As a COVID-19 winter activity, skiing and related winter sports have a lot going for them. They are outdoors, people are distanced on the mountains and trails, and people normally cover their faces and hands as a protection from the cold.
With more ski resorts than any other state in the country, New York is the place to be for a multitude of winter sports.
CLOSE-TO-HOME
Sometimes called the “Aspen of the East,” Holiday Valley in the picturesque village of Ellicottville is the largest ski resort in Western New York. The SKI Magazine Reader Resort Survey has once again named Holiday Valley one of the top resorts in Eastern North America.
“This is the 14th time since 1999 that skiers ranked Holiday Valley in the top ten of over 150 resorts. Our 6th in the East rating is a testament to our guests’ appreciation of our commitment to the continual reinvestments to maintain a top-quality ski resort,” explained Dennis Eshbaugh, President and General Manager. He added that Holiday Valley was the only resort in the top ten with less than 1,000 vertical feet, which means that while having a big mountain is important, there’s a lot of great skiing to be had in 750 feet.
Holiday Valley is a year-round resort area and visitors increased last summer as compared to the previous year. Officials are expecting a good winter season despite capacity limits on the lifts and inside the lodges.
Kids rule at Holiday Valley with the terrific children’s ski and snowboard programs to the family-friendly Inn at Holiday Valley. SKI Magazine readers rated the resort #2 in the East for “Kid Friendly” in 2015.
The Mountain Adventures Ski and Snowboard program are open daily during the winter season. The Day Care program is available weekends and holidays only. Young kids can spend time in the ski and snowboard school as well as day care. Lift tickets for kids six and under are free and there are junior rates through age 11. Check out the ISkiNY Passport for third and fourth graders with free lift tickets. During January ski packages are 50% off for all ages.
Want a break from skiing? The Holiday Valley Tubing Company is just four miles from the resort and is open Thursdays-Sundays. A free shuttle runs every two hours so older kids can have tubing fun on their own. For younger children under seven years there is a special Li’l Tubers area.
The family-friendly Sky Flyer Coaster operates year-round and this winter season it is open Fridays-Sundays and holidays. Children must be three years old and 36 inches to ride with an adult and eight years and 42 inches to ride alone. Buy your coaster ticket when you get a lift ticket for best pricing. The coaster is a thrilling ride down the mountain, zigzagging and spiraling through the trees and over a ravine.
Kissing Bridge in Glenwood is a shorter drive for most area residents. It is well located in the snow belt and has 39 slopes spread out over 700 acres. There is great terrain perfect for the beginner or intermediate skier or snowboarder, plus several challenging slopes for advanced skiers. There are nine lifts and a variety of classes and lessons for adults and children as young as three years old.
PACK THE KIDS IN THE CAR
It is hard to top Whiteface Mountain and Lake Placid in the Adirondacks for an ultimate winter experience. Its location makes it a weekend or longer destination but there are a multitude of attractions for all ages.
Lake Placid has twice attracted the world’s top winter athletes — during 1932 and 1980. Those years mark the times that the village hosted the Winter Olympics. Originally constructed for the 1932 Winter Olympics and further built upon for the 1980 Winter Olympics, the Lake Placid Olympic Sites have evolved into five distinct locations: the Olympic Center, the Olympic Jumping Complex, the Olympic Sports Complex, Whiteface Mountain, and Mt. Van Hovenberg.
Right in the middle of Lake Placid village is the Olympic Center. Hockey fans will not want to miss a visit. This is where the “Miracle on Ice” game was played in 1980 and where the Americans amazed the world and beat the Soviet Union to win the gold medal. The win is considered one of the most dramatic upsets in Olympic history and it all happened in the final seconds of the game. There is also an Olympic museum here filled with memorabilia, photos and video footage from the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Games.
Whiteface Mountain is home to skiing and snowboarding. It also received top ratings by the readers of SKI Magazine. It boasts that it has the greatest vertical of any lift-served mountain in the Northeast, miles of grooming trails, almost 100% snowmaking coverage, and a five-star ski and snowboard school. The Cloudsplitter Gondola Ride cuts an aerial path through the Adirondack Mountains on its way to the peak of Little Whiteface.
Over at Mt. Van Hovenberg, take a ride on the Cliffside Coaster, the longest mountain coaster in the country. While on the coaster, enjoy some breathtaking views of the Adirondack Mountains while the coaster travels next to the 1980 Olympic Bobsled & Skelton Track. The best part of this coaster for me is that the driver controls the speed so if you are not up for a fast ride you can go slower. It is open Fridays-Sundays.
Tupper Lake is just 30 miles from Lake Placid and is home to the Wild Center, a most family friendly year-round attraction. This winter the inside displays will be closed but there are a host of other activities to enjoy. Check out the Winter Wild Walk. Always wanted to try snowshoeing? This is the place to do it. Snowshoe through the forest while listening to music composed just for this attraction. You can snowshoe down to the Oxbox overlook with views of the Raquette River.
Although I have warm water fishing experience, ice fishing has always been a mystery to me. Head over to Green Leaf Pond and learn to ice fish under the direction of a guide. You can learn the techniques used to catch fish throughout the winter and take a look under the ice at the amazing winter world of fish.
Travel Tip of the Month: For information on Holiday Valley in Ellicottville visit holidayvalley.com or call 716-699-2345. For Kissing Bridge visit kbski.com or call 716-592-4963. For Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid visit whiteface.com or call 518-946-2223.
For information on Tupper Lake visit tupperlake.com or call 518-359-3328. For the Wild Center visit wildcenter.org or call 518-359-7800. It is open Friday-Sundays.
For all attractions and ski lifts, advance reservations are a must. For the ski pass program for third and fourth graders visit ISKINY.com. The pass is only good for weekdays.
Deborah Williams is a veteran travel writer whose work has appeared in national and international publications. She lives in Holland, NY and is the recipient of the Society of American Travel Writers’ Lowell Thomas Gold Travel Writing Award.