Fourty-four Bridgewater-Raritan High School students and four staff members spent the weekend in the Olympic Village of Lake Placid, New York for the annual ski and snowboard trip.
The group went on the trip from Thursday, January 18 to Sunday, January 21.
The students and staff members spent three days skiing and snowboarding in the Adirondack Mountains. The group spent Friday and Saturday at Whiteface Mountain enjoying the variety of different level trails. Whiteface, being the fifth tallest mountain in the state of New York, is home to the greatest vertical drop in the east. The mountain has approximately 288 ski-able acres with over 90 scenic trails.
On Sunday, the group stopped at Gore Mountain, located in North Creeks, New York, for a few hours of skiing and snowboarding before heading back to Bridgewater. Gore Mountain, known for having the largest ski area in New York with 428 acres, has over 110 runs and 700 meters of vertical drop.
Both Whiteface and Gore include a large range of difficulty levels, which gives students of all experience levels the opportunity to enjoy their time on the mountain.
While skiing the Adirondack Mountains, the students experienced extremely low temperatures, often in the single digits or below. However, while ensuring that staying warm was a priority, these temperatures did not stop anyone from having a great time on the mountains.
In addition to skiing and snowboarding, the students were able to explore the town of Lake Placid. The groups visited the many restaurants and shops that were located within walking distance of the resort they were staying.
Lake Placid, being the host of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, is home to The Olympic Speed Skating Oval, where students were able to ice skate in their free time. In addition to the skating, students were able to visit the Lake Placid Olympic Museum.
Many Olympic athletes stay in Lake Placid to train at the surrounding mountains, such as Whiteface, and the students were granted the unique experience of skiing and snowboarding the same mountains as the athletes.
Ed Omelia, one of the staff members credited for the success of the trip, shared why this trip was special for students.
“Most students have only skied or snowboarded at small mountains in the Poconos like Blue Mountain or Camelback. It’s fun to see their excitement when they see how big Whiteface is. The students love the trip and that’s why I plan it each year,” he said.
