Whiteface / Lake Placid Summer Activities
Whiteface may have made its name in winter - it has the highest vertical drop in the east, after all - but it does summer pretty well, too. Standing on its summit, you'll gaze out at the Adirondack Park. Six million acres - more than Yellowstone and Yosemite combined - thick with white pines and glistening with crystalline lakes and meandering trout streams.
Around you stand New York's tallest peaks. To the east, Lake Champlain and Vermont's Green Mountains, and below, the towns of Wilmington and Lake Placid, the Olympic Village.
The warmer months make Whiteface a natural setting for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels and ages, whether you're looking for an adrenaline rush or just an afternoon of beautiful views with your family. Take a hike along the Stag Brook Falls trail or Bear Den Mountain, play a round of disc golf and check out the area's most exhilarating, challenging mountain biking terrain.
Or gather the family for an afternoon of taking it all in with a scenic gondola ride to the summit of Little Whiteface. Drive the Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway to the summit, and lean into the Adirondack breeze as you marvel at the world below you.
Here's more on summer activities in the Lake Placid area.
Related Articles: Whiteface Mountain | Mountain Resort Vacations | Summer at Whiteface
Image Copyright Mike Doyle
Sweetspot Ski Trainer - Off-Season Balance Workout
Keep those ski boots handy during the off-season because there is a balance and coordination tool on the market - the Sweetspot Ski Trainer - that attaches to your ski boots and provides a challenging balance workout on different levels.
With the Sweetspot Ski Trainer attached to your ski boots and centered where the 'sweetspot' of your ski should be, you can hold the brain/ski boot coordination that becomes fine tuned throughout the season but wanes in the off-season from lack of use.
Incorporating the Sweetspot Ski Trainer into your summer fitness routine can have you hitting the slopes next season with your balance coordination at a much higher level than the usual first day on the snow.
Read More: Sweetspot Ski Trainer
Sweetspot Ski Trainer Copyright Mike Doyle
Squaw Valley Rolls Out Summer
California isn't all about surfing in the summer - there's also a lot of family fun waiting in the same mountains you were skiing on just the other day.
Squaw Valley is opening a Wanderlust yoga studio as well as several new base area activities. New activities, located in the resort's base area include an outdoor climbing wall, croquet, bean bag toss and a slackline park and paintball is moving from High Camp to the base area for increased accessibility.
Ride the aerial tram up the mountain (free with a Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows 2013-14 season pass), to relax in the High Camp Pool and Hot Tub or try the High Camp Roller Rink and free daily guided hikes, as well as mountaintop disc golf, tennis and geocaching then grab a bite to eat at the Poolside Café.
With a salute to our heroes all active duty military can ride the tram free of charge and have access to 50 percent off pool passes at the High Camp Pool and Hot Tub.
More Information: Squaw Valley
Photo Courtesy Squaw Valley
Michigan's Boyne Resorts Welcomes Summer
Several ski resorts in the midwest carry on into summer offering a chance to head out and grab a day, a weekend, or a week of family fun and activities.
In Michigan, Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain offer golfing, mountain biking, lift rides, hiking, ziplines and a summer schedule of festivals and concerts.
This coming Father's Day weekend - Friday through Sunday (June 14-16), dads can enjoy the thrill of ziplining for free at both Boyne Highland and Boyne Mountain.
If you get the chance be sure to check out Boyne Mountain's Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark. At 88,000 square feet this is Michigan's biggest indoor waterpark featuring slides, rides, kids pools, climbing walls, lazy river, and even a surf simulator.
More Information: Boyne Mountain | Boyne Highlands
Avalanche Bay Waterpark Courtesy Boyne Resorts
Vermont Ski Resort Summer Fun
It's shaping up to be a really nice weather week ahead and schools are getting ready to let out for the summer. So, if you're on vacation and you are up Vermont way check out some of the excitement and fun on tap this week at some Vermont ski resorts.
- Bromley Mountain - School's Out "2-4-1" E-Coupon Day (June 14th) Summer Adventure for two-for-one Mountain Adventure passes with a downloaded E-Coupon. Be sure to download & print the e-coupon before midnight on June 13.
