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BigFatCat999 · 03-02-2011, 12:18 PM

I was up in Plattsburgh, NY for a court hearing. (Yes, the US justice system does not care about the NHL trade deadline.) While heading up that way I passed by an exit sign proclaiming "Lake Placid USOC training center". Couldn't stop by the place right then because of the court date but on my way back I decided to make the best of my crappy weekend and swing by Lake Placid. After driving on roads that would make the Top Gear UK guys squee with glee, you look about and ask yourself, 'Why the hell would they have the Olympics here? There's nothing here!' Then you look up and see the snow covered granite saw tooths sticking into the sky like something out of a Hollywood CGI effect and go ohhhhhhhh.

Place is small yet beautiful and Whiteface Mountain is scary as it is is beautiful. It's like God just threw a sharp rock right into a middle of a hilly river valley.

When you get to the Olympic center where the rinks are, yes, I said rinks. Remember the 1932 games were hosted there and the 1932 games and the 1980 games had two separate rinks. When you enter the rink, the Herb Brooks Rink to be exact, you look around and see an arena that would be more at home to an ECHL team than an Olympic venue. There's a couple of ads on the boards which seems like blasphemy but is needed in this new age of sport and you find out one the high school hockey teams play there. (Can you say 'home field advantage'?)

Things I have learned while there.

YES, you can rent out the rink for skating time. It's more common for the 1932 rink and not the 1980 rink but there is a way.

If you want to get to Lake Placid you have to fly into Plattsburgh, NY and then rent a car and drive down. It's impossible to fly into Lake Placid.

At the center there is the two rinks and the simulators. (Bobsled, luge, skelleton, ETC.)

I have thought about leading hockey mecca and medina tours and this could be one of the starting points; Lake Placid, up the 90 mins to Montreal, then west on the Canadian Go trains to Toronto for the hockey hall of fame, ETC. If you guys think about it PM me.

03-02-2011, 12:18 PM	#1
BigFatCat999 I love GoOoOlD Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, NY Country: Posts: 8,893 vCash: 500	Going to Lake Placid I was up in Plattsburgh, NY for a court hearing. (Yes, the US justice system does not care about the NHL trade deadline.) While heading up that way I passed by an exit sign proclaiming "Lake Placid USOC training center". Couldn't stop by the place right then because of the court date but on my way back I decided to make the best of my crappy weekend and swing by Lake Placid. After driving on roads that would make the Top Gear UK guys squee with glee, you look about and ask yourself, 'Why the hell would they have the Olympics here? There's nothing here!' Then you look up and see the snow covered granite saw tooths sticking into the sky like something out of a Hollywood CGI effect and go ohhhhhhhh. Place is small yet beautiful and Whiteface Mountain is scary as it is is beautiful. It's like God just threw a sharp rock right into a middle of a hilly river valley. When you get to the Olympic center where the rinks are, yes, I said rinks. Remember the 1932 games were hosted there and the 1932 games and the 1980 games had two separate rinks. When you enter the rink, the Herb Brooks Rink to be exact, you look around and see an arena that would be more at home to an ECHL team than an Olympic venue. There's a couple of ads on the boards which seems like blasphemy but is needed in this new age of sport and you find out one the high school hockey teams play there. (Can you say 'home field advantage'?) Things I have learned while there. YES, you can rent out the rink for skating time. It's more common for the 1932 rink and not the 1980 rink but there is a way. If you want to get to Lake Placid you have to fly into Plattsburgh, NY and then rent a car and drive down. It's impossible to fly into Lake Placid. At the center there is the two rinks and the simulators. (Bobsled, luge, skelleton, ETC.) I have thought about leading hockey mecca and medina tours and this could be one of the starting points; Lake Placid, up the 90 mins to Montreal, then west on the Canadian Go trains to Toronto for the hockey hall of fame, ETC. If you guys think about it PM me.