Tag Archive for: Mirror Lake Inn

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Have you ever been in or near an avalanche? Big Mountain skiers everywhere are accustomed to hearing and feeling the reverberations of bombs and other technologies used to dislodge slides, making the areas safer.

A few years ago, Taos added a chair to improve accessibility to Kachina Peak.  Last week, following inspection by patrol, a slide there killed two. 

At the top of NinetyNineNinety at Park City Mountain Resort (the part of the area formerly known as The Canyons), there’s a gate and signs clearly spelling out avvy risks of going into that part of unpatrolled backcountry. Similar warnings probably exist on Kachina Peak.

Warnings at the top of NinetyNineNinty

Several years ago a friend instructing at The Canyons joined a search party looking for a couple whose car was in the otherwise empty parking lot and who hadn’t picked up their child from daycare. My friend explained the methodical nature of combing the post-avalanche slope where the couple was thought to be buried. It was late in the day, but there was ample light. My friend, a geologist, had been trained to seek anomalies…things that were different from the surroundings. Looking up the slope, he detected something angular, possibly the back corner of a ski. He told the search leader, who advised him and the rest of the party to continue probing the cement-like snow to detect what might be buried below. They found nothing until they reached the angular ski tail jutting from the snow. It led them to the two buried bodies. A tragedy.

Last year, I became friends with a man in his 40s who was rescued from a backcountry avalanche. I don’t remember his full description other than how horrific an experience it was and how, after months of hospitalization and rehabilitation, it altered his life.

The website of the National Avalanche Center, a unit of the National Forest Service, shows 551 US avalanche fatalities since 1998. All but five (on Mt Washington in NH and on Mt Mansfield in Stowe) occurred in the West. Most were in back and side country. 177 skiers died. 68 boarders died. 2 were snow shoers. 196 were snowmobilers. 48 were climbers. Five were ski patrol.

This year, alone, there have been 26 snow-related deaths at European resorts.

Once, skiing a remote in-bounds section of The Canyons, I set off a minor slide. It only made it to the tops of my boots, but it was dense and difficult to get free.

There are older skiers who seek out the adventure and solace of side and back country. I no longer have the lungs to climb, but if conditions are right, I rarely hesitate to take a gate or duck a rope for a promising patch of powder on the other side. But with every year I think a bit longer before I do.

Free Lift Tickets for Furloughed Government Employees

Mad River Glen  (VT), Sugarbush (VT) and Snow King (WY) announced free skiing benefits to furloughed government employees. Sugarbush upped the ante by extending the freebie to immediate family members. The deals will end when the shut-down ends. 

Knee Issues?

Ski-Mojo and Elevate are products for those experiencing knee problems. Both are advertisers. Ski-Mojo is a set of light-weight shock absorber springs that reduce pressure on the knees by 33%. Worn under ski pants, the device reduces pain and fatigue. The people I’ve talked with who use Ski-Mojo, swear  by it. Elevate is a soft, robotic ski exoskeleton that boosts quad strength and reduces muscle fatigue and joint pressure. The product causes loads to pass the knee entirely;  improving knee stability and preventing normal wear and tear. Elevate is available to demo at locations in Lake Tahoe and Park City.  

Saturday is Ski California Safety Day 

Resorts throughout California and Nevada will participate in Ski California Safety Day this Saturday, Jan. 26. Each of the 15 participating resorts will host activities designed to inform guests about skiing and riding safely. Topics range from avalanche and deep snow safety to proper chairlift loading and riding. More at skicalifornia.org.

Will Renovated Snowpine Bring New Vibe to Alta?

That’s the question explored in an article this week in The New York Times Travel Section. The Snowpine Lodge was the funkiest of Alta’s five lodges. I know this from multiple stays at each of them over my 45+ years skiing Alta. Accommodations were less than luxe. Food was okay. Guests – maybe because we were all subjected to the same musty smells and low, head-bumping passageways – always seemed to bond. That was back then. The new Snowpine is said to be super-luxe, Aspen or Vail style…with prices to match. It may raise eyebrows among readers who know and love Alta, or simply raise the bar for the other lodges.

