Simply Lake Placid Winter 2016-2017

Complimentary Winter 2016-2017

LAKE PLACID LAKE PLACID • KEENE VALLEY • SARANAC LAKE

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Let it Snow...

WITH THE INCREDIBLE SUCCESS OF THE SIMPLY LAKE PLACID SUMMER EDITION (Issue #1), I couldn’t wait to sit down and sink my teeth into the winter edition. After all, this IS an Olympic town and the region is world famous for its winter activities.

Unfortunately, I found that there are just too many good things to cover in the limited pages we have, so I set out to find some of the best of the best. In this issue, you will read about regular favorites which are well known to the public, like the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, or activities more off the beaten path, like the Olympic Bobsled Experience.

While the wonderful winter activities kept us cranking, we also had the opportunity to sit down and speak with some of the people that make this region truly one-of-a-kind. Turn to page 29 and get to know the Schultz’ - a family of four fueled by passion. Speaking of passion, “Passion with a Purpose” on page 25 tells the story of a local company that is changing lives across the planet.

Thinking back to the summer edition, you will recall that we brought you a sneak peek at a truly one-of-a-kind treehouse. In this issue we go behind-the-scenes and bring you the interior of the Owl’s Nest. This is a MUST see!

Perhaps my favorite aspect of this edition was ice climbing with world class guide Ian Osteyee. It was my first time on the ice and it measured up to everything I expected. You can read all about it and check out the stunning photos on page 58.

And… if you are newly engaged or know someone who is, check out “Real ADK Brides” beginning on page 74 for Details, Ideas & Advice, along with great stories and photos of local weddings. See the Contributor’s Page to find out how to submit your ADK Wedding for possible submission in a future issue!

I’d like to close with a THANK YOU to all of our advertisers that make it possible to offer this great publication – free of charge – to our readers. Please mention us by name when visiting their businesses.

So without further ado…grab a hot chocolate, curl up by the fire and enjoy!

Simply Lake Placid is your go-to magazine for the best this region has to offer.

As always, I want to hear from you.

Please send me suggestions of people living interesting lives and those with extraordinary homes or businesses. Drop me a line and a photo or two, and I’ll be in touch: CBeatty@SaratogaPublishing.com

Chad Beatty Publisher & Owner

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LAKE PLACID LAKE PLACID • KEENE VALLEY • SARANAC LAKE

Owner/Publisher Chad Beatty General Manager Robin Mitchell Creative Consultant Chris Vallone Bushee Graphic Designer Kacie Cotter-Sacala Advertising Design Morgan Rook Andrew Ranalli Advertising Sales Erin Boucher Jim Daley Cindy Durfey Contributing Writers Chad Beatty David Delozier Jenna Whitehill Jon Lundin Matt McDonald Maureen Werther Megin Potter Mim Frantz Sandy Caligiore Photographers Barrie Fisher Carl Heilman Photography Clark + Walker Studio Dave Schmidt Greer Cicarelli Photography Jeff Friedman Jordan Craig Photography LakePlacid.com NEice.com ORDA Paul Reynolds Photography Rae Barnes Photography Tom Stock @ SaratogaPhotographer.com Published by

Saratoga TODAY Newspaper Five Case Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 tel: (518) 581-2480 fax: (518) 581-2487

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Simply Saratoga is brought to you by Saratoga TODAY Newspaper, Saratoga Publishing, LLC. Saratoga Publishing shall make every effort to avoid errors and omissions but disclaims any responsibility should they occur. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright © 2016, Saratoga TODAY Newspaper

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CONTRIBUTORS CHRIS BUSHEE Chris is the Managing Editor of most of the 19 magazines that Saratoga TODAY publishes yearly, as well as the “Queen of all things Bridal.”

Send her your submissions for REAL ADK BRIDES at cBushee@SaratogaPublishing.com for possible inclusion in upcoming issues!

KACIE COTTER-SACALA Kacie is our Graphic Designer for the Magazine & Marketing Department.

An all-around artist, Kacie is not just a Graphic Designer, but also a Fine Artist, Muralist, Photographer, and all around creative human being. After five years in Burlington, VT, Kacie brings a great blend of urbanism and creativity to her job as our new magazine designer.

JORDAN CRAIG Jordan is an enthusiastic photographer and avid hiker on track to walk 1,000 miles this year. An appetite for variety has led him, camera in hand, across the Eastern US, Asia, and Latin America. Jordan seeks the illumination of life Jesus speaks of when He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In the winter months he studies at the School of Business and Economics in Plattsburgh. During the summer he calls Lake Placid home, living in a small town with big dreams.

DAVID DELOZIER Dave is known as the eco-local guy around town, as he published the "eco-Local Living mag from 2008-13. Dave and his wife Brenda "walk the walk" having converted their small suburban residence into a Permaculture homestead, integrating elements such as edible landscaping, PV solar power & micro-farming. Dave is now a certified Permaculture Design Consultant and looks to help others who are seeking a more healthy, grounded and resilient lifestyle. ecolocal@gmail.com.

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MIM FRANTZ Mim Frantz, of Lake Placid is a journalist, event coordinator (junipereventsanddesign.com) and yoga instructor (mimyoga.com).

When she’s not writing, planning or in a warrior pose, she can be found enjoying outdoor adventures with her husband and three young sons. She is a former professional figure skater and works to bring that same passion, drive, artistry and grace to all of her endeavors.

MATT McDONALD Based in the Adirondacks, Matt is relatively new to the freelance writing scene. He has written for national and regional outdoor and tourism publications, and as often as he can, he’s skiing, hiking, camping, slacklining and trail running (when motivation is high) throughout the Adirondacks and the Northeast. His first overseas escapade to India and Nepal has him looking to expand his international adventures—but the Adirondacks will always be one of his favorite places.

MAUREEN WERTHER Maureen Werther is the owner of WHE Strategic Business Solutions, specializing in helping entrepreneurs and small business owners in the areas of business development, brand management, public relations, communications and marketing. She is also a lifelong writer and her articles have appeared in numerous local and regional publications. Currently, she is working on a book about the ongoing opioid and heroin epidemic in upstate New York.

JENNA WHITEHILL Jenna is just starting out as a freelance writer living in Upstate New York.

She is working towards a graduate degree to become an English teacher but will continue to freelance during and after her studies. When she is not writing, she can be found outside fishing, hiking, or planning her next trip.

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LAKE PLACID LAKE PLACID • KEENE VALLEY • SARANAC LAKE

WINTER 2016-2017

LIVING THE ADK LIFE 13

Winter Carnival

58

Ice Climbing 101

17

Empire State Games

64

Ausable Inn

20

US Luge

69

Mountain Fest

22

Bobsled Experience

73

Leave No Trace

25

Passion with a Purpose

29

Local Family

32

Mirror Lake Skate Track

34

Olympic Museum

39

Silver Spruce Inn

HOME & GARDEN

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GOT MOUNTAINS?

44

Architecturally Speaking

51

Riggi Tree House

REAL ADK BRIDES 76

Wedding Insider

78 We're Engaged: Julie & Pete 82

Kara & Tyler

86

Jess & Gregg

90

Nell & Jared

94

Caitlyn & Evan

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64

AUSABLE INN

Photo by Jordan Craig Photography

ICE CLIMBING

58

44

Architecturally Speaking

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living the

ADK

Life...

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Saranac Lake

Winter Carnival

n u f t s o m The e v a h l l ' u o y ! r e t n i w 2017 , 2 1 l 3 al ruary Feb

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Q. Answer...

Is it an Ice Castle or an Ice Palace?

...It is traditionally called an Ice Palace.

PHOTOS PROVIDED.

NAMED THE SECOND best winter carnival in the world

by National Geographic Traveler magazine, the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is the longest-running event of its kind in the eastern U.S. The 10-day festival is held in the Village of Saranac Lake.

The festival includes a variety of events and traditions, including a gala parade, a kiddie parade, sporting competitions, performances, torchlight skiing, three fireworks displays, and of course, the famous ice palace!

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A tradition since the1800’s…

The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival began as an integral part of Saranac Lake's history as a renowned health resort.

Back in the late 1800s, the village was a thriving logging community nestled deep in the Adirondack wilderness.

In order to break winter's chill and to promote outdoor sports and games, the Pontiac Club was formed in November 1896, and a few months later, they sponsored a one-day fancy dress winter carnival in 1897, which was expanded into the Pontiac Club Carnival in 1898. One of the longest-running traditions at the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is the Winter Carnival button. The buttons are collected by residents and visitors every year, especially since "Doonesbury" creator and Saranac Lake native Garry Trudeau began designing the buttons in 1981.

The Winter Carnival celebration begins each year with the coronation of the King and Queen on the first Friday night of the 10-day festival. The royal couple is a team of two local citizens who have been chosen for their substantial contributions to the well-being of the Saranac Lake community through their volunteer work.

The first official duty of the newly crowned "royals" is to mingle with the "common folk" at a Royalty Reception following the coronation.

The Ice Palace is built by volunteers on the shore of Lake Flower's Pontiac Bay at the state boat launch.

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Over the years, the Winter Carnival has retained the warmth, charm and camaraderie of a community celebration. The Carnival, which is organized by an all-volunteer group called the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee, is a community-driven festival made possible by the efforts of many volunteers and sponsors.

Buttons go on sale at various locations in Saranac Lake about a month before the Winter Carnival.

