find simple ranch homes starting at $250K.
INTEL: Two places to find bargains: inland (prices drop just blocks off the water) and close in to the mainland.
ACCESS: The Cape starts about 60 miles from Boston.

Vacation Homes: Lake Placid Region, New York

The Northeast’s best hiking? Check. Sweet road and mountain biking? Check. Alpine and nordic skiing? Check. But you come mostly for the water—not just Placid itself but 3,000 other lakes, plus thousands of miles of rivers and streams (some offering Class V rapids). The town of Lake Placid sits in the middle of six-million-acre Adirondack Park, one of the largest protected public areas in the lower 48. Canoeing and kayaking are huge here, and larger lakes allow motorized watercraft. If your vacation fantasy includes a vintage mahogany runabout, welcome home.
NUMBERS: Waterfront homes on the region’s smaller lakes start at $500K, small cottages and in-town condos at $200K.
INTEL: “Prices on surrounding lakes are a third less than Lake Placid,” says Robert Politi, town supervisor and a realtor with Merrill L. Thomas.
ACCESS: About two hours from the Albany, New York, and Burlington, Vermont, airports; five hours from New York City.

Vacation Homes: Islamorada, Florida

Not only the best fishing in the Keys, but an honest fishing-and-boating-village aesthetic, with roadside stands that have been pretty much unchanged for decades. You can cast near-shore flats for bonefish and tarpon or troll open waters for wahoo, yellowtail, and mahi-mahi. There’s also wilderness kayaking in lush mangrove forests, great windsurfing and kitesurfing, and arguably our best domestic scuba, in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, 20 miles north.
NUMBERS: You can get a maintenance-friendly condo off the water, with strong rental-revenue potential, for less than $150,000.
INTEL: Islamorada is both a village and an island group, not a single key, with four “major” islands. The farther you get from town, the more off the grid you’ll feel.
ACCESS: About 90 minutes from Miami’s airport, 45 minutes farther to Fort Lauderdale.

Vacation Homes: East Bench of Salt Lake City, Utah

A true metropolitan city with a year-round mountain playground and arguably the best resort powder skiing in the world. But with abundant hedge trimmers and bike-riding paper boys, this isn’t everyone’s idea of a ski town. Think split-level suburban ranches with big ol’ garages—which is to say it’s perfect for families or entourages. The East Bench district starts at the base of Little and Big Cottonwood canyons, eight miles from Alta/Snowbird and just a tad more to Solitude and Brighton. “You’re on the slopes in 20 minutes,” says Scott Beck, CEO of the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, “but instead of hot wings afterwards, there’s opera, Jazz games, and gourmet restaurants.”
NUMBERS: 4­5-bedroom homes for $275K–$500K. Condos from under $200K.
INTEL: Salt Lake’s real-estate slide came late, so the bargain sale is in full swing: East Bench medians are off 6–12 percent from December 2008.
ACCESS: 20 minutes southeast of Salt Lake City’s airport.

Vacation Homes: Southwest Colorado

If your favorite gear includes avalanche beacons or fat tires, this is your place. While the four counties of Montezuma, Dolores, La Plata, and San Juan make up a tiny slice of the state, they’re packed with some of its best adventures: guided backcountry skiing at Silverton, backcountry ski touring along the San Juan Hut System, and epic mountain biking all over. “My friends in Moab come here to ride,” says Chris Strouthopoulos, a Durango resident and an assistant professor at San Juan College, in Farmington, New Mexico. “That says a lot.” Second-home options range from modern houses on the periphery of larger towns to true ranches reached by dusty dirt roads. Still, you’re never far from outposts like Durango, Telluride, and Montrose.
NUMBERS: Three-bedroom places on 40 to 100 acres start at $500K; rustic homes on smaller lots abound at $200K-plus.
INTEL: The best deals, biggest acreages, and most seclusion are in western Montezuma and Dolores counties, near the Utah state line.
ACCESS: Durango (south) and Montrose (north) both have decent small airports that put you within two hours of most of the region.

