Lake Placid Olympic Bobsled Experience

Last week, my parents – who are both born and bred southern Californians – came for an Adirondack winter visit. Aside from a few involuntary exclamations of, “Oh, my GAWD! It’s so COLD!”, they had a really great time. And, heck, they were right – it WAS cold. In the weeks leading up to their visit, I was a little concerned about what exactly we’d do when they were here. They’ve visited the area plenty in the summer, but never in the colder months. My dad is a golfer. My mom loves to shop, read a book by the lake, and generally relax when she’s on vacation. Golfing, shopping on Main Street, and reading by the lake aren’t all that relaxing, or even feasible, when it’s 0 degrees outside.

There was one activity, however, that I knew would be a big hit – the Lake Placid Bobsled Experience at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic sports complex. I’d been wanting to ‘ride’ the bobsled for years, but Dave was never really on board with it. The one time I almost had him convinced it turned out to be a several hour wait, which we both weren’t up for. Thankfully, my dad is a trooper and is generally game for any adventure I throw at him. I KNEW he would be up for it, and I knew my mom would be up for cheering us on.

The bobsled only runs certain days of the week for a few hours at a time, so make sure you check the schedule before you go. And, apparently, snow on the track is not a problem because it was really coming down on the day we went.

Jess, mom, and dad

We got there right as they opened, so the wait wasn’t too long at all. I think we were the fifth group of the day. And, guess what? We actually managed to convince Dave to do it with us! My mom cheered us on from the heated, indoor staging area.

The track is 1/2 mile and it took us about 48 seconds to get to the bottom, so that’s what, 35-40 mph? Math was never my best subject. Anyway, it was fast. And fun. And a little violent. They outfit you with quite a large helmet, which I was glad for. Your noggin definitely gets knocked around. And, don’t worry, they don’t send you hurtling down by yourselves. You get to cozy up with a driver and a brakeman.

My dad with his helmet

Jess and Dave. Dave requested a ‘hairmet.’

It’s a little pricey at $75/person, but it’s worth it for a once-in-a-lifetime, “yeah, I did that” kind of experience.

The three of us, plus the brakeman and driver.