As the Whiteface Region gears up for summer, some of the most exciting events take place every year before summer even begins. When the Adirondacks is in one of it's prettiest times of the year, with the brilliant greens of the freshly leafed out hardwoods, the valley and hillsides are a gorgeous backdrop to the outdoor events of May and June.
Starting off the event schedule on May 16th and 17th is the Ausable River Two-Fly Challenge. You can read all about this annual fly-fishing competition in my last blog, devoted entirely to the Two Fly event.
Rolling along into June, the Wilmington Whiteface Bike Fest kicks off on Friday, June 20 with lots of fun at the Wilmington Bike Park, including, new this year, the exciting Krusher Stunt Team, a professional bike stunt show team from Montreal. Finishing out the day will be the Welcome Party, which includes the ever-popular "Best Calves Contest", raffles, prizes, swag, live music and more - and the best part, it's open to everyone!
For the 13th year running, on Saturday, June 21, Wilmington will play host to the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race. Beginning at the base of the Whiteface Mountain Memorial Highway, the race snakes up the 8 miles of steep, winding road to the spectacular summit of the mountain. With an elevation gain of around 3,500 feet, it's a grueling ride for even the best of athletes and a true testament to endurance highway riding. Also included in the day's activities are free group rides, the Poor Man's Downhill race, culminating with the Bike Fest Beach Party at Lake Everest with live music, food and contests. And, once again, the party's open to everyone!
On Sunday, June 22 for the fourth year, Wilmington welcomes the Wilmington/Whiteface 100K, a Leadville 100 qualifier. Competing in this 100K race (62.1371 miles) requires endurance capabilities and some gnarly knobby-tire cyclocross bikes or straight out mountain bikes. There are a certain number of qualifying slots (anywhere from 25 - 100, the number being based on the final number of registered riders for this event) to the prestigious Leadville 100. As I understand it, the more entries to this local race, the more qualifying slots available.
More fun events follow throughout the summer in Wilmington. Whiteface Mountain offers its weekly Saturday concert series, Rock the Face, and Lake Everest Town Beach throws a party each week with a Thursday night concert series. Check back for specifics and the detailed schedule of bands for the Thursday series.
Make sure to take a look at the full schedule of events for the summer season in the Whiteface Region, and plan a trip around one or more of them! See you in the mountains!