Vacation Homes: South Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada

Tahoe offers a rare combination of omnipresent sunshine (three out of four days) and some of the nation’s deepest annual snowfalls (40-plus feet). There’s also exceptional road and mountain biking and, of course, watersports. The trade-off for buying on the affordable South Shore? A strip of minor-league casinos and no real community spirit. But change is coming. A prime 12-acre lakefront parcel of tacky motels was just razed to make way for a parklike village project, and three LEED-certified residential developments are under way. Meanwhile, California’s largest ski resort, Heavenly Mountain, poured half a billion dollars into improvements. “The South Shore is reinventing itself,” says realtor Elaine Casteleyn, of Exclusively Lake Tahoe.
NUMBERS: Entry-level homes on the California side begin at $200K. Nevada prices run about 25 percent more, but property taxes are low.
INTEL: There are great deals in Tahoe Keys, a water-centric development with canals leading to the lake.
ACCESS: Sixty miles west of Reno, 3.5 hours east of San Francisco.

Vacation Homes: Buy or Rent?

The Dilemma

There’s no easy answer—until now. Respond to these questions honestly and the numbers won’t lie.

How many weeks per year will you realistically be there?

Less than three (–2)
Three to four (+1)
Four-plus (+3)
A season (+4)

Will you rent out your vacation home when not in use?

Yes (+2)
No (0)
Of course—that’s why I’m doing this (–3)

How long do you see yourself owning this property?

Until I can trade up (–3)
Maybe five to ten years (0)
I’m gonna retire there (+4)
It will go to my children (+5)

When spending big money, you:

Break out in hives (–2)
Lose a little sleep (0)
Feel like a god! (+3)

Which best describes a dream week at your new pad?

Spending every minute possible outside (–1)
Cooking big meals and chilling on the deck (+1)
Planting tomatoes and chopping wood (+2)
Framing out the new barn (+4)

Your favorite outdoor gear:

Fits in your daypack (0)
Requires special handling at the airport (+1)
Barely fits in your garage (+3)

What your score means:


6 or under: You should rent

7–10: You could go either way

11–17: Time to apply for that pre-approved mortgage

18-plus: This is your third home, isn’t it?

Vacation Homes: Real Estate Tips

Buyer be wise.

[HOMEWORK]

and : For-sale listing, price estimates, and sales histories, plus community statistics, including population, median prices, and recent activity. (Note: Both can be incredibly useful or frustratingly out of date, depending on location.)
: Profiles of popular second-home communities, with links to multiple brokers.
: Site of the National Association of Realtors; offers a wide range of information and tools.
: Local and national mortgage rates, plus tons of financing advice and information.
: Reality check, please.
: Ranks individual addresses and communities based on their walkability.
: The “street view” option lets you virtually drive around, though it can be limited in rural areas.

[STRATEGY]

A coach for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association in the 1990s, David Baldinger Jr. has also been a realtor in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, since 1993. As a top performer at Steamboat Village Brokers, he sells property in a prime second-home market that’s enjoying an $18 million urban-renewal project despite the economic downturn. Here, his prescription for buyers anywhere.

1. Pick Your Spot

Multiple visits is the single most important thing. Get the whole family there in different seasons and weather. Ask yourself, Is it easy to get here? Do I know anyone who owns here? Will I really like it?

2. Pick Your Agent

You want a broker with at least three to five years’ local experience who both lists and sells properties, plus multiple references you can talk to. And get someone in your own age group who understands your needs.

3. Know Your Limit

Have a preliminary conversation with a lender. The most disappointing thing is shopping way above your price range without knowing it.

4. Develop Good Taste

Establishing your own criteria is harder than you think. Everyone does research online, but you can’t appreciate distances or views or features or neighborhoods until you touch them. In a mountain town, everyone thinks they want ski-in/ski-out, but they end up saying, “You mean if I walk two blocks, I can get a garage?”

5. Go All In

Buy the best house you can afford within your budget. Those are the ones that hold value. Don’t buy the “really good deal”; buy the home you like. Chances are the next buyer will like it, too.

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TETON SPLENDOR

Spring Creek Ranch

Spring Creek Ranch
Wyoming

If you take your rugged with a dash of comfy, find your haven at Spring Creek Ranch, four miles northwest of Jackson and its prime access to the Tetons. With 13,000-foot mountains staring you in the face, you can’t help but itch to go forth and conquer. Possible plans of attack: Mountain-bike 15-mile River Road, which runs along the Snake River between Signal Mountain and Cottonwood Creek in Grand Teton National Park, or dive into the Snake for a float trip or fishing. At day’s end, happily surrender to one of Spring Creek’s 126 guest rooms or condos, where authenticity reigns with lodgepole-pine furniture, a mountain-view balcony, and a wood-burning fireplace. The spa offers everything from Thai massage to mud wraps and al fresco yoga, and the restaurant, the Granary, serves western game?try the super-tender elk tenderloin. Doubles from $310, including breakfast; 800-443-6139,