For the list of sale venues, official dates and a schedule of events, visit their website:

WWW.SARANACLAKEWINTERCARNIVAL.COM

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EMPIRE

STATE WINTER

GAMES FEB 2—5, 2017

PHOTOS PROVIDED

ARE YOU A WINTER SPORTS FANATIC? Do you like the thrill of watching snowboarding, skiing, or winter biking at breakneck speeds? If you feel the thrill of competition, even when you're on the sidelines, then the Empire State Winter Games has something for you! Stand on the slopes of Titus Mountain, Mount Pisgah, or Whiteface Mountain as competitors roll, soar, slide, and carve their way over jumps, bumps, and woops.

Now in its 37th year, the 2017 Empire State Winter Games is a multi-day sports event.

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The Games brings together athletes from across New York State and beyond to compete in 19 winter sports.

Last year’s games included more than 1,900 athletes of all ages, including master divisions.

Sport venues are located in Lake Placid, Wilmington, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Malone and Paul Smith's College.

Venues include: Lake Placid Olympic Center Herb Brooks Arena, Lake Placid Olympic Jumping and Sliding complexes, Whiteface Mountain, Paul Smith's College, the VIC, Saranac Lake Civic Center Ice Rink, Dewey Mountain Recreation Area, Tupper Lake Memorial Civic Center, Olympic Cross Country and Biathlon Center, Titus Mountain and Mount Pisgah.

This year's games will see the addition of a brand new sport- snow bike- at Mount Pisgah in Saranac Lake.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A COMPLETE SCHEDULE, GO TO: WWW.EMPIRESTATEWINTERGAMES.COM

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Summer Britcher on her way down the LP track

Lake Placid… Home to

U.S.A. LUGE FIVE OLYMPIC MEDALS. Three United States

Olympic flagbearers. Two World Championship titles. National Team and Junior National Team medals too numerous to count in World Championship and World Cup competition.

Such is the resume and legacy of USA Luge, the Olympic organization – called a national governing body (NGB) - that has made Lake Placid its home since the team came into existence in 1979. Besides USA Luge, the other Olympic federation to put its stakes down in New York is the United States Tennis Association.

It’s probably fitting that the word “luge,” French for “sled,” would associate its American home in one of the nation’s iconic winter settings. And to emphasize this union, it’s also safe to assume most Lake Placid residents have spent some time on a sled. Hence, the activity is part of the Adirondack culture.

But like the difference between an executive golf course and Augusta National, this NGB has taken sledding to an entirely different level.

For U.S. athletes to exceed 80 miles-perhour is commonplace on virtually all tracks around the world. How athletes get to that speed, and feel comfortable and relaxed with

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it, is the secret sauce of success. It actually begins around the age of 10.

The USA Luge Slider Search has scoured the country for about 30 years, traveling over 225,000 miles, in search for Olympic medal winners such as Erin Hamlin, who was found in Syracuse 17 years ago, and Brian Martin, discovered in Palo Alto, Calif., in the late 1980s.

These are free clinics, with sleds on wheels, moving slowly on paved roads in neighborhoods, in state parks, on soap box derby courses…..basically any place with a long, smooth surface and a local government willing to host it.

U.S. coaches, led by Fred Zimny, teach the rudiments of the sport: proper position on the sled, how to accurately steer it, learning to stop, and finally, putting the boys and girls through some physical testing to gauge athleticism.

Next, USA Luge staff will bring the best youngsters from the Slider Search to learn the sport on ice in places like Lake Placid, Park City, Utah, and in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

“The kids who advance from their first on-ice experience are now members of

By: Sandy Caligiore Photos Courtesy of: ORDA our development team,” said Zimny. This is the first step in a six-rung ladder, where the final rung, years later, is a spot on the national team. From here, athletes compete in the World Cup and potentially could qualify for an Olympic team.

But getting to that level, and ultimately to that speed, is akin to learning to ski: one does not propel themselves from the summit of the mountain on the day they are introduced to the sport. The luge progression is similar.

“As they advance up the pipeline, they are also moving further up the track, and going faster, but learning from the bottom of the course to the top. The process takes several years,” added Zimny.

In Lake Placid, these athletes will train on a world class venue and get the full Olympic treatment, meaning residence at the official U.S. Olympic Training Center, complete with fieldhouse, weight room, sports science and elite level trainers.

Just across a field, at USA Luge headquarters, all team members practice the crucial start technique on the country’s

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Tucker West (left) gold medal in 2015 Lake Placid World Cup; Chris Mazdzer (right) silver medal in same race.

only indoor refrigerated facility. To get the inside skinny, the staff offers tours to the public every weekday at 2:00. In a gravity sport, where time spent here can sometimes make or break a season, ice and coaching are available virtually year-round.

To emphasize the importance of the start, USA Luge, together with New York State and the Olympic Regional Development Authority will soon embark on a brand new, state-of-the-art facility. The new venue will aid with start training and settling into the sled beyond the start, something unavailable in the current training scheme.

But eventually one must get outside on the full track. After months of dryland and start training in spring and summer, USA Luge athletes hit the ice in October. They began the fall season last month with a week on the 1994 Olympic track in Lillehammer, Norway. Upon returning to Lake Placid, the athletes resumed on-ice training in midOctober, leading up to the Norton National Championships at month’s end.

November brings the group to one-week camps on each of the Olympic courses at Whistler, B.C. and Park City. Then it’s off to Europe for the final run-up to the World saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Cup season opener in Winterberg, Germany on Thanksgiving weekend.

series is set for Dec. 2-3; Whistler Dec. 9-10; Park City Dec. 16-17.

The Americans enter the 2016-2017 campaign having collected a team record 18 World Cup medals last season. Chris Mazdzer, of Saranac Lake, N.Y., led with a career-best third place finish in the final World Cup standings.

Mazdzer continues a litany of Lake Placid area luge racers that includes Olympian and U.S. flagbearer Cameron Myler and fellow Olympians Duncan Kennedy, Tim Nardiello and Erica Terwillegar.

Thereafter, the team will spend January and February in Europe to complete the season, which includes a World Cup stop in PyeongChang, South Korea. The site will host the 2018 Olympic races, which will make the events there, preceded by a training week on the course, the two most important weeks on the calendar.

Mazdzer’s teammate, Hamlin, of Remsen, NY, who won the 2009 World Championship and the 2014 Olympic bronze medal, placed fourth in the overall World Cup rankings. Her Sochi Olympic teammate, Summer Britcher of Glen Rock, PA, was right behind in fifth place.

The top doubles team of Matt Mortensen, of Huntington Station, NY and Jayson Terdiman, of Berwick, PA, in just their second year together, also placed fifth.

USA Luge dominated all three North American World Cup stops last season, and is eyeing the three races that will be held on the continent in December. The Lake Placid

“The Winter Olympics are the pinnacle, and as we all know, only come around every four years,” remarked USA Luge CEO Jim Leahy. “So it’s imperative on everyone in our organization to point to that week in February of 2018 and do all we can to maximize our performance. Given our recent efforts, we’re on a good path.”

One that will hopefully continue to enrich the USA Luge legacy of achievement.

Website: www.usaluge.org Phone: 1-800-USA-LUGE LugeUSA USA_Luge

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Written by Jon Lundin Photos by Dave Schmidt/ORDA Whiteface Lake Placid

OKAY… I admit it; this might not be the forum to say that I get nervous with my wife’s driving. To the best of my knowledge, she’s never had a speeding ticket, certainly a claim that I can’t boast. And she is probably a safer driver than I. But what makes this particularly peculiar is that I don’t mind being a passenger in a 400 lb. bobsled as it rumbles down an icy chute at speeds in excess of 60 miles-per-hour.

Yes, I am perfectly fine placing my fate in the hands of the Olympic Sports Complex’s professional driver and brakeman at the Lake Placid Bobsled Experience.

(Sorry honey, but they are trained professionals!)

There are so many things that separate the Lake Placid region from all of the other winter getaway destinations in the northeast. There’s alpine skiing on Whiteface Mountain, world-class shows, nordic adventure at

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Mt. Van Hoevenberg, ice skating, ice climbing (See story on pages 58), snowmobiling, dog sleigh rides on Mirror Lake; and you can’t overlook the dining, shopping and of course the nightlife.

While some resorts may claim they have some, or all of those activities, Lake Placid is the only one that has their very own bobsled track, and it’s open to the public. Yes, for only $95 ($90 for teens and only $85 for juniors), you can feel like an Olympic slider.

What is it like to be a passenger on the Lake Placid Bobsled Experience? Think rollercoaster, but on steroids.

The Lake Placid Bobsled Experience begins at the half-mile point (start #5) of the combined track. With a professional driver leading the way, and a brakeman in the back, each sled can carry up to three passengers. While traveling

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faster than you’re allowed to drive a car through town, your job is to hold on tight and try not to scream too much as the sled banks through the high curves to include Shady, The Labyrinth and the Heart, while picking up speed through the straightaways as you rumble to the finish line.

At the finish line your courage is rewarded.

Participants receive a bobsled lapel pin, a 4X6 commemorative photo, T-shirt, and membership to the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federations.

Participants must be at least 48-inches in height.

You can also save 20% if you purchase the Olympic Sites Passport for $35.

For more information visit www.

WhitefaceLakePlacid.Com.

SEE YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN!

LAKE PLACID has a long and storied history in the sport of bobsled. In addition to producing some of the sport’s greatest athletes, this little community has played host to two Olympic bobsled competitions and the Olympic Sports Complex facility has been the setting for numerous World Cup and world championship events.