- Okemo Mountain Resort - Jackson Gore Summer Music Series (June 14 - August 30) Every Friday night throughout the summer enjoy a complimentary lawn concert from 6 to 9 p.m. at Okemo Mountain Resort. Concerts are held in the Jackson Gore Inn Courtyard. Bring the family and enjoy dinner and drinks with an outdoor barbecue.
- Sugarbush Resort - Brewgrass Festival (June 15) Sugarbush summer events are a great way to experience the Mad River Valley without the snow and the Brewgrass Festival returns this summer with numerous regional beers, great music and tasty food.
- Sugarbush Resort - Also at Sugarbush is the Eastern States Cup (June 15-16) for two mountain bike races with the SuperD on June 15th and the Downhill on June 16th.
Image Copyright Okemo Mountain Resort
Park City, Utah Bucket List
Planning a trip to Park City, Utah? Park City is a cultural hub with a panorama of bars and restaurants, arts and entertainments, festivals and fun - no matter the time of year.
There's a lot to do both on and off the mountains, and whether you're looking to vacation in the winter or summer, fall or spring, you'll have no problem packing your calendar full of activities.
Unsure of where to start? Check out the Park City, Utah "bucket list" for an overview of the top 25 things to do in Park City, Utah.
Read More: Top Summer Ski Resort Destinations | Park City, Utah Summer Activities
Photo Courtesy Park City, Utah
How to Store Skis
I'm getting inquiries from skiers who have held off on putting away their skis wanting to know how to store their skis so they will be in the same top shape six or seven months from now.
I asked Lee Quaglia, owner of Aspen East Ski Shop in Killington, VT, about the best way to store skis so they're in perfect shape for next season's opening day. Here's Lee's advice on how to store skis.
By the way, while we're on the topic of storing skis, it's inexpensive and quite easy to build your own ski rack, the kind that you most often see in the rental areas. I'm referring to a rack where you just slide the skis in and they hang by the ski shovels. This is a very affordable wooden rack that can be made to hold just about as many pair of skis as you can come up with.
Late spring skiing at Mammoth Mountain, CA Copyright Mike Doyle
Indoor Skiing
Skiers often head south during the summer, to resorts in Chile, Argentina, or attend a summer ski camp.
However, there's another option for those of us who can't go too long without a hill to ski down. Indoor ski resorts, located in interesting places across the globe, can provide your "skiing fix" during any month of the year.
Snow domes are especially popular for summer skiing. Although the snow domes are much smaller than their authentic counterparts, they can add a nice touch to an international vacation. Here's more about indoor skiing and the top international snow domes.
Read More: Top 5 Indoor Ski Resorts | Summer Skiing
Photo Indoor Skiing at Ski Dubai Copyright Getty Images
USSA TEAM Academy Graduates First Class
With a lot of high School graduations being conducted around the country here is one everyone can be proud of - the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association's new USSA TEAM Academy recently graduated its first four seniors from the high school.Formed in 2012 to provide high school education specifically for national development or elite national TEAM skiers and snowboarders, TEAM Academy serves a total of 27 student athletes at two campuses, one in Lake Placid, NY, and the other in Park City, UT.
The graduating seniors hold a combined 4.15 GPA and all four have enrolled at Westminster College to continue their education through a partnership with the USSA:
- Alexi Micinski (Meridian, ID/ISSA), slopestyle skiing
- Jess Breda (Marshfield, MA/Waterville Valley BBTS), slopestyle skiing
- Kiley McKinnon (Madison, CT/EADP), freestyle aerials
- Madison Olsen (Park City, UT/FLY Freestyle), freestyle aerials
"Through the unique blended learning model at TEAM Academy, the students have been able to accomplish things both academically and athletically that they didn't think were possible," said Dan Kemp, TEAM Academy Headmaster. Rather than struggling to keep up with homework while on the road, the more flexible schedule has enabled them to focus on competition while maintaining excellent grades."
The graduation ceremony was held Saturday, June 1 at the USSA Center of Excellence in Park City, UT.
Photo Copyright Mike Doyle
Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional start for summer is past and when you are planning your family summer outings and looking for things to do, places to hike or mountain bike, don't forget your favorite ski resort.