The Historic Heart of Aspen

Hotel Jerome, Colorado

Hotel Jerome

In 1889, New York tycoon Jerome Wheeler built a Victorian luxury hotel in a burgeoning silver-mining town situated in a river valley amid glorious mountains. The grandeur might have seemed out of place back then, but today it fits into Aspen’s ritzy ambience. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Wheeler’s Hotel Jerome maintains its exquisite 19th-century soul and atmosphere, but it’s been thoroughly retrofitted with the modern trappings—heated outdoor pool, Jacuzzis, bars, restaurants—you expect from a boutique auberge. The cherry on top? Head any direction from your finely appointed room to find diversionary action like fly-fishing, road and trail biking, and gobs of hiking. Across the street is world-renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s decadent Matsuhisa Aspen, a mecca for mind-blowing Japanese fare. Hold off on dessert, though, and hit the Jerome for orgasmic white-chocolate banana cream pie at Jacob’s Corner. Doubles from $460; 800-331-7213,

Spanish Colonial Style by the Sea

Four Seasons Biltmore, California

Four Seasons Resort

This sanctuary on the beach four miles east of downtown Santa Barbara is pure, laid-back Southern California chic. Don’t miss the must-do’s—loll by the pool with a strawberry daiquiri and spoil yourself at the spa with an avocado-citrus body wrap. You’ll stay in the 1927 Spanish colonial hotel, with its 207 guest rooms, or one of 12 cottages concealed in a maze of red-brick pathways and gardens full of eucalyptus, jasmine, bougainvillea, and roses. Your on-site culinary options are twofold: Play it casual at the Patio, which serves local seafood, or dress it up at La Marina. Venture away from this refuge on the sea to deep-sea-fish for halibut, red snapper, and swordfish; boat to the Channel Islands to watch blue whales and dolphins; or take a sailing lesson. Better yet, get in touch with your inner oenophile in wine country, less than an hour inland. Doubles from $580; 805-969-2261,

Diamond on the Rogue

Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge, Oregon

After kayaking a calm stretch of the Rogue River and hiking the Shrader Trail through forest that feels primeval—packed with rhododendrons, cedars, and firs—you might feel like you’re in pre-pioneer Oregon. Thankfully, not so. You’re a hop away from Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge, the perfect melding of Pacific Northwest wilderness and rich comfort. Everything here is alive with textures: Granite counters, wool carpet, and down pillows make up your suite. Before dinner, drink a local pinot noir on the terrace and watch the resident pair of ospreys fish for their dinner as you await yours. Tu Tu’ Tun revolves around an appetite—for food and fitness the outdoors way—so dinner is bound to taste good, and it might even surprise you. Had a good mesquite-grilled white sturgeon with wasabi-ginger butter lately? Doubles from $165; 800-864-6357,

Barrier Island Sanctuary

The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island, Georgia

The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island, Georgia

All manner of visitors have passed Little St. Simons Island’s pristine shores, from Guale Indians searching for oysters 1,300 years ago to the Swiss colonist who tried transforming it into a plantation to the New York businessman who bought it in 1908 as a family retreat. Now the resort is open to anyone, but only 30 people at a time. Guests don’t come here for the history, though; they come to collect shells on the three empty beaches, paddle a sea kayak, or search the salty wetlands for wildlife. The 10,000-acre barrier island is reachable only by boat and is home to river otters, loggerhead turtles, and enormous numbers of birds, such as bald eagles, brown pelicans, and long-billed curlews. Served family style in the yellow dining room, the Low Country cuisine includes anything from pecan-crusted pork loin to crispy flounder with Georgia peach chutney. Doubles from $600, including transport from the mainland, activities, and all meals; 888-733-5774,

