Having a flexible work schedule due to Covid, a vacation already booked due to IMLP, a training camp on the calendar, and the desire to get in some solid training blocks, this will be the start of two weeks in Lake Placid.
If you have never been to LP, you are missing out. The scenery is stunning, the village is great, and there is something for everyone. In the next few posts I will cover some of the workouts, new gear, and conditions for the area.
To start off, I try to explore new areas each time I can come up here. Many of my recent runs and rides have been to new trails or new roads to bike on. While the run and bike course for IMLP is great, doing the same thing every time seems like a waste of everything else the area has to offer.
This trip I started off with a run from the village and a loop in Henry’s Woods. This is a great trail system used by mostly dog walkers, hikers, and mountain bikers. It consists primarily of a large looping main trail that has some good incline over the 2 miles it covers. There are also a few vistas that can be seen if you veer off the main trail. Not very technical, and you can really open up on the downhill which is always fun.
Another run consisted of checking out the 132 mile Northville-Lake Placid Trail which starts (ends?) in Lake Placid at a trailhead on Averyville Road. This is actually only just down the road from Henry’s Woods but is a much different experience. While I was able to run on the NLPT, it is an out and back single track and technical for much of it. Still fun, but the first interesting landmark is about 6 miles from the start. So be prepared for a long session if you are going to tackle this one. I also combined this with a run up Averyville Road which has some stunning views of meadows and Whiteface as you make your way along it.
I was also able to finally checkout the Jack Rabbit trail off of Whiteface Inn Lane. This is a cross country ski trail during the Winter, but many hikers use it during warmer months. Because of it being a ski trail, I expected a fairly flat, non-technical trail that ran into Saranac Lake. Wrong. The first few miles are essentially a climb the whole time. It is also very rocky and rutted for most of the journey as well. This was a great run, but not what I was expecting. At around two miles the trail comes to an intersection where going left will bring you to Haystack Mountain. I have previously run up Haystack, and found the last mile or so very challenging. Combining this trail will that mountain would be an epic 8 miler. You will earn your beer on that run.
There are still some new runs to tackle before the trip is over, but so far the new routes have been great.
Float. Spin. Walk. 