Quirky and Commercial Adirondacks

It would be stating the obvious to mention that this blog focuses on some of my favorite aspects of the Adirondacks. In doing so, I like to stress that the park has something for a broad variety of interests and tastes. And, I like to believe that my representation of the Adirondacks in these musings is vaguely representative of the place itself. One of the main purposes of this blog is to give those who will be joining us next summer an advanced sense of inspiration about the place and a handy selection of ideas about things they might be interested in doing once they arrive. For all my efforts at being a good virtual guide and distant ambassador to the park, they are going to be skewed to my own preferences, leaving out or glossing over some other aspects of the park.

A park the size of a small country is bound to have a few contrasts and aspects beyond the scope of what I like to focus on most. (By the way, Belize, Israel and Slovenia are just three of the 99 countries on this planet smaller than the Adirondacks.) The Adirondacks I like to write about is a mountainous adventureland, a place of lakes, ponds and streams, trees, wildlife and fascinating geological formations. It is a place where we can spend days alone communing with nature, or have a relaxed conversation in a slower paced environment than we experience most of the time. In addition to "my" Adirondacks, there are other aspects to the park.

One other aspect of that I would like to focus on is what I will call the "Quirky and Commercial" Adirondacks. Quirky is in the eye of the beholder, and certainly some of the destinations that I will elaborate on will be more quirky than others, but I believe that even the most commercial enterprises in the Adirondacks have a typically Adirondack flair. Originally, I was planning a single post on this topic, but have come to realize that I am looking at a miniseries of entries, lest I get too long winded again.

The places that I think of which fall into the category of Quirky and Commercial in the Adirondacks include North Pole, NY - Home of Santa's Workshop, Enchanted Forest Water Safari, Ausable Chasm, the Lake Placid Winter Olympic Facility, including the Whiteface Mountain Ski Center and the one I will elaborate on today, the Whiteface Mountain Veteran's Memorial Highway. I am sure I am leaving something out here, but these are some of the most famous, most historical and most commercial corners of the Adirondacks. I don't like to dwell on these parts of the park because I don't want to give the idea that the park is dominated by these places, it is not. But these places are part of the Adirondacks, have longstanding followings and they create much needed jobs in the park. There are also some interesting stories to tell about them.

The Whiteface Mountain Veteran's Memorial Highway is the only one of the above mentioned attractions that I have actually been to. Also known as New York State Route 431, it is the only road in the Adirondacks which leads to the peak of one of the 46er mountains. Actually, the road doesn't go all the way up to the summit, but within 276 feet of it. From there, the summit can be reached either via a staircase or an elevator which is built into the mountain: a horizontal tunnel takes you 426 feet into the mountain where the base of the elevator shaft is located.

Construction of the road was completed in 1935, it is roughly 8 miles (13 km) in length and ascends 3500 feet (1100 m). The road is at once an abomination and somehow a blessing.  Traveling by car at 25 mph beyond the timberline to the 5th highest peak in the Adirondacks is a stark contrast to the remaining 45 peaks which take you directly into the most primitive corners of New York State.

Once at the top, you are surrounded by scores of people who would otherwise never make it to such an elevation, it seems sacrilege. I heard one older gentleman chirping into his cellphone "You'll never guess where I am right now, I'm on the top of the highest mountain in New York State!" When he finished his conversation, I couldn't keep myself from informing him about the factual error in his statement. To this he replied with a shrug, "aw, my buddy is in Florida, he won't know the difference!"

I also encountered a large family that appeared to be Amish, based on their clothing. I must have been mistaken, as I can't imagine members of a religious group who shun modern conveniences like automobiles would be on the peak of this mountain.

It is a grand sight at the top, but it just seems different to be exposed to such a majestic panoramic view without any work. You just don't enjoy it as intensely if you don't have to fight your way to the peak. Still, I think that there is some value to having one 46er that people of limited mobility can fully experience from its rocky summit.

As easy as it sounds to get there via car then elevator, it is the only major peak in the Adirondacks that my wife and needed three attempts to get up. The first two times, the access road was closed due to poor weather.

Here is a nice blogger's description of the access road to Whiteface Mountain, complete with a nice series of pictures - you will have to be patient with the fly-in banner advertisements.

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