Whiteface Mountain is located about 13 miles from Lake Placid, in the town of Wilmington. It is the fifth-highest mountain in NY and one of the High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. The summit offers a 360-degree view of the Adirondacks and clear-day glimpses of Vermont and even Canada, where the skyscrapers of Montreal, 80 miles away, can be seen on a very clear day.
We drove up Whiteface Memorial Highway and reached the parking area at an elevation of 4,600 feet. After flashing our Passport, we drove up the road to the Castle, through the one-way passage, and then back down to the parking lot. We made our way by foot through the tunnel and up the elevator to complete the remaining 267 feet.
Whiteface Castle, built with granite excavated during the road construction, dominates the summit area. The Stairway Ridge Trail (.2 mile long) also leads up to the top.
We passed cyclists zipping down the mountain as we climbed up. Becky chatted with a fellow whose head and face was covered in salty white sweat and he told her it took 2 1/2 hours to get to the top!
Known for its big-mountain skiing, Whiteface is consistently ranked as one of the top ski resorts in the Northeast. It was a prime venue of the 1980 Winter Olympic games, hosting all six of the alpine ski events. Whiteface regularly hosts major alpine ski events, such as the U.S. Alpine Championships most recently in 2010, and is a U.S. Olympic Training Site.