XC ski- log cabin out and back near Lake Placid

Camp Santanoni, a National Historic Landmark

About 20 miles from lake Placid NY, you can ski 5 miles to a log cabin- grand estate, rest up and ski back. It sounds like you can sometimes stay overnight.

"There is no fee for trekking into the site. The reward is exhilarating exercise followed by free hot cocoa.
“This was a grand estate,” said Matt Shepherd, a volunteer tour guide, who welcomes guests in from the cold. “Now anybody can come here and explore this beautiful lake and forest. It’s open to all. If you can get in, it’s yours.”"

Camp Santanoni’s grounds are open year round, though in winter, buildings are open only on certain weekends. The next dates are scheduled for Presidents’ Day weekend, Feb. 13 to 15, and March 12 and 13.(2016).

It also appears that the warming hut is only open during scheduled "winter weekends".

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/nyregion/in-the-adirondacks-a-winter-trek-into-the-gilded-age.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fnyregion&_r=1


http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/94034.html

http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/santanonimap.pdf




https://www.google.com/maps/place/Santanoni+Preserve/@43.8116399,-76.3998914,8.25z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x4ccad608b49dde7f:0x1754a9d82ca748dc

It's a nice easy ski.  Good for beginners or when conditions are poor.

It is a nice easy ski and a really impressive site. But it is actually 65 miles from Lake Placid, it might be only 20 miles as the crow flies but if you want to drive your car count on the 65mile one way trip.

endoftheline wrote

It is a nice easy ski and a really impressive site. But it is actually 65 miles from Lake Placid, it might be only 20 miles as the crow flies but if you want to drive your car count on the 65mile one way trip.

It's only 1/2 hour from North Creek.

Sounds like it would be a nice family friendly my bike ride in the summer.  Has anyone done it on bike?

Coach Z wrote

Sounds like it would be a nice family friendly my bike ride in the summer.  Has anyone done it on bike?

I haven't ridden it personally, but I've skied it a few times.  It's a wide, dirt road without much steep up or down.  It would be an easy MTB (I should take my wife, she's not keen on single tracks).

Coach Z wrote

Sounds like it would be a nice family friendly my bike ride in the summer.  Has anyone done it on bike?

Easy family ride. Very cool place.

We skied there in a low snow year. It's in a bit of a snow pocket. Garnet Hill sends guests up there when it's thin in North River.

It was sooo cold that day. I think the high was 5 below. When we got there we found these three little old ladies who'd skied out and were eating shrimp cocktail on the porch with proper utensils and everything. Never forget that!

It's definitely a pack a lunch kind of trip.  There are picnic tables and such out at the camp on the porch.  Bring a little camp stove if they aren't serving hot cocoa when you go.

It is almost always skiable.  The times I've went was because I tried to ski something else and it was bones or icy.  That's not to say it isn't a nice ski, but there is stuff that is more enticing if the conditions are right, especially in proximity to that area.  It is kind of a long ski, but it doesn't feel like it.  You can keep a pretty good pace.  I skated a good portion of it once, and saw a guy doing the whole thing on skate skis last spring.

Newcomb is awesome anyway.

Coach Z wrote

Sounds like it would be a nice family friendly my bike ride in the summer.  Has anyone done it on bike?

I rode it w my family many yrs ago and even my son who was 10 at the time rode it on a single speed bike, no problems. Definitely worth it.

Coach Z wrote

Sounds like it would be a nice family friendly my bike ride in the summer.  Has anyone done it on bike?

I've biked it twice. First time, late april, there was still a bit of snow on the ground, which made the trip a bit more challenging. I went back October 2015 and it snowed. But if you pick a more reasonable day its an easy ride. Plus they have kayaks available to take on the lake. I think it woul make a great family day.

Tom