Classic Adirondacks

Lake Placid Lodge, New York

Emulate the likes of Teddy Roosevelt and relax in Great Camp style in the Adirondacks. Lake Placid Lodge, situated on the shore of its namesake, on the northern edge of six-million-acre Adirondack Park, has got R&R dialed. You’ll sleep on feather beds with hand-sewn Egyptian and Belgian cotton sheets, dine on Continental cuisine made from local ingredients, and bask in the beauty of the mountains. Bike or hike 15 miles to the hamlet of Keene on the Jack Rabbit Trail, through forests of birch, Scotch pine, oak, and maple. Or stay close to home and canoe Lake Placid. The best thing about this 17-room lodge and its 17 log cabins is that you’ll never grow bored with lounging. You’ve got your choice of venues: around the bonfire at night, on the expansive lakefront porch at dusk, or in your cabin—on Adirondack twig furniture—long into the morning. Doubles from $400, including breakfast; 877-523-2700,

New England, Old Charm

Twin Farms, Vermont

Twin Farms, Vermont

Classic New England meets modern opulence amid 300 acres of rolling meadows and groves of sugar maple, white pine, and birch in Barnard, Vermont. Stay in one of four guest rooms in the clapboard farmhouse (dating to the late 1700s and once the home of Sinclair Lewis) or any of ten cottages, each outfitted distinctively, from Moroccan style with Persian rugs to fishing-lodge antiques. Recreate simply—canoe or fish for trout and bass in the peaceful eight-acre pond—and then soak up the farm’s modern accoutrements, like the blue-glass-tiled steam room and deep-sea body wrap at the spa. In the dining room, local ingredients become temporary works of art, like Maine lobster with truffled fava-bean puree or lamb chop with a rosemary-lavender salt crust. Farmhouse suites from $1,050 per night, including meals, beverages, and activities; 800-894-6327,

Delray Delightful

Sundy House, Florida

Sundy House, Florida

Hiding in an acre overflowing with 500 tropical plant species is the fantastical Sundy House, an oasis in downtown Delray Beach. Though the Victorian-era house is a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s anything but dusty. In every corner, you’ll discover unique details: a bed suspended in air, a sunset painted on the ceiling, red-cork wallpaper, and blue suede walls. Swim with turtles and angelfish in the naturally filtered swimming pond. Venturing away from this self-contained wonderland only brings more pleasures, like snorkeling or windsurfing in the southern Atlantic, minutes away. Stay for Sundy’s Sunday brunch, a lavish affair with everything from eggs Benedict made with Florida lobster to raspberry ham with mango cole slaw. Doubles from $175; 561-272-5678,

Enchanted Canyon

Zion Lodge, Utah

Zion Lodge, Utah

In the 1930s and ’40s, the Union Pacific Railroad enticed people to buy tickets by building great lodges in America’s western national parks. Nowadays, no one has to be lured to these parks, especially 147,000-acre Zion, with its dramatic slot canyons and sandstone cliffs; the park sees about 2.5 million visitors a year. Union Pacific’s Zion Lodge still exists, though it burned down and was reconstructed in 1966. Plunked in the middle of Zion Canyon and surrounded by old cottonwoods, it’s the only lodging in the park—and the ideal adventure base camp. Take the Angels Landing trail six miles to the rim of the canyon for hold-on-to-the-edge-of-your-seat views. You’ll come home to plush leather chairs and wood-paneled walls in the refurbished lodge, which has 125 simple but comfortable rooms and log cabins. Southwestern-style meals are served at the Red Rock Grill. Doubles from $125; 888-297-2757,

Appalachian Cabin Chic

Fort Lewis Lodge, Virginia

Fort Lewis Lodge, Virginia

In 1750, to protect settlers from Indian raids, Colonel Charles Lewis built a stockade on 3,200 acres of fertile land in western Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains. Today, Fort Lewis is still a safe haven, but from more modern stresses. A mid-1800s brick farmhouse, grist mill, and silo built by Lewis’s descendants remain, and three historic hand-hewn log cabins have been reassembled here. Rooms are accented with Appalachia: patchwork quilts, Shaker-style furniture, and early American paintings. �����ԹϺ���, not much has changed either—except the means with which to explore. Take a hardtail mountain bike on trails threading the property and adjacent George Washington National Forest. Fish or swim in the Cowpasture, one of the East’s cleanest rivers. Beef, chicken, ribs, salmon, or swordfish is grilled nightly and served with homemade breads and fresh veggies. Doubles from $175, including breakfast and dinner; 540-925-2314,

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WHEN OLYMPIC ORGANIZERS reintroduced the old-school sport of skeleton at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, after a 54-year hiatus, they had a hit. Skeleton, which sends competitors headfirst down icy tracks at up to 80 miles per hour, is the “moonshine of winter thrills,” as American gold-medal winner Jim Shea Jr. puts it.

