Good I'm not to only person crazy enough to run up it. Although I didnt win...lol! But I totally agree, the next day I woke up and all of us that ran up the hill sure as hell werent firing up another race that day, lol!

I bet no hill is as crazy as the hills in San Francisco. I visited SF for the first time this summer and walked around the city a lot. Those hills are killer. No wonder SF is often voted the fittest city in the country. You have to be to navigate those streets.

The Hill is not bad. I did take a fall going down the hill late at night during Junior Nationals when there was black ice under snow, but that could have happened anywhere. The only issue about the hill is that Lake Placid in the summer can be very hot, so if you are walking up the hill after practice with all your gear, you may bemoan your fate and compare yourself to the other skaters who are staying just across the street from the arena. The second issue for me is that if you or your partner forgets your tape or something critical for the program, it is a longer haul up and down than if you were across the street at the Golden Arrow or the Adirondack Inn.

Frankly, there are so many CLOSE accomodations at Lake Placid, that any is fine. The Holiday Inn is upscale with a wonderful pasta bar and very supportive staff. Check it out and see what you think! If cost is an issue, there are much cheaper places to stay only a short drive out of town, and there is a large parking lot next to the arena.

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IceDanceMomNW

So true! The first time I was in SF, we came to a hill (down) with the warning sign "HILL" which someone had crossed out and written below "CLIFF". The street had an actual ridge where it began it's descent. We backed up and went another way.

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I've changed hotels since starting this thread. I can't believe it's still going! I had no idea it would turn out to be so popular.

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This space has been put on hiatus for retuning....

Cure for the hill?

A couple of Smoke Porters at The Adirondack Steak and Seafood, or a couple Frostbite ales at The Lake Placid Brewery.

Hill? What hill!!

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Keeping School Figures Alive!!

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Lisa

Wont it be great? Someone else in '08!

heyy yea i've gone up and down that hill a thousand times i stay up in lyseks in the summer...the hill is a pain at 5:30 in the morning but in general no its not really that bad at all..

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<3 alwayz..Heather

I've decided to keep my reservation at the Holiday Inn because (a) it's $20 cheaper than what I was quoted at the Golden Arrow and (b) I figure I won't make it to final round in freeskating and may not do an Interp, so the Hill may be my only exercise the rest of the week.

Last time ANs were in Placid, by recommendation from my coach I stayed at Art Devlins, which is only 3 blocks from the Olympic Center. It's not fancy as far as lobby, restaurant or indoor pool (though they have an outdoor one, weather permitting) , but frankly, at Nationals I spend very little time in the hotel anyway. And they just renovated all the rooms, though I remember them being fine before. Most rooms have a view of the mountains. If you're in for saving money, it's a great choice. If you're in for a fancy vacation in addition to competing at Nationals, I'd go to one of the more resort-hotels. I'm saving my fancy vacation money for Europe this summer.

This is what my research found me on the closest hotels to the Olympic Arena:

The Arena is on 218 Main Street.

Art Devlins is on 350 Main Street and is only $68-$78/night.

Best Western Golden Arrow is on 150 Main, and prices range greatly depending on which room you get, but the cheapest I was quoted was $139/night.

Adirondack Inn By the Lake is on 217 Main Street and ranges from $69-$119/night, but according to their website they have a very unreasonable and strict deposit/cancellation policy.

THe Holiday Inn is on 1 Olympic Drive, and the website quotes $122.50/night

I don't know the area well enough to have any other additions to this list that are as close to the Olympic Arena. Anyone else?