The 1932 and 1980 Olympic track is open for rides during the summer, while the combined bobsled, luge and skeleton track that is used today for United States national team training as well as international competition is used during the winter months.

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Passion

with a purpose LAKE PLACID BUSINESS CHANGING LIVES AROUND THE WORLD

WRITTEN BY MAUREEN WERTHER PHOTOS PROVIDED saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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J

Jeff Erenstone has been changing the lives of people who were born without limbs or who have had a limb amputated for the last fifteen years.

A native of Lake Placid, Jeff originally attended college with the intention of pursuing a career in Physical Therapy. When he started learning about orthotics and prosthetics, he decided this was the direction in which he needed to take his training.

“I’ve always liked to build things with my hands,” Jeff recently explained in an email from Kathmandu, where he is involved in helping fit amputees with prosthetic devices. O and P, as the field is referred to, was a way for Jeff to help people overcome their physical limitations in a more hands-on manner.

Jeff received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of New Hampshire, followed by a Post-Bachelor Orthotic Practitioner Certificate program at Century College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

He then completed an Orthotic Residency at Northwest Orthotics and Prosthetics in Provo, UT where he continued to practice as a Certified Orthotist for several years.

In 2006, Jeff advanced his training by completing the Newington Prosthetic Certificate Program through the University of Connecticut.

From there, he went on to complete a residency with Mike Amrich CPO FAAOP of Boston Brace at Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA. Following the completion of his prosthetic residency, he worked as an orthotic design consultant for Spinal Technology in Yarmouth, Massachusetts.

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Upon his return to the North Country, Jeff opened his own practice, Mountain Orthotics and Prosthetics, where he continues to council people with limb loss and help fit them with devices that empower them to engage in physical activities otherwise unavailable to them with their existing disabilities.

It was during this time that Jeff became more interested in the development and creation of 3-D prosthetic devices. In the process, his new company, Create Orthotics & Prosthetics, was born. Create designs limbs, fingers and hands that are made digitally, using Flexy Fit Prosthetics™ Technology.

According to Amanda Cash, Office Manager for Create, the 3-D designed prosthetics are much lighter weight and more aesthetically attractive than the more traditional devices. There are many people who appreciate having them as an option to their other devices.

Both Amanda and Jeff stress that the Create devices are not intended as replacements for other devices. The devices he helps design and fit for clients at Mountain Orthotics and Prosthetics are capable of much greater maneuverability and enable people to perform more physical tasks and activities.

Jeff ’s work in 3-D design and development has taken him, quite literally around the world. He is currently in Kathmandu, where he works to help fit people there for devices as part of his participation in the Enable Community Foundation (ECF). He is also a principal in the Namaste Organization, which is devoted to improving Orthotics and Prosthetics work in Nepal.

In June, he traveled to Haiti, where he was able to fit and attach the first-ever medical grade 3D- printed arm for a young mother in Haiti who lost her arm during the 2010 earthquake. Danis Exulise, is a 20-year old single mother of a young child. They have been living in a displacement camp, with a tiny shack as their home, ever since losing everything in the earthquake. Danis had been trapped for seven hours under the rubble of her collapsed home after trying to rescue her niece. Finally, she had no other choice but to cut off her own arm.

Working in Haiti, partnered with ECF, Jeff built the socket and assembled the rest of the arm. When it was complete, the arm weighed about two pounds, which is half the weight of a more traditional prosthesis and something that was very important, given Danis’ medical condition.

However, Jeff feels that 3-D prosthetics fill an important void in the industry. Most prosthetic devices are very heavy, and it becomes tiring for people to wear them for long periods of time. The 3-D designed options allow them to wear a device that is lightweight and more pleasing in appearance.

Amanda explained that this is especially important in developing countries, where all too often there is a big stigma attached to having no limb. With Create prosthetic limbs, hands and fingers, people who were otherwise isolated and perhaps even ostracized, can become accepted members of their families and larger communities.

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Jeff says he was brought to tears when Danis’ daughter, Sundine approached her mother and kissed her prosthetic hand.

“You have to understand how important that moment was. It means that her daughter has accepted the prosthetic as a part of her mother and not as an appliance. You wouldn’t walk up and kiss a toaster.”

Create Prosthetic will now sell 3D-printed prosthetic arm kits in North America, and Jeff believes that the developing world will begin using a combination of traditional prosthetic devices and 3D designs.

At home, Jeff continues to work to help athletes, children and ordinary people live their lives more fully with the comfort and confidence of their new limbs.

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Family Profile WRITTEN BY MIM FRANTZ, PHOTOS PROVIDED

The Schultz Family Eric, Laurie, Karl, Scott & their 8 year old dog, Biscuit Occupation: Owner and Managers, G&S Plumbing and Heating Sports: Running, Downhill Skiing, Nordic Skiing, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Backcountry skiing…

Eric Schulz loves downhill skiing. He came to Lake Placid in 1983 to visit his cousin, Peter Moles, who was working as a carpenter and builder. Soon after, he began working ski patrol at Whiteface Mountain. This profession helped him to fuel his love for the mountains and the outdoor lifestyle and also, introduced him to another love, his wife, Laurie.

At the time of their chance encounter on the mountain, Laurie was a recent graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC and retreating to the Adirondack Mountains to follow her passion for skiing and the mountains.

In addition to their collective interest in skiing and mountain life, they both love the water and playing on the water…canoeing, windsurfing, etc. This made the north country region the logical choice as a recreational playground and explains why thirty years ago, Laurie and Eric decided to make Lake Placid their forever home.

They remember that as a big year, as they married, they bought some land to build a home and Eric invested in a thriving plumbing business with his friend, Bob Garrett. They spent the next ten years developing the business and fitting in plenty of time for their outdoor adventures and lots of travel. For many of these years Laurie worked for Ad Workshop (a local advertising agency) and trained and competed as an accomplished triathlete.

She describes that she surprised herself with her athletic success and said, “I was a ‘closet athlete’ and I truly didn’t know how successful I would be because I had never really put myself out there.” She won many of the races she competed in and even qualified for the then one and only Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI.

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In 1998, when their son Karl came along, it was paramount to Laurie and Eric that they personally continue to play and thrive in their environment and bring up their child in a way to inspire a love of sports and the outdoors. They recall many an adventure with baby Karl tucked in backpacks and front carriers on skiing and hiking adventures. Two years later they welcomed their second son, Scott (Scotty), and before long they were headed off to the mountains and on backcountry adventures as a young family.

Eric remarked, “I can't tell you how many hours I logged in snowplow position skiing behind those guys holding the ski harness and then they’d fall and I’d run them over…”

Laurie recalled a story: “As toddlers, the boys never wanted to go out on our proposed cross -country skiing tours. We used to take them to the Jack Rabbit Trail or to Marcy Dam…I remember countless times picking up their limp, resistant bodies to dress them in snow clothes while they protested and whined preferring more cartoon time-- sometimes making me question my sanity thinking –‘am I nuts’ and ‘is this worth it?’ The silent, pouty car ride to the trail head seemed to last forever, then they get out there and they start having a blast, penguin sliding down hills in the snow, the tension melts away, the pouts forgotten and the foundation has been laid.”

Clearly the boys' interest in skiing and the outdoors was encouraged by the family lifestyle, however, Laurie and Eric emphasize their gratitude and appreciation for the inspiring and fun local programs that engaged the kids with their peers, such as a soccer match or sharks and minnows on skate skis. From these grassroots programs like Lake Placid Ski Club, Bill Koch and Dewey Mountain, they later transitioned to NYSEF (New York Ski Education Foundation) and competitive school sports like cross country running and Nordic skiing.

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“We are so incredibly fortunate to have these programs and opportunities in our community, with incredible venues and great coaching, the old cliché ‘It takes a village’ is really so true, and this is a unique and amazing town that way,” Laurie described gratefully.

Karl remarked, “ The reason why I am still skiing is because it was fun then and it is fun now—I have had to become more focused, but the fun factor hasn’t faded at all. I hope I will be skiing the rest of my life and I aspire to be like my grandpa Armand- who is still alpine skiing at age 86.”

When the boys were just 5 and 7 years old, they started an afterschool ski jumping program at the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex in Lake Placid. They would wear too-big, cuffed-up, borrowed jump suits with the name of previous Olympians like gold-medalist, Billy Demong, inscribed on the tags. They started on an 18-meter jump and over time, graduated to bigger flying hills like the 48-meter and eventually for Karl the 90 and 120 -meter towers. At age 12, while training on the 48-meter hill-- Scotty decided to stop jumping with no interest on moving onto the larger hills. “I really wasn’t enjoying it anymore,” summarized Scotty. At that time, Karl had graduated to the 70-meter and had the “taste of flying-feeling the air pressure against every part of your body,” and describes that he was hooked.

While Scotty shifted gears to Nordic skiing, Karl continued to jump and compete nationally and internationally in Nordic Combined (Ski Jumping and Skate Skiing combined Olympic event). These opportunities have brought him all over the world to places like Switzerland, Germany, Austria. (Mother Laurie credits the amazing support from the Lake Placid High School Athletic Leave program) Nordic Combined requires two completely unique skill sets, the ability to be mentally honed and focused, explosive and precise and meticulously technical to head down an in-run at 90 Kilometers per hour to launch into flight laterally across the earth’s surface on a steeply descending landing “out-run.” For the next event, based on the placement in the jump, skiers earn a start order for the cardiovascular endurance, determination and dig-deep grit of skate-ski racing. Karl describes that while both endeavors are technical and require countless training hours, the mental aspect is a huge part of the picture. At 6’4” tall, Karl faced some physical challenges in the flying because it's harder to get into optimal flying position with more body length to control.

