Adirondack Lifestyle

Ricky James, a 23-year-old paraplegic from Oceanside California, descending Route 73 during the first lap of Ironman Lake Placid cycling stage this morning.

Since this is the Adirondacks, Ironman Lake Placid 2012 competitors started their day with an appropriately brisk 2.4 mile swim in pristine Mirror Lake early this morning.  Bright sunshine warmed the chilly morning air quickly and by the time I caught some of the competition on the first lap of the bike, it was warm and a perfect Adirondack day was in the works.  Indeed, skies have remained sunny and blue, with just a few high clouds.

Ricky James ascends Route 73 during the bike stage of the Lake Placid Ironman.

At 5:00 p.m., ten hours after they jumped in Mirror Lake, the first of the pros have already finished.  Andy Potts, from the United States has won with a total time of 8 hours, 25 minutes. Wow.

Cycling gear is fun.

Even Santa slipped away from his Santa’s Workshop in North Pole, NY to compete in this year’s Ironman Lake Placid.

“Have you been a good girl this year?”

Enjoy these photographs of Ironman Lake Placid 2012!

The unusually powerful and destructive storms that passed through the Adirondacks earlier this week were particularly tough on the Village of Lake Placid. Power outages and massive fallen trees were not part of the events planned for the region’s busy week in July: Ironman week.  The storm that created what I’ll call a water spout; a tornado on water, knocked officials, businesses, and residents preparing for this Sunday’s Ironman Lake Placid around, but not down.

It takes no small effort to manage a natural disaster and the over 2,600 Ironman athletes and their entourage, media, event staff, and spectators who descend upon this  small and remote Village with a year-round population of only 2,509. But, this is old hat (hat trick?) for the Olympic Village of Lake Placid, where miracles happen. I am happy to report we are well on our way to a great Ironman event.

This storm brought one of the most impressive short and intense rain events I have seen in the Adirondacks in 26 years. Wind-whipped massive pine trees toppled, bringing along their earth encrusted roots. Some of the trees’ roots were ripped completely out of the shoreline ground and reached to the roof level of our client’s Lake Placid great camp. Here’s a photo of some of the storm damage in Lake Placid.

I was working at our real estate office, Adirondack Premier Properties (APP), the day after the storm, Wednesday, which also happens to be the busiest time for Ironman rental check-in. We had rental units with no power. Some of our properties were covered in trees that had fallen on roofs and in yards, across driveways and sidewalks. It was no surprise everyone at APP rose to the occasion, but our clients also happen to be awesome, understanding, and patient. I work with an incredible group of people who make everyone who walks through the door feel welcome, so it seemed like our customers were just happy to be in Lake Placid, electricity be darned!

The weather has cleared and today we enjoyed a lovely, low humidity day perfectly suited for light training and taking in the Adirondack sights. Sunday’s forecast looks perfect for any outdoor activity, especially a 2.4 miles swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2 mile run.

Adirondack daisies in the front yard are fine morning tea companions.

Greetings to fellow fans of the Adirondack lifestyle! I’ve been traveling and have missed writing about living in the Adirondacks more than you have missed reading my ramblings I assure you.

Appropriately, the first day of summer is supposed to be another scorcher, in Adirondack weather vernacular. I was weaned on ninety degrees and high humidity, so this weather is welcome. I know June in the Adirondacks can be rainy and cold.  A-high-of-48-degrees kind of cold.

Like so many things, this beautiful weather is a double-edged sword. I have a date with my road bike in a few minutes (sorry if this  post seems rushed) and I am busy with real estate and consulting, so it is a good thing the days are longer. My desire to get outside and play is tempered by other responsibilities, but I do get outside and play.

I am back in the Adirondack chair swing of things, so please come back for information on things like Adirondack property and real estate, the arts, entertaining, outdoor living, doing business in the Adirondacks, yoga in the Adirondacks, hiking, trail running, swimming, and outdoor recreation in general. Okay, maybe a lot of outdoor recreation writing. It is all apart of the Adirondack lifestyle I love writing about.

If you really enjoy hearing about what it is like to live, work, and play in the Adirondacks, you can like Adirondack Lifestyle on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter, or all those other things.

And if you are wondering what to do with this beautiful sunny summer day, I heartily suggest getting outside, especially in the Adirondacks!

Swimming in the Adirondacks in May is an unusual treat.

It has been a lovely weekend so far in the Adirondacks. Outdoor recreation enthusiasts are happy to find dry trails, great cycling conditions, and plenty of water for paddling or swimming. Ironman training camp participants are around every corner cycling, running, and swimming their way through the Adirondacks.  Mirror Lake is warm enough for young children and persons in wetsuits to enjoy a swim, although a quick dip after a bike ride sufficed for me recently.

Speaking of bike riding, road cycling everywhere in the Adirondacks has been wonderful so far this season. As you can see in the video, road biking through the Jay Mountain Range in the Adirondacks recently was a memorable experience.

Recent sunny warm weather has compelled me to heed my own Adirondack Lifestyle Wellness Theory advice – get outside and play – and so I did. A lot, but not nearly enough: it is a good thing the long weekend includes two more days!

If you haven’t been outside yet, there is still time to make this a memorable Adirondack weekend.

A recent deceptive early morning calm at Adirondack Lifestyle.

As most people are painfully aware, it was an odd winter and early spring here in the Adirondacks. Because of a lack of snow, the normally lovely spring skiing created by the warming sun working its way through a normal winter’s accumulated snow, was replaced by trail runs and cycling. The Adirondack North Country enjoyed an unusually warm early spring followed by a fair amount of the standard cold rain, wet snow, and gray skies. The start of spring 2012 found drought conditions and an officially declared “high” fire danger in the Adirondacks. Fortunately, although the recent rains created muddy trails for hiking, gardeners are happy and officials have reduced the fire danger to ‘moderate.’

Adirondack Painted Trillium

Tiny, early-green leaves of mid-May are open and the forest around me here at HQ is filled in and fuzzy with verdant vegetation.  The subtle beauty of delicate wood wildflowers stun those willing to walk slowly and pay attention.

Can you spot the beautiful woodland wildflowers hidden on this forest floor?

Purple Wood Violets

The nonstop sounds of living in the spring forest are invigorating and comforting at the same time. After a night filled with the calls and hoots of Owls, the day starts with the haunting cry of Loons and Turkey yelps and gobbles.  One can’t resist smiling at the sound of the local Chickadee’s greeting to the official Lifestyle hound, “Heeey Ziggg-eeee! “Heeey Ziggg-eeee!”  The Robins and Jays seem simply noisy compared to the melodic Thrushes, Spring Peepers, Geese, and Ducks, all accompanied by the rhythmic drumming of Grouse and Woodpeckers.

Official Adirondack Lifestyle Flower Guard

The welcome warm weather indicates spring has definitely sprung in the Adirondacks. This morning’s below-freezing temperature belies the fact that we may see 80 degrees this weekend!  The roads in and around Lake Placid are crawling with cyclists and a few wet suit-clad swimmers have even been spotted in chilly Mirror Lake. The Village is bustling with locals getting ready for the coming busy season and athletes training  for Ironman, the Olympics, or just the human race.

The operative word in the Adirondacks these days is obviously “awake!”