Winter conversation

[Penns Woods]

This may be a little off topic of tripping, but then again it does involve the Adirondacks, which in a way involves us.
There is talk in upstate NY about the possibility of a third Olympics in Lake Placid. I've been thinking about this and I guess right now I have mixed feelings .
On one hand I'm glad that a lot of people would get employment but it would also bring lots of people to upstate NY that would come back again long after the games are over.
I can remember the Adirondacks and how pleasant things were before Covid and I remember how crowded and unpleasant things got during Covid.
It's a hard question to answer
I would like to hear how other outdoor people think. So, what are your feeling on the subject?

 

[snapper]

Economically, having another Olympics would be a shot in the arm to both Lake Placid and the surrounding area. That said, winter roads can get dicey and there will be lots of extra pressure put on the infrastructure should the games go on. My best guess is it will be a mixed blessing should the games be awarded to the region. I don't see it as totally positive or totally negative. Like all things in life, the +/- of it all will depend on where you find yourself in the equation.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[Penns Woods]

I believe the games has grown a lot since 1980. Just think of the housing needed for all the athletes, support staff, TV crews and other people. I believe accommodation would extend from Plattsburg to Inlet and beyond. I think Lake Placid would lose the small town atmosphere it enjoyed after the last Olympics.

 

[Boatman53]

I lived in Saranac Lake from ‘72 to ‘77 and left when we heard the Olympics were coming in the ‘80’s just didn’t want to see the changes. I did come back in the early ‘90’s after my divorce. It had changed but for the better I think. I spent 30 years living in the Hamptons as a worker bee and would never live there again, too many people with too much privilege, attitude, and money. I fear that might happen in the north country but thank god for the black flies the defenders of the wilderness.
I do think the infrastructure would really suffer if they held the games in SL again.
Jim

 

[Penns Woods]

I have to agree with Boatman53, too many people, too much privilege, attitude and money to get want they want.

 

[recped]

The 2034 Winter Olympics will be in Salt Lake City, if Lake Placid made a bid for another winter games it would probably be for 2046 or later.

 

[yknpdlr]

My brother, a formerB-52 pilot and a then TWA pilot, was an early adopter of modern sport hot air ballooning beginning in the mid 1960's and into the 1970's. He was responsible for organizing the launch of 41 hot air balloons during the opening ceremony of the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. He flew the official Olympic balloon. I was his ground recovery crew. He gave rope tethered rides to officials and others on the ice of the lake. With my Olympic pass, I was allowed to drive into the area while everyone else was bussed in from far parking lots. I had free access to any event I wanted to see during the entire games as well as free access to the competitor’s cafeteria. My brother even got me and the rest of the rest of his crew into the Miracle on Ice US-Soviet hockey game by bribing a gate police officer to a free balloon ride. Quite the experience I shall never forget. I thought the stadium would collapse with the USA-USA chants. He had visions of doing the same at the upcoming Moscow Olympics, but unfortunately Jimmy Carter boycotted US participation due to the Soviet's invasion of Afghanistan. I believe Lake Placid and the entire area is now just too small with too few facilities to support a new modern Olympics games.

Relating this to a paddling theme, Much later, when I was on a business trip to Australia’s Defense Department in Canberra, With my body clock messed up by 12 hours, I went for an early morning jog on the Parliament grounds when a truck was unloading a very large balloon where a group of paying passengers waiting to get into the largest gondola I have ever seen. I introduced myself and my experience and offered to help inflate the very large balloon. After that the passengers loaded and the pilot invited me to hop in as well. Wow! We flew over the lake below where I noted what looked like long boat voyageur canoes paddling far below. They headed toward a beach near my hotel. At the end of the day, I went to that beach and met the head coach of the Australian National Dragon Boat team. After a short chat, I happened to mention I had just recently returned from racing the Yukon 1000-mile race in a voyager canoe. He invited me to hop in an empty dragon boat seat and join the evening training session to sprint several 2000-meter runs. Wow again.

To round out the day, I hiked back over to Parliament, which was closed by then, but the security door was open. As I peered in a side door, a security officer invited me inside. Both houses of Parliament happened to be in session and I was invited to sit in the visitor's gallery of each for a bit. Turned out to be somewhat boring, but what the heck. and what a day.



Unfortunately we lost my brother to colon cancer in 1983. So much talent lost to all of us.