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That height serves as an advantage for the ski racing because of his greater ski length and reach, where if he keeps the same tempo as his competitors he continues to gain more distance.

Last year, Karl took some time off flying (but still occasionally would jump as a weekend job—to perform and guide tour groups at the Olympic Ski Jumps) and focused all of his energy to cross country skiing (Nordic) to better prepare for a college career and potential scholarship opportunities.

In order to condition in the non-snow months, the boys train year round as part of the Race Team with NYSEF Nordic. This includes weight and circuit training at the Olympic Training Center facility, roller skiing on roads and courses and in the fall they both run Cross Country for the Varsity high school team.

Karl remarked, “During my junior year I ran cross country as a way to get in shape for skiing. For my senior year (2015/16), I started to enjoy it more and the team environment as a whole because we had a shot at winning Lake Placid’s first-ever state title.” Other team members included Scotty (sophomore) and many of their best friends and Nordic teammates.

The boys give a lot of credit to their coaching and the coach credits great runners. Coach Mel Frasier commented, “This is an incredibly tight group of extraordinary athletes who are literally making history for Lake Placid. Karl and Scotty are at the core of that success. Running and Nordic Skiing are not just sports to the boys, but a lifestyle. The enjoyment they get training and competing is contagious to younger athletes and has helped these programs grow.”

Last fall the team did go on to win the NYS title (see family photo after race) and is off to a great start to defend the title with Scotty as one of the leaders. As a symbol of solidarity, the team all had lightening bolts shaved into the side of their hair and the school had a send off parade in the halls. The momentum rolled forward right into the winter season and most of the same team went on to earn the NYS state title in Nordic Skiing.

A pinnacle of last winter’s ski racing season for both Scotty and Karl was the chance to compete in the Junior National Championships in Cable, WI. The U16 (under age 16 category) race for Scotty was first that morning—and despite needing to focus for his own race, Karl was watching and cheering loudly from the sidelines (parents could hear Karl yelling from the live feed they were watching back home).

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SCOTTY:

Age: 16 years old Competitive Sports: Nordic Skiing, Ski Jumping, Cross Country Running Hobbies: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Camping, Downhill Skiing, Back Country skiing –Likes to sleep outside Started skiing: Age 1-2 years old Favorite Outdoor Experience: "Visiting and Skiing in British Columbia and Alberta Canada with family on spring break."

School: Lake Placid High School, Junior year.

Achievements: • Varsity Cross Country State Champion (Team) • Varsity Nordic State Champion (Team 2015, 2016 and Individual 2016) • U16 Junior National Sprint Champion

KARL:

Scotty (left), and Karl (right)

Age: 18 years old Competitive Sports: Nordic Skiing, Ski Jumping, Cross Country Running Hobbies: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Triathlon, Downhill Skiing, Back Country skiing Started skiing: "Forvever- As soon as I could walk."

Favorite Outdoor Experience: "How can there be just one?"

School: Lake Placid High School (2016 graduate -3rd in class) Current: University of Vermont (UVM) • Nordic Ski Racer Achievements: • Varsity Cross Country State Champion (Team) • Varsity Nordic State Champion (Team 2015 and Individual 2015) • U18 Junior National Sprint Champion

To his own astonishment, Scotty won the national title. “I still haven’t fully comprehended that yet, I can’t even put it into words, “ Scotty recalls.

“We come from the same genetic pool and seeing what is possible for Karl helps to tell me it is also within my reach,” he added.

Karl speaks of his brother with pride, “Watching him come across the line and win his first national title, I thought, ‘holy cow this kid is awesome- he is the fastest skier in the country—he is a step ahead of me when I was in his shoes and he’s my brother!’”

Of course, as one would imagine, there is a heavily decorated medal display wall in the Schulz home. Most notably and surprisingly, however, is that the medals for both boys are not separated or in their individual rooms--just one giant, living room wall of family accolades--a true metaphor for what these brothers and this family have done collectively.

Just ten minutes later Karl’s first heat race began. With Scotty now glowing from his own win he was now cheering for his brother who would also finish first in the U18 sprint race!

The brothers, just two years apart, have always had the usual brotherly spats and wrestling matches and younger brother Scotty has always teased about one-upping Karl’s accomplishments, but at the end of the day they are truly inspired by each other’s successes.

Karl said, “When I see him race well it makes me want to race well and it really fills me with a sense of pride and happiness. I have never really told him that--but I think he knows—well, maybe he will read this-- I am really so proud of him.”

Both boys mentioned as they get older their age gap seems to close and they have more and more in common. With age has come a better sense of self and neither feels threatened by the other, but instead inspired.

“If we go on a ski or a training day, I do my best to keep up with Karl because I know where he stands in the country and I base myself off that to see how hard I can go. In intervals when he sees me having a harder time he will urge me up to come with him,” Scotty explained. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

With Karl off to college this year, both boys have noted that they already miss their collaboration and skiing together but have aspirations of being on the US Nordic Ski Team together in the future. “To ski with Scotty on that level, yes, I think it would be possible—it would be so amazing and I think we are both better because of each other.”

Certainly, Laurie and Eric are beyond proud of the achievements of Karl and Scotty but like any parent, stress the importance of staying focused on schoolwork as well—they are humble and stay supportive from the sidelines and still try to squeeze in hiking and mountain biking adventures as a family when schedules allow.

Despite there being an obvious extraordinary genetic contribution to the boys' abilities, the parents are first to credit the opportunities that raising a family in Lake Placid has provided for their boys. Eric explained, “This is a truly amazing place, we are really so lucky.”

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MIRROR LAKE

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4 2

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MIRROR LAKE, in the middle of the village,

is action-packed on a winter day with a mix of dogsleds, pond hockey, cross country skiers, snowshoers and recreational skaters taking advantage of the new, plowed skating track that circumnavigates the entire lake. The 2-mile Mirror Lake ice track is an example of an effort that benefits both the residents and visitors to Lake Placid.

The Mirror Lake ice track was first cleared during the winter of 2013-14, and saw a great deal of activity.

In order to maintain the ice track, the ice must be a foot thick for one of the North Elba Park District trucks to plow it. Over the last year, money was raised via a community crowdfunding effort to buy a Polaris machine with snowblower, plow and brush attachments. As opposed to a commercial truck, the Polaris only requires the ice to be 6 inches thick in order to maintain the track. Once the ice forms to a safe thickness, the track is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week!

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WRITTEN BY Megin Potter • PHOTOS BY Jordan Craig Photography

Where a

Miracle

was Made

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Lake Placid Museum Info…

HOURS: Daily, seven days a week 10 am - 5 pm Closed Ironman Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas

LOCATION: 2634 Main Street, Lake Placid, NY 12946 (In the Olympic Center, Entrance adjacent to speed skating oval)

COST: FREE with the Olympic Sites Passport If purchased separately: ADULT | TEEN - $7 JUNIOR (12 and under) - $5 SENIOR (65+) - $5 6 AND UNDER - Free

BUY TICKETS:

At the museum located in the Olympic Center.

CONTACT:

518-302-5326

IT WAS THE RAREST OF SPORTING EVENTS.

The year was 1980, and it was a face-off between a young group of U.S. hockey players and the undefeated Soviet team. The Soviets were a Goliath powerhouse, not only on the ice, but politically. They dominated with intimidation. The U.S.A. was a nervous David, whose faith had been eroded by the painful events of Vietnam and Watergate, gasoline shortages, and a hostage crisis. Then something remarkable happened.

There was an incredible last second goal in the first period. The score tied. In an amazing moment, the U.S. Olympic Team pulled ahead. They held on as shot after shot tore towards the net, only to be blocked time and time again. The electrified crowd cheered as swooshing blades cut into the ice. The players were enduring hard hits. The puck was booming against the wall, and breaking free before being recaptured. The seconds counted down. The buzzer sounded. It was all over. The U.S. team had won!

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“I think ultimately, people love an underdog story and that’s what this is. It’s just a great story that you can do it if you keep your mind to it,” said Allison Haas, manager of the Lake Placid Olympic Museum. Located in the Olympic Center where athletes compete and train on the arena ice daily, visitors can step out and feel the chill of a surreal and tremendous victory that is now known as the miracle on ice.

In 2004, the story was made into a movie starring Kurt Russell simply called “Miracle.”

Young Joshua Sacco, age 5, was so enthralled with the speech the team’s coach Herb Brooks gave before that legendary game that he memorized it and performed it at the museum and later on the Ellen DeGeneres show.

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“It does not matter what age someone is, they are all just somehow mesmerized by the game, all one and a half hours of it,” said Haas. In addition to playing the video they have a large collection of Olympic memorabilia from both the 1980 games and those held there in 1932.

“It’s why Lake Placid was put on the map,” she said of the important role the area has in history.

Opening up in the early 1980’s by a small group of people who wanted to keep the dream alive, the museum is the only one dedicated to the Winter Olympics in the country.

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Embedded with the mission to share and promote the Olympic values, displays demonstrate the achievements of hometown heroes and show how the equipment has evolved. Hands-on activities allow visitors to slide on sports sleds, try on helmets, and flex their curling muscles. Children are encouraged to outfit magnetic dolls with spectacular figure skating costumes, and share their stories of learning how to skate or ski.