Solitude to Host FIS World Snowboardcross and Skicross Championships

The world’s best snowboardcross and ski cross athletes will compete at Solitude, Feb 1-3 in the 2019 FIS World Championships. It will be the biggest winter event in Utah since the 2002 Olympics.

Mont-Tremblant International Airport

The single strip airport is about 20 miles north of the resort. Porter Airlines and Air Canada flights connect through Toronto. A quick check shows that New Yorkers and Bostonians can get round trip fares are as low as $275. Both airlines include free flights for kids and free lift tickets. Click here for details. 

Breckenridge to Ski to Memorial Day

That’s the plan for this and future seasons, conditions and US Forest Service permitting.

Videos Worth Watching

Teton Gravity Research generally produces interesting ski videos, and this one (4+minutes) is no exception. It focuses on the challenges a young skier faces at the top of a cornice before skiing a beautiful, steep line.

Kings and Queens – The Evolution of Corbet’s Couloir is fun. The 7+ minute video shows a competition of men and women skiing and boarding Jackson Hole’s famed chute.  Please comment if you’ve had the Corbet’s Experience, and we’ll compare notes.

Experience Something New at Whiteface

Mirror Lake Inn ,in Lake Placid, is a lovely place to stay when visiting Whiteface Mountain and other North Country attractions. Starting this season, Andrew Weibrecht, son of the Inn’s owners and an Olympic medalist, is available to ski with Mirror Inn guests at Whiteface. For details, click on the adjacent ad.

Cell Phone Dying on the Mountain?

Try the GearBeast phone holder. The $9.99 – $12.99 device (SeniorsSkiing.com readers receive a 20% discount; enter SENIORS-SKIING at checkout) fits over the neck and under the parka where your body warmth keeps the phone battery from draining. Other benefits? You won’t drop the phone when using it on the lift. And the mini pocket for credit card, ID and a few bills lets you leave bulky wallets in the car or lodge. Click on the company’s ad. 

Jon Weisberg

Short Swings!

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Twenty-seven thousand, three hundred and ninety-four days. Exactly, nine hundred months. On Wednesday I turned 75. For all but the first nine years, skiing has been my passion.

Two things about me contribute to this craziness: I love being outside in the cold, and what I lack in athleticism, I’ve made up for with persistence.

In Okemo’s early days, when I was 11 or 12, I spent the better part of a season determined to ride the Poma without falling. Eventually, I conquered that demon.

For several years, it seemed I was condemned to the stem, functional but awkward. I remember the moment at Mount Snow when a mogul inadvertently caused me to parallel turn. Before long, I had to think twice before stemming.

There were times when I was bedridden. Regardless of time of year, crumpled sheets became mountain ranges, and my mind took me places where I would ski.

In my teens and twenties, friends and I would jump-turn down Eastern trails, stopping with the occasional tip roll. We wore double leather boots wrapped with long thongs. More than once, I’d get to the bottom and realize my skis were splintered.

There were long weekend rides from Manhattan to Killington and Stowe. On the Stowe Road, the LaMarr’s provided a bunk bed and a hearty breakfast for $5.00. On one of those trips another car spun out of control and wrecked my new MG Midget. Hitchhiking that weekend put me on the road to getting hitched. One of the girls who picked me up became my bride.

Soon, skiing shifted to the West, starting in Alta in 1972. It’s been a rare season since when I haven’t
skied that magic mountain. At one point I fell in love with powder. Those of you who have been up to your knees or thighs or waist will understand. When it’s that deep, steep is your friend. It’s a joyful experience, and, like the word, “joy,” it’s ephemeral.

Over the years, I’ve learned to follow the snow.  It’s great to spend the day seeking out the best conditions. It might take you to blacks, blues, or greens. If you know how to use your equipment with the least amount of effort, and if you enjoy making graceful turns, you’ll understand this preoccupation with the physics of poetry.

