I'm posting this in the US and Canada forums as I am not sure which one I will get the best info from. We want to take our 17 year old daughter who snowboards away for a 3 day weekend this winter. We were originally planning on Lake Placid but then I read Ski Mag and spoke to someone who raved about Mont Tremblant. Does anyone have any advice as to which one might be better. Her main concern will be good snowboarding. Thanks a bunch.

karen,
Tremblant is a very French feeling place, and will be very inexpensive due to exchange rates. The mountain is good sized, with 2131 ft. of vertical drop.
Whiteface is a few miles outside the olympic village and offeres 3100+ feet of vertical. Lake Placid itself is a gorgeous town, with fine restaurants and an eclectic culture of money and ski bums. Lake Placid is also the eastern training center for the US ski team.

So if you want quaint, european style, good skiing and great prices, go to Tremblant.
If your daughter wants to rip it up on an olympic class mountain, go to Lake Placid.

My daughter will want a bigger mountain with better and more difficult snowboarding. I guess Lake Placid it is. Thanks for the input!

Karen, my two cents' worth (albeit from a skier's perspective):

It's hard to say which offers the better riding, because it depends on your daughter's preferences. As the previous poster notes, Tremblant and Whiteface are two totally different mountains with their own advantages, disadvantages and distinct experiences. Whiteface is a BIG mountain - greatest vertical in the East - with long, long, challenging runs from the top, the kind that can leave you breathless at the bottom, and longer than any runs she'll find at Tremblant. On a clear day, the views from the top of Whiteface are incredible. And it's a rip skiing/riding some of the trails that were used in the 1980 Olympics. On the down side, Whiteface can be cold and icy (it's pseudo-nickname is "Iceface"), and the snowmaking and grooming aren't as good as at Tremblant. The trails can get pretty scraped, wind-blown or bumped up by afternoon. At Whiteface, you earn the right to brag that you ski/ride the diamonds. It's a great mountain!

Tremblant, on the other hand, coddles you with a wonderful winter resort experience. The resort village makes you feel like you're in Europe (without the attitude), and the CAD/USD exchange rate means it's a relative bargain. The runs are shorter and less challenging than at Whiteface, but the snowmaking and grooming are topnotch, which means the skiing/riding is consistently fine. The dining is very good and there are plenty of evening activities suitable for a 17-year-old. Tremblant's only drawback is its weather; at 1 1/2 hours north of Montreal, it can get really, really, REALLY cold (a couple of years ago, we skied in -36F temps.; it was an awesome day!). All in all, Tremblant is a lovely place to ski or ride. In fact, we're heading there in Feb. for President's Week.

One other factor to think about is access. Since I don't know what part of the country you live in, I can't tell which place would be easier for you to get to. I live near Albany, NY; for us, Tremblant's about a 6-hour drive (including meal break), Whiteface is 2 1/4 hours. However, if you'll be flying in from somewhere distant, the Montreal airport is 90 mins. away from Tremblant and offers a number of airline choices; affordable air access for Whiteface means flying into Albany or Burlington, VT.

Hope this helps you. These are two of my favorite Eastern areas. Post if you need more info about either one.

BAM

PS - I forgot to add: I love Whiteface!
BAM

Ben, did you hear about all improvements coming to Whiteface this season?
It is not iceface anymore and ski making is great.
Also there are some trails that are long and challenging but also many trails for beginners and anyone between beginners and experts
Whiteface will be the first ski mountain in northeast to have Magic Carpet for kids this winter

Ben, thanks for the input. We are just east of Rochester so I think distance should be equal. I will have her read your post and then she can make a decision. I have skiied Lake Placid myself but not Tremblant. Once again thanks!!

Peg: Other than what was in Ski Mag., no, I hadn't, so I'm glad you told me. I skied Whiteface one day last season. It was terrific in the morning; by afternoon, though, the trails from the top of Big Whiteface were either blown clean or bumped up, and the lower runs were all bumped up. That had also been my experience a couple of years ago. The new gondola is a great addition. Improving the snowmaking will make a world of difference.

Both Whiteface and Tremblant have a good mix of runs for all abilities. If Karen's looking for bigger and more difficult for her daughter, my vote goes to Whiteface for its long runs - most are longer than practically anything at Tremblant - its challenge and its scenery.

I'll be skiing at both places this year. Can't wait 'til the Ski Show in November to learn more about Whiteface's improvements.