“I’ve always lived in the North Country, so I find myself needing to enjoy winter activities to be mentally healthy. It’s an activity I can share with friends and a common bond that brings people together,” said Haas, who grew up figure skating.

For more information about visiting the museum, to serve as a volunteer, or to donate: CALL 518-302-5363 Or go to WWW.LPOM.ORG

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Silver Spruce with a

Colorful

BY MAUREEN WERTHER

If you happen to be traveling along Route 9, heading north past the village of Schroon, you’ll come upon a very large white two-story colonial home with a red door and black shutters adorning the dozens of windows running along each side of the enormous expanse.

The home, known for the past 40 or so years as Silver Spruce, has occupied that piece of land since the 1790s – well, at least part of it has. The original home was a more modest, yet still spacious, post and beam saltbox, built by some of the first settlers to the region in the late 18th century.

The story of the remarkable addition to the original structure, which turned the house from an ordinary saltbox into a 9,100 square-foot Adirondack estate, is one worth telling. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Phyllis Rogers and her first husband, Cliff Rogers, bought the home in 1979 and, after raising their family there, they turned it into a bed & breakfast, restoring it to its former grandeur. In the process, Phyllis has become something of an expert on the history and evolution of the house – as well as the story of its most famous owner, Sallie Miller Smith.

Sallie Miller Smith was a wealthy heiress from Waterbury, CT, whose family discovered Schroon, along with many other wealthy families, in the late 1800’s. Her father, Charles H. Miller, was an industrialist, who made his fortune, first in the mercantile business and later in the burgeoning brass industry.

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By the time Sallie’s parents died, leaving a huge fortune for her and her sisters

When Sallie’s parents died, leaving a huge fortune for her and her sisters, Sallie began spending her money – a portion of which was used to purchase property in the Town of Schroon.

At her death in 1952, Sallie owned approximately 2,000 acres in and around Schroon Lake.

By the time Sallie purchased the post and beam home, it had seen its share of hard times. The house stood vacant for quite some time after its previous occupants were evicted for failure to pay their taxes. Sallie obviously saw value in the property and the bones of the original structure, and she set about turning it into the kind of home in which she’d grown accustomed to living. She also named it the “Tavern.”

Both Sallie and her younger sister, Margaret, enjoyed their cocktails, so much so that Sallie purchased the entire contents of three liquor stores in Waterbury right before Prohibition went into effect.

When she bought the home, she envisioned it as a place where people would gather to socialize – and drink freely – without worrying about Prohibition. And, that is exactly what she did.

By the time Sallie began construction on the massive addition, the stock market crash and ensuing Depression were already wreaking financial havoc on the lives of the nearby townspeople, many of whom were farmers, trappers and hunting guides.

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However, the financia “disturbances” create However, the financial “disturbances” created no impediment to Sallie’s plans for the place, and she wasted no time in completing her renovation and expansion. Hiring all local men, she built the addition, which included a 40 x 25 dining area, two enormous living rooms and six bedrooms, each with its own full bath containing a pedestal tub and shower, toilet, sink and bidet. The home went from being a run-down post-revolutionary war house to a more than 9,100 square-foot country estate.

To supply water to the house, Sallie hired the best engineers from Waterbury. They shipped and installed more than a mile of brass piping, which ran from two twenty-foot reservoirs Sallie dug on her property behind the house, down to the Tavern below. The price tag for this plumbing was about $40,000 – well over a half million in today’s money.

By the time construction was complete, the interior walls were made entirely of tongue-in-groove three quarter-inch western cedar, with 65 windows, six wood-burning fireplaces, and of course, each bathroom had its own corkscrew bolted into the wall. Doesn’t everyone need a corkscrew in their bath?

It also took one full cord of wood daily to heat the house and provide hot water to all of the bathrooms and kitchen.

Sallie kept many of the local townspeople busily employed throughout the long winter months, chopping, stacking and hauling wood to feed her huge furnace, which could handle four, four-foot long pieces of wood.

In addition to the spacious sleeping and living quarters, Sallie also had her own “lounge” area built below ground level. The walls were fieldstone and the oversized fireplace was used for roasting the oysters that were a necessary accompaniment to the champagne Sallie served regularly.

Behind a wooden china shelf in the “lounge” is a long narrow passageway that leads to the front end of the house. Local legend has it that there was also a tunnel connecting the passageway to the guest house across the road, which Sallie had dug in order to escape any "revenuers” who might decide saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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to make a surprise visit to her little to make a surprise visit to her little “speakeasy.” While it makes for a romantic story, Phyllis says there was never any underground tunnel, and she believes the passageway was created as a practical way to get at all the piping that ran through the house.

The crowning glory of Sallie’s lounge, however, is the bar.

When it came time to design the lounge, Sallie was not one who would settle for just any bar. Fortunately for her, the original Waldorf Astoria was being torn down to make way for the construction of the Empire State Building. Sallie purchased the mahogany bar, had it dismantled and shipped to Schroon, where it was re-assembled and remains to this day.

Guests and visitors to Silver Spruce today can see and hear about all of the history and all of the escapades that took place in the “Tavern” and surrounding region. Silver Spruce has become a well-known and favorite destination for hikers, nature-lovers, artists, and just people who want to enjoy the beauty of the Adirondacks. The Silver Spruce Inn is open from late June through mid-October.

This article is adapted from a book about Silver Spruce, its history and its colorful inhabitants, titled "Them That Has", written by Maureen Werther. It will be released in Spring, 2017.

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PHOTO BY LINDA CUSMA

H&G

ARCHITECTURALLY SPEAKING | TREE HOUSE saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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cturally

SPEAKING

Follow us as we explore some of the area's unique spaces...

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WRITTEN BY DAVID DELOZIER, PHOTOS BY JEFF FRIEDMAN

Crafting a Legacy Placid Perfection

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The Adirondack lake country has been calling sojourners and bug-out barons for generations. Lake Placid lake, of course, is on the top of the list for those who want the seclusion, and bragging rights, for claiming the ultimate Adirondack lakeside locale. With majestic Whiteface Mountain as the backdrop, crystal clear waters to play upon, and an uber-chic, world-class mountain town just down the road, Lake Placid is arguably one of the most coveted places on the planet to call home. Problem is, availability. Lake Placid is pretty much locked up. The best one who is longing for this premium address can hope for is that once in a lifetime generational shift – when an estate comes onto the market for the first time.

Such is that case for Camp Redtop, a classic Adirondack camp situated on a northern point on Lake Placid.

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Mid-Century Elegance with “Campy” Comfort With the post-modern era of Adirondack property development trending towards the over-the-top Great Camp-meets-Mcmansion hybrid, Camp Redtop on Lake Placid represents the modest elegance of the mid-century golden age of Lake Placid. Built in the 1950’s, smack-dab between the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Games, Camp Redtop reflects the functional simplicity of the era. The automobile was becoming ubiquitous, and the Adirondacks were now accessible to the masses. The 1932 Winter Olympic Games put Lake Placid on the map, and the second wave of Adirondack camp development began. Like the Great Camp era 70 years prior, the post-war generation were smitten by the lakes amidst the mountains, and could score a lakefront lot for a modest price. It is from this cloth that Camp Redtop was cut.

The brown Adirondack sided exterior (with exposed bark edge) and open floor plan of Camp Redtop is reminiscent of the buildings found at many of the State Parks within the Adirondack Park, which were built in this time period as well. Knotty pine clad walls throughout create that classic “camp” ambiance. An open ceiling with exposed beams reflects the bold strength of the white pines on the grounds. The kitchen, living room and dining room share common access, keeping all the happy campers connected. An antler chandelier graces the dining room. A natural stone fireplace takes center stage of the main living area, and is flanked on either side by windows with views out onto the lake.

For guests, there is an adjacent quarters attached to the main house, with private bed, bath and its own living room with another stone fireplace, complete with a Pronghorn Antelope mount over the mantle. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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A Lakefront Like No Other Camp Redtop is truly one of a kind in that it sits just fifteen feet from the water’s edge. Built before the restrictive APA regulations came into existence, Camp Redtop has a rare lakefront prominence that melds the indoors with the outdoors. Broad picture windows reveal a 260 degree view of mountain and lake majesty. The northeast windows frame Whiteface Mountain in picture-perfect perfection.

The northwest windows delight with sunsets over the McKenzie Mountain range. A short walk out the front door and down a flagstone path leads to a sundeck that juts out into the water. A pair of Adirondack chairs is there at the ready to provide that ultimate Adirondack experience.

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Camp Redtop is close to the water, but from the water's view it does not shout out “look at me!” like many of the more modern “camps” seem to do.

With its subdued footprint and classic style, Camp Redtop fits right in with the shoreline. There is no garish boathouse, just a dock and boat slips, and a small changing room adjacent to the sundeck.

Adjacent to the main house is a gathering area in the classic camp sense, complete with children's tree house, play areas, sitting areas and fire pit, and of course, the all important hammock.

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An Opportunity of a Lifetime Camp Redtop was the lifelong summer residence for the Grimdich family. Bill and Carolyn Grimdich were prominent figure skaters in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, working under the tutelage of renowned Olympian Dick Button. They loved Lake Placid, and their legacy lives at Camp Redtop. It is time to pass the torch to another family – to continue the legacy of love for the lake and town of Lake Placid. It is a rare opportunity, indeed, one that comes along only once in a lifetime.