These days, I’m deliberately slow. Wherever I go – and if I feel up to it – I like to play with the fall line, skiing slowly, making well-formed turns. Some kid me about getting more turns per vertical foot. Others get tired of waiting.

I view skiing as a metaphor for life. We develop and use a range of skills. Some days are bluebird; some are dark. There are times of confusion when we feel our way into clarity. Other times it can be cold, miserable, and ugly. But most of the time, skiing is an expression of love.

Legally Younger?

A 69 year old in the Netherlands tried to legally change his age to 49, which, he says, is how old he feels. The Dutch government rejected the request. He plans to appeal, based on the idea that other forms of personal transformation, such as name and gender, are gaining traction in the Netherlands. In one of the SeniorsSkiing.com reader surveys we asked about your actual age and how old you felt after a good day on the slopes. Your ages averaged about 67. How old did you feel? Twenty years younger!

Rare 20% Discount from Apex Ski Boot System

If you’ve been thinking about slipping your feet into a pair of Apex boots — they provide comfort and performance and, like the ad states, let you Ski Hard and Walk Easy — now is a good time to do it. The company is offering a 20% discount to the first 50 SeniorsSkiing.com readers who respond (shipping to the lower 48, included). Offer ends Christmas day. Go to the Apex website, make your selection, and enter  SENIOR3000 on checkout.

Ski Whiteface with an Olympian

Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, is a lovely place to stay when visiting Whiteface Mountain and other North Country attractions. Starting this season, Andrew Weibrecht, son of the Inn’s owners and an Olympic medalist, is available to ski with Mirror Inn guests at Whiteface. It’s on the pricey side ($450 for 8:00AM to noon, lift ticket included), but for the deep-pocket set, it sounds like a fun experience.

Vermont Adaptive Honors Volunteers

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, the nationally-recognized group empowering people of all abilities through inclusive sports and recreational programming, announced its Volunteers of the Year. They are Phil Crowell, of Plainfield, N.H., and Jackie Levine, Barry Whitworth, and Ryan Kennedy, all of Burlington, VT. Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports provides services regardless of ability to pay.

Stoking Your Inner-Pow

I don’t know where this video was shot, but it’s titled “First lines of 2018 – skiing some powder.” Enjoy.

More Great Holiday Gifts for Older Skiers

I just purchased a dozen GearBeasts– all different colors – as holiday gifts for my skiing friends. They’ll use and love this neat, little smartphone carrier. It fits over the neck and under the parka, keeping the phone warm, accessible, and safe. Warm, because it’s close to the body and helps keep the  charge. Accessible, because it’s always there and no need to search pockets. Safe, because the phone can be used on the lift without concern for accidental drops. GearBeast has a little built-in pocket to carry credit card, driver’s license and a few bills. When I use it – and I use it often — I leave my wallet in the car. As a holiday gift to SeniorsSkiing.com readers, the company – an advertiser – is giving 20% off its regular prices that range from $9.99 to $12.99 (I bought the $9.99 version.) Go to gearbeast.com (or click on the adjacent ad) and enter SENIORS-SKIING when checking out.

A thoughtful gift for any older skier visiting Aspen/Snowmass is a one-day Ski Younger Now session with Seth Masia: $820 with 7 day advance booking.

Other Recent Gift Giving Suggestions:

Wild West Jerky makes great-tasting, all-natural, jerky products. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers receive a 20% discount off full retail. Enter seniorsskiing in the promo code window at checkout

The Buffalo Wool Company makes socks, gloves, hats from bison down mixed with silk, yak, wool, and cashmere. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 10% discount. Enter SeniorsSkiing in the discount code window at checkout.

Panda Poles have bamboo shafts and are beautifully hand-crafted in Idaho. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 30% discount off the regular price of $95. Enter SENIORS30 at checkout.

Orsden makes wonderful parkas and pants in great colors. They’re sold only online. Comparable products in stores sell for twice as much. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 30% discount through December 31. Enter WINTER30 at checkout.

