Moutain Ride with Dad

Well, we finally did it. After spending a couple months talking about it, Dad and I spent three days riding in and around the Adirondack region of New York. It was an experience I will never forget, and can't wait to do again.


Day 1
We left home at 8:30 AM and headed east, he on his 2004 GL1800, and me on my 2003 ST1300. Our route took us along Lake Ontario north of Syracuse through Baldwinsville and then along the south shore of Lake Oneida. We intentionally planned a route that would give us maximum time riding through the mountains, from the south. The ride was uneventful until we crossed the Adirondack region. Temperature was 75 degrees and mostly sunny.

Heading northeast on route 28 we rode through Minnehaha, Thendara, through Eagle Bay and into Inlet, New York. This is the beginning of the Fulton Chain of Lakes - a string of small, natural, old lakes. From Inlet we continued northeast past Raquette Lake and then to Blue Mountain Lake, one of the prettiest areas I have ever seen. At Blue Mountain Lake we picked Route 30 and headed north to Long Lake. Route 30 continues north until you reach Tupper Lake. At Tupper, we picked up Route 3 and headed east to Saranac Lake. Our destination, Lake Placid, is just 10 miles from Saranac and we pulled into Placid at approximately 4:30. Lake Placid was the home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. We putted around Mirror Lake taking in the village and scouting the hotels that were on our list. We settled on the Northwoods Inn since it is situated on Main Street right in the middle of town. We enjoyed beers and burrgers at the hotel that night - they were the best we had ever had.

Our total mileage for Day 1 was 290 miles. Average trip speed 42 MPH, with 1 hour and 20 minutes of stop time. Our mantra for this trip was, "It's not the destination, it's the journey." Our relatively modest pace was set intenionally to enjoy the beauty that surrounded us on the entire ride.


Day 2
Walked down to a coffee shop on Main Street and struck up a conversation with the owner. He gave me two great tips for ride suggestions. One was to head north at Whiteface Mountain on the Roosevelt Parkway to ride up to the summit of Whiteface Moutain. The other was a nice route along Lake Champlain through Essex, New York.

We left town and headed straight for Whiteface. There is a modest toll to ride to the top of the mountain, and worth every penny. Whiteface Moutain was the ski venue for the Olympics and is simply breathtaking. It is the third highest peak in the Adirnondacks at 4,865 feet above sea level. The ride to the top is a slow spiraling ascent with many scenic overlooks on the way. On a clear day, such as this one, the visibility is 40 miles. Once you arrive at the top, the parking attendants happily gave us and our bikes front row parking. From here, you walk through a 150 yard long tunnel that is cut through the moutain. At the end of the tunnel you take an elevator up another 270 feet to the summit. The summit houses a circular observation deck, hiking trails, a weather station, and a view of God's country. Simply breathtaking.

From Whiteface Mountain we headed east to Route 9N and up to Port Kent on the west shore of Lake Champlain. From Port Kent we rode south on Route 22 along the shore of Champlain through Westport, Port Henry, Crown Point, and into Ticonderoga. We had a great lunch in Ticonderoga at the Wagon Wheel. Leaving Ticonderoga, we rode west on Route 74 through Chilson and Paradox to Route 9. Route 9 took us north through Schroon Falls, North Hudson and into the High Peaks region. The last leg of our ride took us northwest on Route 73 (freshly paved!) which was one of the most scenic routes on the entire trip. This stretch of roadway jogs through the Keene Valley, past 40 moutain peaks in 34 miles, and through Elba and back to Lake Placid. Day 2 total miles was 175, and as scenic as any ride I've ever been on.


Day 3
The forecast for our return home was not good - 50% chance of showers and thunder showers, heavy at times. As much as we hated this trip to end, we decided it was best to high tail it out of Placid and the mountain roads before the rain started. As we looked ahead to Saranac, the sky darkened and the lightning lit up the sky. We pulled over under a shelter, donned the rain gear, and kept going. The next 70 miles through Saranac, Tupper, and west were slow and wet but we kept on. The weather radar indicated that the storm was worse to the south, so we took a different route out of the region - Route 3 all the way to Watertown, New York. It paid off. Reports from home were that the storms were severe, but we encountered no rain after the first 2 hours. The pace quickened a bit since the scenery was now dull in comparison, home was still many hours away, and the winds had increased to gusts of 40 MPH along the east shore of Lake Ontario. We stopped in Pulaski New York for lunch and kept going until we arrived at home at 4:00. Total mileage for Day 3 was 250.

A great trip. We truly enjoyed the region, our bikes, the ride, and each other's company. It was great to spend that much quality time with my Dad. Would do it again in a heartbeat!

Thanks Dad!