Learn to Skeleton

THIS COULD BE YOU: Olympian Kwang-Bae Kang, of South Korea, on the Park City track

Now, thanks to a slew of new recreational skeleton classes, you can try it yourself. At North America’s three tracks—in Park City, Utah; Lake Placid, New York; and Calgary, Alberta—aspiring “skeletors” can sign up for half-day courses (which might have them topping 50 mph), fantasy camps, and certification schools that grant access to icy serpentines from Japan to France.

Coaches insist skeleton is safe—even high-speed wipeouts typically deliver only bruises—and easy to pick up. Just look at the trajectory of 2004 World Cup champ Lindsay Alcock, a Canadian who took a beginner class in Calgary in 1998. Two months later, she entered her first elite-class race.

WHERE TO SKELETON
» Half-day course, $150; four-day certification, $500; Skeleton Fantasy Four-Day Camp, $750; 435-658-4208
» Six-day certification, $850; five-day camp, including stay and meals, with certification, $1,500; 518-523-1842
» Two-hour beginner class, US$35; three-day certification, US$250; 403-247-5490

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As you drive into the snowy settlement of Lake Placid—past the looming twin ski jumps; past the futuristic “Miracle on Ice” hockey arena; past, even, the fivesome of holiday wreaths linked in that telltale pattern—you’ll soon understand what the locals have long known: that the business of those closing ceremonies was merely a formality. In this otherwise quiet corner of the northern Adirondacks, Olympic fever shows no sign of abating 18 years after Eric Heiden skated off with his fistful of golds.

Host to the Winter Games in both 1932 and 1980, Lake Placid is perhaps more closely associated with the Olympics than any place save Athens. And because the Games’ venues are open to the public, a winter visit represents not only the ultimate nostalgia trip, but also a chance to try out every winter sport ever devised. The adrenaline junkie inside you is guaranteed to emerge, driving you from the speed-skating oval to the luge run to the cross-country ski center.
But that’s not to suggest that playing Olympian is Lake Placid’s only allure. In fact, you can still find other, more tranquil faces of this small town with relative ease. Just head a few miles in any direction and you’ll enter seemingly endless, snow-muffled wilderness. Places like Avalanche Lake, hidden at the end of an inviting cross-country trail. Or the 70-year-old Adirondak Loj, built by Melvil Dewey, the unlikely progenitor of what would become America’s first winter resort.
Starting in the 1880s, Lake Placid was a posh summer spot for industrialists aspiring to the Great Adirondack Camp style of the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. But it wasn’t until 1904 that Dewey, a rabid anti-Semite, inventor of the card catalog system, and spelling-simplification enthusiast, decided to keep his Lake Placid Club open once the snow flew. He imported ten pairs of skis, and soon the village was as crowded in winter as it was in summer.
Right from the start the emphasis was on competition. In the two decades following the 1932 Games, Lake Placid held more international events and turned out more Olympians than any other town in the nation. After a period of decline, it ramped up again for 1980, an affair that attracted more visitors in just two days—100,000—than had attended all the 1932 events combined. Since 1982, regional authorities have poured more than $40 million into venue improvements and are actively courting the next U.S. bid—perhaps in 2014.
In the meantime, those of us without national team affiliations can take our pick from between the Placids: interactive Olympic theme park or venerable backcountry retreat. Or better yet, indulge your schizophrenic recreational tendencies and enthusiastically embrace both.

The Olympic Theme Park

Lake Placid’s Main Street, which stretches about a mile along the shore of Mirror Lake (and not the larger namesake body of water that lies to the north), is an apparition of constant freneticism stranded in the frozen heart of the Adirondacks. From whichever direction you approach, the town’s emphatic contrast with the surrounding pastoral lull comes as a bit of a shock. But equally surprising is that the village still seems tiny—too tiny, in fact, to have hosted a recent Olympics.
Just at the village’s entrance, though, as New York 73 curves west into Main Street, you’ll spot the Games’ first grand-scale Kilroys: the open-air speed-skating oval and the vast Olympic Center, where the underdog American hockey team so memorably whipped the Ruskis. Out on the oval, it’s hard to resist imitating the speedsuit-clad racers, hands tucked behind their backs as they blaze past. But this act usually lasts no more than about 10 laps, after which you’ll have to take a seat to ease the burning in your quads. Inside the echoing, bunkerlike Olympic Center are a museum and four rinks, a couple of which are usually hosting a hockey tournament or curling practice. Watch a while, and then huff through a few training laps of your own.