DeBooter is a skiboot jack, that makes boot removal a breeze. SeniorsSkiing.com subscribers get a 20% discount. Enter SENIORSSKIING at checkout.

The Bootster is a compact skboot horn. It’s small enough to be carried in a pocket. $25.00

Safe Descents is emergency ski and snowboard evacuation insurance. Among other benefits, it covers ambulance or air evacuation services if injured in-bounds at any ski resort in the United States. The policy is available to residents of all but five of the lower 48. $56.99 for the season.

Join Us in the Alps

Join us the week of March 10 when we ski in the Aosta Valley with guides from Alpskitour. Each day, we’ll go to a different resort in Italy, Switzerland and France. The all-inclusive price — $4500 to $5500 per person– depends on where you fly to and whether you stay in a 3 or 5 star hotel. Orsden is a sponsor and giving a parka to each participant. If interested, email me: jon@seniorsskiing.com.

Joan Wallen

Mirror Lake Inn: A Peaceful Haven In Lake Placid

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Activities, Elegance, Extraordinary Service In The Heart Of The Adirondacks.

Mirror Lake Inn has been recognized with AAA Four Diamond Award of Excellence for 32 years in  a row.
Credit: Joan Wallen

I entered the Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid through a back door, walked right past the front desk without noticing it, and down the wide staircase. When I ended up at the entrance to the spa, looking somewhat confused, an employee asked if he could help. When I told him I was looking for the registration desk he didn’t just point me in the right direction (which would have been easy to do), he walked me there. This “taking the extra step” set the tone for my stay and proved to be typical of all the Inn employees I encountered. Everyone from the front desk staff, to the bartenders, dining and housekeeping staff had a friendly smile, helpful attitude and genuine interest in my comfort and well-being during my stay. The Inn itself exudes ambiance with its spacious common areas, fireplaces, comfortable furniture and numerous more intimate spaces for reading, relaxing or quiet conversation, all with an Adirondack décor. Tea, coffee and homemade cookies are served daily from 3:30 to 4:30 in the living room so guests can mingle and relax after a day on the slopes, trails, lake or visiting the many Olympic venues throughout the area.

After a $4-million renovation, rooms are looking fantastic.
Credit: Joan Wallen

The Main building houses guest rooms, the spa, fitness center and indoor pool as well as two of the resort’s restaurants – Taste Bistro, casual yet upscale, and The View, Lake Placid’s only four diamond AAA rated restaurant. The Terrace and Mountainview buildings, also housing guest rooms, as well as the Adirondack Conference Center are all connected to the Main building by indoor walkways. The guest rooms are spacious and comfortable with seating areas facing the lake. Their décor reflects the Adirondack theme of the public spaces. The Colonial House and the Lake Cottage are across the road on the water and have more elaborate rooms as well as one and two bedroom suites. Though in general the clientele may be more mature, the suites are well suited for families. One of the unique features of the resort is that all guest rooms face Mirror Lake and therefore offer fantastic views through floor to ceiling windows and sliders. The Cottage Café, also on the lake, serves casual fare for lunch and supper and is a gathering spot for the apres ski crowd.

The Inn has recently completed a $1 million makeover of its renowned spa. With rooms for massage, facial and body treatments, the women’s and men’s sanctuaries include spaces for relaxing and revitalizing, a eucalyptus steam room, sauna, whirlpool, indoor pool, fitness facility and a full service salon. Its reputation as the number one spa in Lake Placid is well deserved.

Mirror Lake itself, only steps from the Inn, offers activities just outside your front door. A groomed ice skating lane follows the perimeter of the lake, a three mile smooth pathway for relaxed skating or vigorous exercise. The Inn maintains a couple of small rinks just in front of the Café while the town has cleared a much larger area across the lake for hockey tournaments and free skating. I encountered cross country skiers and other snowshoers on my trek across the lake, as well as folks just out walking their dogs. A couple of concessionaires offer dogsled rides and a toboggan chute is nearing completion and will open soon. Snowshoes are available for Inn guests use if you don’t have your own.