For more information about Camp Redtop, contact Michael Damp at Sotheby’s International Realty, 518.524.6412

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Build It

and They Will Come

WRITTEN BY CHAD BEATTY, PHOTOS BY JORDAN CRAIG PHOTOGRAPHY

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T

Tucked into the Adirondack Mountains is a 47 acre compound aptly named Casa Di Paradiso, or House of Paradise.

In the summer edition of Simply Lake Placid magazine, we teased you with the exterior shots of a truly unique project. From conception to completion this one-ofa-kind treehouse spared no expense and paid special attention to every detail.

Now we offer you a behind-the-scenes look at The Owls Nest...

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“The living ecosystem within the treehouse itself is quite an amazing experience. From the movement of the tree with the blowing wind, to rain trickling down its trunk to the little mouse who even made his way up 35 feet to see what the fuss was all about.’

-Michele Riggi

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So what is it like to experience the ‘Owls Nest?”

I think the owner, Michele Riggi, sums it up best: “Nestled high above the Casa Di Paradiso, with views of the spectacular Adirondack Park, is our family's little slice of heaven.”

Michele adds “My husband and I were both passionate about creating the overall aesthetic of the house to really ensure the highest level of serenity and comfort. While my husband tackled the design of the one-of-a-kind rustic exterior, I enjoyed outfitting the interior with one thought in mind, a place where we can go and just relax! I filled the space with beautiful Adirondack decor from the many local vendors such as Owls Head Rustics, and we are happy to sit back and thoroughly enjoy the finished product. Relaxing amongst the trees and nature really defines Adirondack living and our little nest embodies just that.”

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Great things are done

when men mountains -William Blake

Photo by Jordan Craig Photography

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and s meet.

Pho to by

Tom Stock @ Saratoga Photographer.com

ICE CLIMBING | AUSABLE | MOUNTAIN FEST saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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101

ICE CLIMBING

Written by Chad Beatty • Photos by Tom Stock @ SaratogaPhotographer.com

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STEP1 HIRE A GUIDE

STEP2 DON’T FALL

1

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I

n February 2016, I first wedged the sharp end of my ice axe into a 50-foot frozen plume of ice in beautiful Keene Valley. I had already been bitten by the climbing bug three years earlier, but thus far, my climbing had been limited to warm, dry rock; this was my first time on the ice. I didn’t know what to expect, but I have to tell you, it was simply awesome!

I began my initial ascent with the same rhythmic movements I had been taught - swing, step, step; swing, step, step. The swing of the ice axe to gain my next hold; and the step of my feet, evenly placed below my shoulders. My feet, by the way, were securely nestled inside a pair of warm mountaineering boots which were covered with sharp crampons meant to exploit every weakness in the ice for my advantage.

As I systematically ascended the icy labyrinth, a cold wind ripped against the exposed skin on my face sending a quick chill down my neck. All of my senses were on overdrive as the sun slowly crept over the mountain top. I hung there on the ice, the daily worries of life fading away as my whole being focused on one simple task: staying attached to the wall.

My first few climbs were filled with flying ice fragments as I overswung the ice axe, and over-kicked the crampons. At that point, power and strength meant safety in my mind. However, by the end of the day my

Mountain guide, Ian Osteyee, reviewing ice climbing basics with the author and his climbing partner.

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The Expert The instructor displaying proper ice climbing technique.

movements were smoother and my technique crisper. I quickly realized that ice climbing is not about muscling your way up the wall.

A well-placed tip of an ice axe, in just a tiny divot, can support all of my weight.

Other than the sheer beauty of crystal blue ice towers rising into the sky, I attribute much of my enjoyment that day to the fact that I chose to hire a professional guide. There is something to be said about the peace of mind when a seasoned professional is watching your every move and making sure safety protocols are followed.

I first reached out to Keene Valley local Ian Osteyee two months earlier. I was immediately impressed with his positive attitude and thorough knowledge of the sport.

Ian, who was the first local guide to have AMGA certification, is owner of Adirondack Mountain Guides. Watching him climb was as smooth as watching a trained ballerina

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perform Swan Lake. He glided up the ice with the fluid movement and confidence that only comes with decades of experience.

The Amature Author Chad Beatty displaying sloppy technique, but having a great time.

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Among many other things, I learned about proper technique, equipment placement, balance, ice screws, movement, and safety.

This is definitely an activity I will be doing again. I had a great time and have the pictures to prove it.

I was recently asked why I climb mountains, and I simply responded “Because they’re there!”

OK, perhaps that was first said by Gregory Mallory about his expedition to climb Mount Everest, but I think it holds true for any of us who push the limits simply to test ourselves against nature, and against ourselves.

Go out and find your Everest!

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GEAR Above: The author geared up and ready to go.

Top Right: Crampons used for securing footholds on the ice.

Middle Right: A primary tool for ascending icy walls …the ice axe.

Bottom Right: An ice screw can be used to secure climbers or equipment to ice surfaces.

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EVERY MOUNTAIN “TOP IS WITHIN REACH IF YOU JUST KEEP CLIMBING.” BARRY FINLAY, KILIMANJARO AND BEYOND

Seasoned rock climber Ken Weston testing himself for the first time on ice.

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At Home Inn

By Matt McDonald

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B

y soft light on a winter evening, mountain folk tend thick pints at the bar. Frigid air sweeps cousins, friends, neighbors through the door. The woman in the puffy jacket teaches snowboarding at Whiteface, while the man in the corner spent the day ice climbing. The bartender manages a ski shop and hikes Whiteface to ski down at dawn.

Some patrons bristle at influxes of tourists, but it’s a minor side effect in a tight-knit town. The welcome’s warmer than the bourbon for last call.

Keene Valley’s Ausable Inn, once named the Spread Eagle, a classic ski trick, has been hosting and raising families for decades. These Adirondack locals know who they are—and what they like. So for Inn owner Ellie Wadsworth, the task is to please hardened regulars, uninitiated guests and everyone in between.

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Photo By Matt McDonald

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“I think of us as a family restaurant for locals and tourism,” she says. “This place has been here for a long, long time. We provide a service.”

From New Jersey, Wadsworth and her husband began vacationing to the Adirondacks with their kids in 2001. By 2002, they were spending weekends in a vacation house along the shores of the Ausable River’s east branch on Hulls Falls Road.

The house became home, and they bought the Inn in 2006.

As an eatery, Wadsworth wants the Inn to feel like home, with quality food and plenty of it. Hikers devour the Marcy Burger after bagging High Peaks. Couples and old friends share lobster ravioli and Wadsworth’s pan-seared free-range half chicken—her favorite.

Wadsworth operated a bakery in New Jersey for 25 years, which explains the addictiveness of the Inn’s crumb- and cross-crust pies. To form the rest of the menu, she drew from more than 30 years as a self-taught cook and Julia Child fan—a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Dishes are cooked from scratch and stories. She adds Louisiana hot sauce to Keene Valley maple syrup for her sweet and spicy maple mild wing sauce. Wadsworth’s son Keith, who cooks at the Inn during summer, spends winter snowboarding at Alta, Utah— and cooking her Hungarian mushroom soup. She fondly recalls driving him to Whiteface before days at the restaurant.

adk mountain guides

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Wadsworth, whose family lives and work in Keene Valley, feels that the Inn has become more than just a business. One winter, Wadsworth housed a family unable to snowshoe to Johns Brook Lodge after a three-foot snowstorm. Another, hikers reported a man’s death in a nearby lean-to to the waitstaff. “This place is a part of the community,” she says.

FOOD, PLUS… In addition to the restaurant, the Inn also houses eight second-floor rooms and a liquor store.

Call for availability.

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As happy hour melts into dinner time, the bartender tells a server four four-tops will be arriving soon. Ellie adjusts her black headband at our table adjacent the bar. She says some people in town still call the Inn “The Spread.” Some wish she’d change the name back. But before she returns to the kitchen, she shares the gratifying moments in her work—which she still finds herself excited about each morning.

“People say all the time, ‘You’ve done a wonderful job with this place.’”

And the locals know best.

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PHOTO BY NEICE.COM

mountain FEST 2017

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Whether you’re a weekend warrior hoping to meet a world class climber, or a seasoned professional looking to hone your skills, the 21ST ANNUAL MOUNTAIN FEST has something for everyone.

What is Mountainfest you ask?

It is an annual celebration of ice climbing and mountaineering featuring guest athletes who entertain you with tales of climbing adventures, instructional clinics taught by visiting climbers and local guides, and a chance to gather with the climbing community for an exciting winter weekend.

According to Vinny McClelland of The Mountaineer, “We created the event over 20 years ago as an opportunity for our customers and friends to get acquainted with some of the best alpinists and climbers in the world and to learn more about various mountaineering skills with our guides and guest athletes.”

Mountainfest 2017 includes an excellent lineup of speakers such as Patagonia athlete Kelly Cordes and Rab pro team member Scott Bennett.

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In celebration of their 21st year, Mountainfest will offer an assortment of clinics including ice climbing courses, snow and alpine climbing, snowshoe mountaineering, avalanche safety, and wilderness first aid.

Many of the event sponsors will be there with the latest gear for you to climb with on both Saturday and Sunday.

“We also have slide shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and demo gear will be available for participants to test,” added McClelland.

“We try to keep the event small and personable and are enormously thankful for all the support of our long-term vendor partners such as Patagonia, Black Diamond, Rab, Marmot and LaSportiva.”

