Whiteface Mountain, New York: Rank 18 East, 1997
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Little-known fact: At 3,200 vertical feet, Whiteface has the biggest vert east of Colorado. The terrain is steep and gnarly at the top, but the bottom is ideal for beginners. Despite recent snowmaking advances, it’s still called “Iceface” by several readers. It’s also the biggest hill in the U.S. without a high-speed lift. On the plus side, there’s usually plenty of elbow room way up high where the views are best.
On a nice day, linger at the top and enjoy the spectacular views of the high Adirondack peaks, Algonquin and Mt. Marcy. Then head over to Thruway and Mountain Run where the Olympic slaloms were held for a flashback of Ingemar Stenmark’s gold-medal run.
In the comfortable village of Lake Placid there are other reminders of the 1980 Olympics, which make it a great winter sports town. Take a ride in a bobsled, pilot a luge or skate on the same oval where Eric Heiden won five gold speed-skating medals. If you enjoy spectating as much as participating, choose from ski jumping, hockey, speed skating, freestyle aerials, figure skating, as well as cross-country and alpine skiing.
What’s New The Slides, a 1,000-foot steep rock-slide area now open to skiing (when conditions permit).
Medals Gold Challenge; Silver Terrain
High/Low Rank Challenge (78); Weather (77)
Don’t Miss Riding the Olympic bobsled track.
Reader Remarks “All kinds of terrain. Lake Placid is great at night.” “Slow lifts, bad parking, better known as Iceface.”