Farther up the main drag, the road narrows. On your right is Mirror Lake, encircled by a brick sidewalk that’s a popular two-and-a-half-mile stroll on sunnier winter days and typically frozen solid and skidded across by dogsledders and skaters. Main Street’s 100 or so shops are half kitschy, half charming: the inevitable Gap and U.S. Olympic Spirit Store indiscriminately sifted together with village institutions like High Peaks Cyclery, an 8,500-square-foot temple to snazzy athletic gear, and With Pipe and Book, where locals escape the cold for used tomes and tobacco blends.
To find the rest of the Olympic venues, you’ll have to head out of town. A 15-minute drive through dramatically beautiful High Falls Gorge leads to Whiteface, New York’s largest ski area, where you can hurtle down Parkway, the super-G course dominated by Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark in 1980. Home to the East’s largest vertical drop (3,216 feet), it’s also home to decidedly eastern skiing: brutal winds and icy conditions. (The resort’s owners recently tried to combat its stubborn nickname, Iceface, with a $2 million snowmaking investment.) Still, the serious steeps up top attract plenty of expert skiers and big events, including last year’s U.S. Ski Team Gold Cup. On the way up, keep an eye out for snowshoers doggedly scrambling the snow-clogged trails along the road; these are would-be “46ers,” racking up winter ascents of all 46 of the region’s 4,000-plus-foot peaks—Whiteface included.
For a steeper incline, head five miles south on New York 73 to the ski-jumping complex and its 90-meter and 120-meter ramps. Having rejected advice to build into a mountainside, the 1980 organizers instead bestowed these rusting high-rise souvenirs. But it’s still a kick to ride the elevator to the top, take in the view of the surrounding mountains, and peer down the long run, wondering to yourself, Why on earth would anyone…? (To watch the pros answer this question, call the Olympic Training Center at 518-523-2600 for the current week’s schedule of practice sessions.)
The remaining venues—bobsled, luge, and nordic skiing—can be found at Mount Van Hoevenberg Cross Country Center, farther out on 73. Here you can rent skis, take a lesson from the ski school, and scope out the serious racers, recognizable by their ripped Lycra. Lake Placid’s trail network is the best in North America, and Van Ho’s 31 impeccably groomed miles are the showpiece. All the 1980 trails are still used, including the infamous Russian Complaint, a grunt so steep and so long that the Soviets protested. The Porter Mountain loops, where the men competed, are twisting and tough; the women’s 5k course, meanwhile, is better suited to intermediates.
Skiing through the woods, you’ll occasionally hear PA-amplified announcements crackling through the air: “One minute, four seconds!” That would be the bobsled. Dubbed the “Champagne of Thrills” to justify its $125 price (no doubt town fathers nixed the more economically accurate “White Colombian Powder of Thrills”) the ride sandwiches you between driver and brakeman as you hit 75 miles per hour, bolting around steep S-turns pinned down by 4.5 g’s. Meanwhile, at the twisting Luge Rocket next door, you’ll go solo on a sled retrofitted with a roll bar. Lie on your back and stick your feet out in front, but don’t try to steer—Isaac Newton does the driving.
To regain your equilibrium afterward, stop by the new Lake Placid Pub & Brewery (518-523-3813), home to great live music and a particularly soothing Lake Placid IPA. Or head seven miles west on New York 86 to Casa del Sol, a noisy and fun local Mexican joint offering up great jalapeno-tequila mussels, Cadillac margaritas, and 400 kinds of courage-restoring hot sauce.