The annual Adirondack International Mountainfest will take place January 13 through 18, 2017. It is always on Martin Luther King weekend and is a charity event that has raised over $100,000 to worthy charities and causes in the local community including the local school, fire departments, hospice, pre-school, food pantry, families in need and many other causes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CHECK OUT: WWW.MOUNTAINEER.COM

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Leave No Trace

By Chad Beatty

I

t sounds simple, but apparently it is much more difficult in reality. I am still shocked, and saddened, every time I hike or climb in the Adirondacks.

The mountains are a virtual cornucopia of natural beauty and majestic scenery, yet strewn garbage is a constant reminder of the laziness of man.

I challenge all of you to go above and beyond, and pitch in to make a difference over the next year.

Many hands make light work, and together we can keep our mountains as nature meant them to be.

BELOW ARE A FEW SIMPLE STEPS TO GET US STARTED: • Always carry a few trash bags with you. Pick up garbage and debris each time you head out. Parking areas seem to be some of the worst spots. I know it isn’t a glamourous task, but if we all do our share, the results will be wonderful.

• Make sure you pack out all of your own trash, leftover food and litter.

Even a wrapper from an energy bar makes a negative impact, so inspect your area before leaving.

• Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.

• Last but not least, teach your kids and educate your partners.

TOGETHER WE CAN ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

so remember, leave only your footprints

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Wedding Insider

GREER CICARELLI PHOTOGRAPHY

local touches...

BY MIM FRANTZ, WEDDING & EVENT PLANNER • JUNIPER EVENTS AND DESIGN

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Special events and weddings create an opportunity to tell a story. The story or theme of the event is often closely tied to the history of the host couple. In addition, an event hosted in Lake Placid or the Adirondack region can incorporate many nods to highlight the natural beauty of the area and it’s rich Olympic history. These touches allow guests to taste and sample some of what is unique to the North Country. For the hosts, going local is a great way to tie the environment into their personal story while supporting the local economy and small businesses.

Welcome Bags Welcome Bags are a nice way to welcome guests of a destination event or to offer a “thank you for traveling” gesture and of course… information about the region and event. They can be left at guest lodging locations-- in their rooms or at the front desk. Gift bags are often inclusive of some combination of the following: Bottles of water or seltzer (regional bottling would be Saratoga or Adirondack both available at the grocery stores). A specialty drink is a simple refreshment to welcome weary travelers from a long drive, alternatively a Saranac Soda or a couple of bottles of locally brewed beer might be appropriate (see breweries on the following page).

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EB RA

Ways to incorporate area attractions & local products into your special event.

Often a map is included (village maps of Lake Placid can be obtained, at no cost, from the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST)). This can help give visiting guests some ideas of what to do and where to go during their stay. Other welcoming treats to include might be a seasonal treat like apples or cider donuts from a local orchard, bags of popcorn from the Adirondack Popcorn Co., or snacks like homemade granola or trail mix –giving guests a trailside snack when exploring mountains or waterways. One thing to note, because of the added work for front desk personnel, there is sometimes a guest bag delivery fee (between $1-$4) and this is good to ask about so that you may anticipate this at the desired property.

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Packets and Coupons Instead of transporting actual bags of goods, a personal welcome-note thanking guests for their travel effort is another option. A long-standing tradition of offering a trinket at a reception place setting such as an ornament, balsam pillow or bottle of syrup, can be replaced for the destination event-trending more toward creative or experiential gifts that offer the guests a peek into the area. One way to offer these experiences is through a “coupon” specific to the area or experience they would like to share with the guest. Many of the local businesses can be flexible and creative with this coupon concept. For instance, many vendors will arrange at “tab” with your credit card information so that you are not paying for items that are not redeemed. This way, the business keeps a tally of redeemed coupons and settles up at the end. Some ideas include: “Welcome, Have a drink on us—coupon good for a beer at Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, ” or “While strolling main street to enjoy the charming town, enjoy a chocolate at Adirondack Candyman-our treat!,” or “Coffee on us, this coupon good for a cup of joe at SubAlpine Coffee on your way out of town, Rt. 73”

PAUL REYNOLDS PHOTOGRAPHY

Foods

This concept of an experience instead of a gift can also be expanded beyond foods and treats. In lieu of a rehearsal dinner (could also be before) we have arranged private group boat tours of Lake Placid Lake. Other concepts have included sign up and join suggested activities like guided hikes, bird watching, xc ski and snowshoe experiences, pre-scheduled group Tee-times, even private group lakeside yoga sessions.

Serving local fare like a Fledgling Crow Farm greens salad with local Maple/Balsamic Vinaigrette is a great way for the menu to reflect the region. Many local caterers source local foods--resort venues can also do so when client specifies. There are several farms in the area including Rivermede Farm with (veggies, plants and maple-also offers catering), Fledgling Crow Farm, Juniper Hill Farm, Essex Farm, Asgard Farm (meats and cheese and veggies), Mace Chasm (meats and cheese), North Country Creamery at Clovermead Farm (cheese and milks) and Atlas Hooved It Farm (meats). To highlight these choices and save trees, it is easy to create homemade chalkboard food menus.

Olympic Theme

Dessert

For more sporting or Olympic-themed options, the Olympic Venues offer endless entertainment opportunities: Rent out an Olympic ice rink and have a skating party, pick up hockey game or curling lessons or even an on-ice ceremony (we have done it). Have a welcome reception and ski jumping show atop the 120-meter ski jump tower (year round) –former local jumper, Matt Delany got married here in October, rent out the lodges at Mt. Van Hoevenberg for a bobsledding pizza-party or host a cross-country ski party on the Olympic trails with warm Organic soups from Green Goddess Foods - fireside back at the lodge.

After hours, in the non-winter months, you can now also rent your very own castle on the summit of Whiteface Mountain.

For a flat fee- all of your guest can drive to the summit on the Memorial Highway, witness a summit ceremony above the clouds and have a catered reception atop a 4,865-foot High Peak.

A fun tradition at a recent client’s family was “getting homemade donuts from the Laundry Mat in Tupper Lake” (true story, they make and sell delicious homemade donuts right at the local laundry mat!). This is what they chose to serve instead of a wedding cake and displayed a grand applecider donut tower. Another popular local dessert option is a pie buffet brought in from the iconic Keene Valley, Noonmark Diner. Once, instead of a cocktail hour, a creative couple had a coupon in the program for an after ceremony ice-cream cone at Donnely’s Ice Cream-a famous must-do North Country summer tradition. Another March wedding offered a unique seasonal treat; cotton candy spun fresh from a machine made of local maple sugar- the smell was intoxicating. You can also adorn your dessert buffet with elegant truffles from the Lake Placid Chocolatier or Goat Milk Caramels from Asgard Farms.

Reception

Drinks

Other ways to weave local experiences into the special event would be to have it be a natural part of the choreography. For instance, featuring cocktail music or rehearsal dinner music from a local acoustic folk/new-grass band like Big Slyde.

Weaving the local flavors into the bar by offering locally brewed beers on tap or in the bottle. There are now several local breweries including Brew Castle in Keene, NY, Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, Blue Line Brewery, Big Slide Brewery, The Great Adirondack Brewing Company, Big Tupper Brewing, and Raquette River Brewing. Local cider with a cinnamon stick-- makes for a great welcome beverage at a Fall reception, with option of a little rum for a nice warm welcome. There are also two Lake Placid wineries, Goose Watch Winery and Swedish Hill Winery.

With so much that is special and unique about the Adirondack region it is easy to weave local color and entertainment into any event. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Engaged Q&A JORDAN CRAIG PHOTOGRAPHY

Julie & Pete

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Q. Hometown:

Julie grew up in Medford, NJ Pete grew up in Bayonne, NJ

Q. Current residence:

We live together in beautiful Sea Bright, NJ in our home that was rebuilt from Hurricane Sandy.

Q. Occupation:

Julie is a director for Fox Rehab, a physical therapy company.

Pete is a pharmaceutical representative for Novartis.

Q. How did you meet?

Q. What do you like most about your bride?

We were calling on the same internal medicine doctor so our jobs brought us together.

Julie is the most thoughtful and romantic person that I have ever met. She always goes above and beyond when it comes to making me feel special. Julie has a love for capturing meaningful moments. Her knack for taking pictures is how the surprise save the date shoot came about...only thing is it couldn't be at just any ice rink...it had to be where the Miracle on Ice occurred!! I am lucky - Julie is my best friend.

Q. What do you like most about your groom?

I can't get enough of his sense of humor. Shortly after we met we went to call on the same doctor together again, only this time Pete was in a scooby doo outfit! I guess one can never be too old to celebrate Halloween. His love for playing Hockey was extremely attractive as well! This is how Lake Placid became our favorite place to spend Valentine's Day every year! I am lucky - Pete is an all around incredible man!

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Engaged Q&A

Q. Are you two big hockey fans?

Absolutely! Our first official date was to a Devils game. That would be the first of many nights spent cheering together for our favorite team. We spent our first Valentine's Day together in Lake Placid cheering for the USA hockey team during the 2014 Olympics. Pete would have it no other way than cheering for them in the very town where they won the gold! We followed it up with some good old fashioned pond hockey on Mirror Lake.

Q. Tell us about the proposal?

New Year's Eve 2016 was spent in Jamaica with our closest friends. Pete planned a romantic dinner over the water to thank me for organizing the entire trip.

Next thing I knew a photographer was there and Pete was down on one knee!!

