Roots Rock

Having been a collegiate ski racer, race coach, and ski professional here in New England, many of my colleagues frequently throughout the years have teased me for being from New York. Though New York has not been home for me in a very long time, I grew up in the Hudson Valley and, most obviously, my sports team loyalties fall squarely West of the line dividing the New England states from their neighbor.

For some reason, New Englanders seem to be oblivious to the immensity of New York State and its incredible diversity of landscape, economy, spoken English, and culture. There's so much more to it than New York City and the surrounding suburbs, and I have often felt the need to remind my friends of this fact. My favorite thing to do in this respect is to ask New Englanders "How many Winter Olympic Games have been held in New England exactly?" New York, of course, has had two.

For the uninitiated, the Adirondack Mountains in New York are immense, craggy peaks. The Adirondack Park is massive, encompassing many towns, a large population, and substantial industry based upon its numerous natural resources. For centuries, it has been an interesting study of the relationship between conservation and development, residents and tourists, and public and private interests on a scale that dwarfs that of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

I spent a few days this past week skiing at Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid, site of the ski events from the 1980 and the 1932 Winter Olympics. Whiteface has the longest vertical drop of any ski area in the Eastern U.S., and has some pretty exceptional steeps. It's a great place to ski. Lake Placid itself is the original winter destination resort in the U.S. and is full of some wonderful things to see and do, going well beyond the Olympic site activities (it was the home of the recently completed 2009 Bobsled World Championships).

Regrettably, I was too busy while skiing to tend to any tourist activities or to take many photos of the area. The few posted here are, literally and figuratively, the simplest of snapshots of the area. I hope to return to Lake Placid in warmer weather, on foot (not clad in ski boots), and slow down long enough to really experience all of it. In the meantime, it was enough to ski elsewhere, in big mountains, and be reminded that deep down in my being, I am a New Yorker. Knickerbockers, Rangers, Giants, Cosmos, and yes, proudly, the Yankees.