A short walk brings you to the main street of Lake Placid where you’ll find many shops, from jewelry to outdoor fashion to Adirondack furniture and gourmet goodies. The bar scene is lively and the restaurants in town offer a wide variety of menus. Also located downtown at the Olympic Center are the Olympic Museum and the speed skating oval where you might watch hopefuls practicing or do some skating yourself during public skating hours. And of course, there’s world class alpine and cross country skiing just minutes away at the Olympic venues of Whiteface and Mt. Van Hoevenberg.

Last June the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa accepted the AAA Four Diamond Award of Excellence in lodging for the 32nd year in a row. The View received the same award for fine dining for the ninth consecutive year. The resort’s owners, Ed and Lisa Weibrecht, parents of Olympian Andrew Weibrecht, credit their exceptional staff for these honors. “We have a secret weapon. The secret weapon is all of you, our staff”, Weibrecht told the group assembled at the presentation. I certainly found this to be true. A cheery “hello”, a smiling “how are you this morning”, a helpful “do you need anything”, a warm “what can I get you” greeted me in the parking lot, in the lobby, hallways and restaurants throughout the property. In sum, the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa offers casual elegance in a relaxing atmosphere with enough to do on and off the property to entertain both the most athletic guests and those looking for just a tranquil retreat.

Mirror Lake Inn has an assortment of room choices and package pricing starting at $186 (December 10-March 19) and $137 (March 20-End of Season).  Check the website for the accommodation options.

Mirror Lake Inn is a tasteful and modest spot to relax and enjoy winter sports activities.
Credit: Joan Wallen

 

seniorsskiing

SHORT SWINGS!

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CALIFORNIA

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows won USA Today’s 2017 Readers’ Choice Poll for ‘Best Ski Resort.’ The resort secured top spot in the 2016 poll, as well.

IDAHO

McCall, ID is near from Brundage Mountain, the 2000′ vertical resort advertising the “best snow in Idaho. About 10 minutes from the mountain is Shore Lodge, with luxury accommodations and a spa built around natural hot springs. McCall’s annual Winter Carnival with many motor- and non-motorized activities will happen January 27-February 5, 2017.

NEW YORK

The Spa at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort in Lake Placid, has undergone a $1 million makeover. Always a terrific location, Mirror Lake Inn Resort has just become even better.

 

PENNSYLVANNIA

At least 18 of the state’s ski areas are now open. Check local details before going.

QUEBEC

Mont-Sainte-Anne and Stoneham Mountain Resort have a lot planned for Christmas and New Years. Learn about Santa’s visits, treats, kids activities, music, banquets, races, fireworks at: Stoneham / Mont-Sainte-Anne

UTAH

Deer Valley published a You Tube tribute to Stein Eriksen. It is lovely and will bring back memories.

OTHER

Clean Trails is establishing a national network of trail stewards for the country’s pristine wild places, collective community spaces, and access points to its natural wonders. It’s mission is to keep trail systems litter-free. The group’s slogan, Love the Land. Lose the Litter. says it all. To participate visit http://cleantrails.org 

Orsden is a new line of extremely good looking and reasonably priced high quality 4-way stretch ski parkas. Features are comparable to much more expensive brands. Orsden parkas (on-line, direct-to-consumer, only): $330, with free shipping.

GetSkiTickets.com, the online lift ticket seller, is offering a free trip for two to Taos with three nights lodging, three days of skiing, ski and/or board rentals, and two pairs of hand crafted mittens.

Anti-Freeze Face Tape reduces risk of frostbite for people playing in the cold. Each package contains four pre-cut pieces to cover nose and cheeks or to cut your own. Haven’t tried it yet, but unlike masks and tubes, this won’t fog your goggles. Available in flesh, blue and pink. $4.99 per pack. Available at select x-country ski centers and online.