Mt Van Hoevenberg — Attraction in Town of North Elba

I would rate this a zero if zero stars were an option, based on my service experience.

I researched online and found the cliff side coaster at Mt Van Hoevenberg. My kids were very excited and we decided to make the 1.5 hour drive from our vacation location.

The website said that tickets were sold through 4pm and that they closed at 5pm, so I called to clarify hours and availability before making the trip. I spoke with someone on the phone who, when I asked about hours, said the last coaster ride was at 4:45pm. I asked if I need to buy tickets in advance if I was there around 4, it would still be available. I was told there were no problems with my plan. The last ride was at 4:45.

I go there at 3:56pm, and walked up to the counter to get my tickets. The young woman at the counter took a large bite of food as I walked up, and with her mouth full of food said “yeah?”. I asked to buy the tickets, to which she replied while chewing “we are sold out for the day”.

I fortunately, the lack of service, the lack of communication, and the lack of even the slightest of an apology has soured the day. When there is limited time on a vacation, and you are battling rainy weather so there is no booking in advance, wasting 3 hours round trip driving for absolutely nothing is frustrating in itself. The lack of even “I am so sorry for the inconvenience and confusion” makes it a million times worse.

I have heard great things and my children were looking forward to the ride. It’s unfortunate that improperly trained employees with little communication skills prevented this from happening and cost us precious hours in which we could have done something else and we’re unable to make this a memory on...

Okay so you want to do the skeleton experience but you can't find any info about what goes into it or such things like what you should wear? We scoured the website and because I was nearby earlier the week, I even swung by to ask questions and nobody had any answers.

What do you wear? - it doesn't matter too much, but I would wear weather appropriate clothing that isn't loose or too bulky. You are not waiting outside for long. They will provide you with ski googles and a helmet.

If you wear glasses, I would either bring your own ski goggles that will go over your glasses or wear contacts. You're going to be lying on your stomach so you don't want your glasses in your chest pocket or any other pockets in your front.

If you have anything like your phone with you, make sure you also have a zippered pocket. You don't want anything in a pocket that could come out. Similarly, don't bring a bag or purse. You do not end where you begin.

You will check in for the skeleton experience in the small shop of the lodge upstairs. They will send you to a shuttle that is someone's car. The car will drive you up to entrance 5, which is the lowest start point for the skeleton tube of ice.

You will put on your helmet and ski goggles, lie down on a glorified sheet of plastic with metal skates on it. Your feet and neck will be up. There are handrails down near your hip.

They will radio down and when everyone is ready, they will push your legs to get you going.

It will be over before you can say Bob's your uncle. They will stop you and help you exist.

I do not recommended doing this if you have or are prone to...

Incredibly disappointing that ORDA is cancelling the March 5, 2022 Loppet ski race 11 days before race date with 6 inches of snow coming the day after tomorrow. Jessie Diggins has just inspired us to ski hard and fast, and now it seems that ORDA has no real interest in supporting XC ski racing for the masses. Norway wins more medals than the US because it doesn't just throw money at a few elite skiers; Scandinavian culture encourages everyone to get outside and be an athlete. Events like the Loppet, and the triathlons and ski races organized by High Peaks Cyclery have encouraged my children,siblings, nephews and nieces to enjoy XC skiing, biking and swimming. Insufficient staffing may be part of why this race was cancelled, but if the organizers had contacted High Peaks Cyclery weeks ago they could have tapped into an established group of volunteers. Maybe it's time for ORDA to give up a little control and listen a little more...