The Backcountry Retreat

After a day or two in this five-ring circus, you’ll need an antidote. Good thing Lake Placid is situated among all those 4,000-footers, known locally as the High Peaks. To the north and west lie hundreds of remote lakes; spreading to the east are the largest of the mountains, which rise precipitously from the foothills near Lake Champlain. The Adirondacks’ entire alpine area is only 85 acres—the combined square footage of all 46 summits—but when you break out of the stunted spruces onto open rock, watch out: The cones of these mountains can be coated in ice and blasted by wind and snow even when the valley floors are relatively tranquil. On clear days, thankfully, the sweeping views are commensurately bracing.
The trailheads for Lake Placid’s most popular climbs are a 20-minute drive south at the rustic Adirondak Loj (518-523-3441), where the Adirondack Mountain Club now offers dorm-style and cabin accommodations, ski rentals, lessons, and guided tours. With its perpetually roaring fire, the communal living room is also a friendly place to dry off and recount the day’s exertions.
For snowshoers, the prime day-trip is Algonquin, climbing above the Loj to 5,114 feet but entailing only an 8.3-mile round-trip. Take an ice ax for the top, and be prepared for a few rock scrambles. Cross-country enthusiasts, on the other hand, should head for the network of narrow trails that winds around the Loj and then connects with four nearby touring areas via the 31-mile Jackrabbit Trail. Or, better yet, there’s the path to Avalanche Lake: When the snow is fresh and deep, intrepid intermediates can manage this six-mile, 635-foot climb, especially if they’re not too proud to sideslip a few steep spots on the return. And what a trip it is, ending at a narrow lake flanked by towering granite cliffs.

Those who crave a real test, though, will eventually try 5,344-foot Mount Marcy, New York’s highest peak. The 16-mile route begins at the Loj and climbs more than 3,000 feet, necessitating skins on the upper section. From the summit the view spreads east for miles, all the way to iced-over Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains of Vermont. The descent offers the chance for some dancing turns—or for grabbing randomly at trees in a frantic effort to check your speed.
To experience Lake Placid’s single finest moment, though, you need no fancy equipment, not much stamina, and only a modicum of nerve. The town operates a venerable toboggan chute, a creaking, 1920s-built wooden structure that rises 30 feet from the edge of Mirror Lake. Pay $5 any evening and they’ll loan you a battered old sled and let you walk up the ramp. Climb aboard, tuck in your feet, clatter down the hard-packed run with a whoop, and then go skittering off across the ice, a thousand feet or more into the frigid dark, with the lights of town in the distance and the stars overhead. It is what I like to think of as the Hot Cocoa of Thrills, and worth the trip itself.

Lake Not-so-Placid: All the Go-Go Info for a Stay of Perpetual Motion

Getting There: Upstate New York is no place to be without a car, so if you’re in the Northeast, you’ll probably want to drive. (Lake Placid is five hours from Manhattan, five from Boston, and two-and-a-half from Albany—three during snow storms.) But if you hate long car rides, there are alternatives. US Airways flies to Saranac Lake Airport from Newark and Boston. Continental also as an express flight to Saranac Lake. Contact specific airlines for current rates. Once there, rent a midsize from Hertz (518-523-3158) for $56 per day.
Lodging: Yes, it’s possible to sleep downtown without suffering a kitschy, Olympic-themed motel. Case in point: the Interlaken Inn (doubles, $80-140; 800-428-4369), an 11-room country inn between Lakes Mirror and Placid. Right on Main Street, meanwhile, is the view-endowed Hilton Lake Placid Resort. For the most luxe lodging around, try the Lake Placid Lodge (518-523-2700). Stay in the 1940s-vintage main building, where doubles start at $300, or nestle into a lakeside cabin. Both offer great Whiteface Mountain views and cross-country skiing right out the front door.

Venue Information:
Bobsled: A new combination bobsled/luge run opened in January of 2000. The run starts at the half-mile point and runs $30 during both the summer and winter. The full track is also open to elite athletes for training purposes and is open to the general public on some occasions. The full-mile run costs $125. Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday. 518-523-4436.

Skating: The Olympic Center’s four rinks are open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The speed-skating oval is open 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. Admission is $5; rental skates, $3. 518-523-1655.
Downhill Skiing: Lift tickets at Whiteface cost $49 midweek, $54 weekends and holidays. 518-946-2223.
Nordic Skiing: Mount Van Hoevenberg (518-523-2811) is open from dawn to dusk. The $12 day pass is also good at nearby Lake Placid Resort, Cascade, and the Whiteface Club.
Ski Jumping: $8 buys a ride on the 120-meter platform’s elevator or chairlift, launching from the bottom of the jump (9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday), but no hang time. To learn to jump, sign up for a weekend clinic with New York Ski Education Foundation ($50 for adults; 518-523-1900). Bring skis and a helmet.
For additional information and a virtual glimpse of the current conditions across Lake Placid, visit (they have five live webcams on line, updated hourly).

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