He had the entire moment captured! When we went back to the room to tell our friends the entire area was covered in rose petals with chocolates and champagne. Pete thought of every single detail and made our proposal the most romantic and perfect proposal I ever could have dreamed of!

Q. When and where will you be getting married?

We are becoming Mr. & Mrs. Visone Saturday, October 29th at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Rumson, NJ followed by a night of celebrating at Windows on the Water in Sea Bright, NJ!

Q. Why did you chose Lake Placid for your Engagement photo shoot?

Pete had gone through so much effort to give me the most perfect proposal so I wanted to do something special for him! During our yearly Valentine's Day trip to Lake Placid I surprised him by bringing him to the Miracle on Ice Olympic Rink. When we got there I threw on a '16 Visone Jersey and let him know we had the ice to ourselves to take our engagement photos! So much of a wedding is focused on the woman - I really wanted this to focus on Pete. Jordan was incredible! He even got our wedding date on the Olympic Score Board! Pete was in his glory skating on the ice where so much history was made. I am thrilled that Pete and I now have our own bit of history on that rink.

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Our Story WRITTEN BY JENNA WHITEHILL, PHOTOS BY CLARK + WALKER STUDIO

Tyler and Kara had known each other for a long time before getting engaged. In fact, growing up they went to rival high schools and then later to different colleges. It wasn’t until her senior year in college when fate finally found them.

Each year, Kara looked forward to the annual lacrosse tournament held in Lake Placid. It was here, during her final year of college, that Tyler was finally able to make it to the tournament after years of not being able to attend. The two were able to reconnect and have been together ever since.

After college, the couple moved to Texas for Tyler’s position in the Army.

During Labor Day weekend Tyler proposed only to be deployed a few days later. They decided to have the wedding exactly one year after their engagement to ensure that Tyler would be back in time. The destination of their wedding, without a doubt, was going to be Lake Placid since it had become so special to both of them. Planning a Lake Placid wedding from Texas with her groom temporarily away was no easy task for Kara, but with her wedding planner she was able to see her vision come to life.

Planning her wedding in Lake Placid brought back many memories for Kara. She wanted to incorporate all of the things she experienced each summer in college to capture, what she calls, “the feel of Lake Placid.” This was achieved through a rustic décor, beautiful mountain views, and a relaxed, informal atmosphere, but for Tyler and Kara nothing compared to the rush of feelings they had from being back in the spot that started it all. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Details LOCATION Lake Placid Club Golf House

PHOTOGRAPHER Clark + Walker Studio

WEDDING GOWN Jasmine Couture

WEDDING PLANNER Mim Frantz of Juniper Events

FLOWERS Gray's Flower Shop

TRANSPORTATION Premier Transportation

CAKE Cedar Run Bakery

HONEYMOON TBD (Husband is in military, went to West Point so waiting on his schedule)

ADVICE FOR OTHERS Actually take a step back every so often with each other and look at all the people in the room and think about how much they mean to you. It's probably one of the few times all of those people will be in the same place together.Most importantly, don't forget to spend time with your husband at the reception, grab him for a dance, a drink, or even some fresh air, those are the memories you'll cherish the most.

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Our Story WRITTEN BY JENNA WHITEHILL PHOTOS BY GREER CICARELLI PHOTOGRAPHY

After getting engaged, bride-to-be Jessica wanted nothing to do with planning her wedding. In fact, she didn’t want to know a single thing about her wedding until she walked down the aisle.

When Greg and Jessica got engaged, Jess decided that she wanted the whole wedding to be a surprise and her new fiancé was completely on board. They decided to let Jessica’s sister along with their wedding planner coordinate the entire wedding keeping every detail hidden from the couple.

Jessica and her sister have always been very close. Not only did Jess have complete faith in her sister to create a beautiful day, but she knew it would make it extra special knowing that her sister would play such a big role on one of the most important days in her life. With Greg’s love and support, Jessica’s sister began to plan their wedding and chose the quaint destination of Lake Placid.

Growing up in New Jersey, Jessica would often visit Lake Placid in the summer to go hiking and experience the breathtaking views that she just couldn’t find in her hometown. Though Greg had never been to the area, Jess’s sister knew he would fall in love with it just as his fiancé had.

On the day of their wedding, Greg and Jess were stunned by the beauty of every detail. From the flowers to the food, they could not have envisioned it any more spectacular. Having Jessica’s sister plan the wedding alongside their wedding planner and having his brother as the best man made their day that much more personal.

They agree that having the entire wedding be a surprise was the best decision they ever made and “it made seeing it for the first time that much more special!” saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Details LOCATION Lake Placid Lodge

PHOTOGRAPHER Greer Cicarelli Photography

WEDDING GOWN Essence of Australia

FLOWERS East Branch Organics, Keene NY (the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen!)

TRANSPORTATION Polar Express

CAKE We had pie a la mode and a burger instead.

(Greg hates all dessert)

HONEYMOON We bought a house instead :)

ADVICE FOR OTHERS It's your day! Have the most special time on the greatest day with the people you love the most. And there's no use in worrying the day of the wedding over things you can't change like the weather. It will be the best day of your life regardless!

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Nell & jared

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Our Story WRITTEN BY JENNA WHITEHILL, PHOTOS BY BARRIE FISHER

Growing up in the northeastern part of the United States, Nell and Jared met at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. During this time, they conquered the high peaks and would often visit Nell’s family’s summer home on Tupper Lake. After receiving their MBA’s, they moved to London where they still reside today.

Jared’s proposal, including champagne, dinner, and a spa treatment, came as quite a surprise to Nell. Their engagement then lasted for about a year to which they decided upon Tupper Lake as a destination.

Since many of their friends live all over the world, and they themselves live overseas, it was the obvious choice to have a destination wedding.

Tupper Lake was such a special place to Nell who spent all of her summers there growing up, that they thought it would be the perfect place to host such an important event.

Their decision to have a wedding so far from home, however, did come with its challenges. “Planning a wedding from London was not easy…”

Jared says, but they are thankful for Nell’s parents, Jack and MaryEllen, who were able to assist in coordinating vendors and venues close to their summer home. The wedding was held on a Saturday, but the couple loves the area so much, that they planned a few smaller activities throughout the weekend so their guests would have a memorable Tupper Lake experience. Nell and Jared are confident they achieved this, for by the end of the night most of their guests ended up swimming in the lake and sitting around the camp fire eating S’mores. It was truly the perfect end to a perfect day. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Details LOCATION Tupper Lake, New York (at the bride's family's summer home)

PHOTOGRAPHER Barrie Fisher

WEDDING GOWN Calypso St. Barth

WEDDING PLANNER Mim Franz

FLOWERS Trillium Flowers, who did our chuppah, and my Aunt, who did the rest of the wedding!

TRANSPORTATION Ken Lavigne

CAKE We departed from tradition a bit and served donuts for our dessert.

There's a quirky laundromat-cum-bakery in the town of Tupper Lake that makes truly the perfect donut and my family has been eating them for 30 years now!

HONEYMOON This December in Sri Lanka

ADVICE FOR OTHERS If you do not go with a videographer, then definitely delegate to someone to video tape all the speeches and toasts. It goes by so quickly - and those are the moments you'll really want to remember. Plan out the 'making the rounds' in advance just to hold yourself accountable to it - we missed majorly on that one. Also, long-term wedding diets are so stupid! A seven-day fast plus a bit of adderall (if you have good family friends who are doctors) gets the job done better.

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caitlin & evan bottcher

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Our Story WRITTEN BY JENNA WHITEHILL PHOTOS BY GREER CICARELLI PHOTOGRAPHY

New York City in December is such a magical time with sounds of bells, Christmas decorations all around, and the perfect snowfall covering the city streets. This set the perfect scene for Evan’s proposal to Caitlin, but if that wasn’t romantic enough, he proposed in the exact same spot that Caitlin’s parents got engaged. Much like their engagement, Caitlin and Evan’s wedding had many meaningful details.

Caitlin and Evan own the Hungry Trout Fly Shop in Wilmington, NY, so they decided to have a winter wedding; winter being the off season of their business. Winter in the Adirondacks is quite a scenic view which made their Winter Wonderland theme a perfect choice. Unfortunately, it was warmer than expected and it rained the entire day, but their beautiful venue more than made up for it.

Evan’s family owns The Hungry Trout which is where their reception was held. Even though it was raining on the outside, it was glowing on the inside. With such a stunning venue and decor it certainly looked and felt like a Winter Wonderland inside. Having their family involved in such a large part of their wedding brought a calming energy to their night.

In such a warm and comforting environment Caitlin says that “It was better than they both could have ever imagined.” They are fortunate to have so many family and friends. With everyone living in a different part of the country, they were all able to come together for Caitlin and Evan’s wedding day to celebrate their marriage. saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

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Details LOCATION Ceremony: St. Agnus Church, Lake Placid Reception: Hungry Trout Resort, Wilmington

PHOTOGRAPHER Greer Cicarelli Photography

WEDDING GOWN Lily Saratoga

FLOWERS Trillium Florist

TRANSPORTATION Family Friends

CAKE Matt Baldwin (Caterer)

HONEYMOON Stowe, Vermont (to ski!) then South Andros Bahamas (to fish!)

ADVICE FOR OTHERS Get a wedding planner... Preferably Mim Franz owner of Juniper Events. She has the best recommendations and makes your special day beyond your wildest dreams.

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CARL HEILMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

LAKE PLACID

Next

LAKE PLACID • KEENE VALLEY • SARANAC LAKE

See You

Summer...

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