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INTRODUCTION
Since the original post on 1/24, conditions have remained good with a bit of new snow since the big snow last week. Some new flurries, but on this coming, Sunday 4-5 inches might fall. Continued cold, but at least getting well above zero each day. The good news is no thaw in sight through the Weather Underground 10-day forecast. JACKRABBIT TRAIL Entire trail is now skiable, and all sections between Keene and Saranac Lake have been broken out. Trail from McKenzie Pond Rd. to the pond is a bit "lumpy', but definitely skiable with just a few rocks and roots yet to be covered. The long descent from the pass to McKenzie Pond has an occasional "speed bump", but otherwise that whole section is in good shape. CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER: Km Open and Groomed: 10 Track Set: 10 New snow: Base Depth: 6" Off Track 10" Surface Conditions: packed powder Remarks: MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: Km Open and Groomed: 50 km Track Set: 40 km New snow: Base Depth: 22" on man-made trails. 6" on natural snow. Off Track: 10" Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: Km Open: 35 of 40 km open. Track set: 20 km New Snow: Base Depth: 12" Off Track: 17" Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: Building staffed Thursday - Sunday. All trails except for Fox Run packed. Track set on the edges of the wider trails. All other trails groomed. Hot food 12-3 and live music 2-4 this weekend BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS: 34" at Lake Colden 3-4 feet above 4,000 feet WHITEFACE HIGHWAY: Skiable all the way to the Castle. MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL: Skiable and likely still the better choice for skiing to Marcy Dam. At the trailhead on Adirondak Loj Rd., DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road. HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Finally skiable if still a bit rough. Marcy Brook is crossable above the breached dam. No need to descend to the bridge over the brook below the dam. AVALANCHE PASS: Finally skiable Avalanche Lake is frozen and crossable, but use caution at the outlet. (If skied from the Meadows Lane/Marcy Dam Truck Trail trailhead, DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road.) CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING: Skiable, but still a bit thin on the hills on the new start. Pond is crossable and is the best access.. HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL: Definitely very skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow. So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed. (Yay!) FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL: Definitely skiable, and loop back on the ponds now very doable. RAQUETTE FALLS: Skiable. GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Skiable. Parking area now plowed for 4-5 cars, Parking on the road is possible - just not ideal. All culverts and bridges have been repaired/replaced. As of late December, one tree down just short of the ponds. NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Fully skiable. Snowmobile traffic along with the foot traffic.
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UPDATED TO 1/21/22 Not much has changed since Monday's snow, but the report below includes what we have learned this week. Warmer this weekend - get out and ski!
INTRODUCTION Snow fell pretty continuously starting on Sunday night and tapering off mid-afternoon. It was a coastal storm, so the greatest amount of snow, 8", fell in Keene. Lake Placid picked up about 6", while Saranac Lake received 4-6". The snow was dense, but still powdery, so even 4" will be enough to make for good cover. Still probably not enough for the steeper mountain trails, but good everywhere else. Some additional light snow is predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday's high will be near 30, but then falling to a high of only 5 on Friday before warming into the teens for Saturday and Sunday. JACKRABBIT TRAIL Entire trail is now skiable, and all sections between Keene and Saranac Lake have been broken out, Bottom of the McKenzie Pass descent to McKenzie Pond may still be a bit rough, but otherwise that long section is in good shape. CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER: Km Open and Groomed: 10 Track Set: New snow: 6" last 72 hours Base Depth: 6" Off Track 10" Surface Conditions: packed powder Remarks: MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: Km Open and Groomed: 50 km Track Set: 40 km New snow: 6" last 72 hours Base Depth: 22" on man-made trails. 6" on natural snow. Off Track: 10" Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: Km Open: 35 of 40 km open. Track set: 20 km New Snow: 8" last 72 hours Base Depth: 10" Off Track: 15" Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: Building staffed Thursday - Sunday. All trails except for Fox Run packed. Track set on the edges of the wider trails. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS: 25" at Lake Colden 3-4 feet above 4,000 feet WHITEFACE HIGHWAY: Skiable all the way to the Castle. MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL: Skiable and likely still the better choice for skiing to Marcy Dam. At the trailhead on Adirondak Loj Rd., DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road. HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Finally skiable if still a bit rough. Marcy Brook is crossable above the breached dam. No need to descend to the bridge over the brook below the dam. AVALANCHE PASS: Finally skiable Avalanche Lake is frozen and crossable, but use caution at the outlet. (If skied from the Meadows Lane/Marcy Dam Truck Trail trailhead, DEC Rangers do not want any parking on the right side of the plowed turnout. Good parking on the left side, and then there's the road.) CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING: Skiable, but still a bit thin on the hills on the new start. Pond is crossable and is the best access.. HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL: Definitely very skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow. So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed. (Yay!) FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL: Definitely skiable, and loop back on the ponds now very doable. RAQUETTE FALLS: Skiable. GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Skiable. Parking area not being plowed, so far this season, but parking on the road is possible - just not ideal. All culverts and bridges have been repaired/replaced. As of late December, one tree down just short of the ponds. NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Fully skiable. Some snowmobile traffic along with the foot traffic. We have picked up 4-5" of snow overnight, and the snow is continuing - perhaps for the rest of the day. So, this looks to be a storm that won't disappoint as far as putting all popular ski routes in good shape. This may include both the Marcy and Wright Peak ski trails, but we'll have to wait until it's over to make that call. Otherwise, Avalanche Pass will surely be skiable, and the groomed centers will be able to groom all of their terrain.
As the week progresses, we'll post updates on which trails have been broken out. The forecast for the rest of the week indicates cold Tuesday, upper 20s on Wednesday, and then cold the rest of the week and into next weekend. INTRODUCTION
No real change in conditions since the last report, but once we get past a cold weekend, there is hope for some significant new snow. National Weather Service just says 90% chance of snow on Monday while Weather Underground predicts 8" for the Lake Placid area. We'll see, but until then the best skiing will be at the groomed centers. Ungroomed trails are still pretty fast with an icy crust due to last Sunday's warm temperatures and freezing rain. Nevertheless, Newcomb Lake Road and Hays Brook Truck Trail are gentle enough to be skiable. JACKRABBIT TRAIL Entire trail has at least minimal cover for skiing, but is not recommended until we pick up more snow. CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER: Km Open and Groomed: 5 Track Set: New snow: Base Depth: 3" Off Track 5" Surface Conditions: groomed granular Remarks: Ski shop open. MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: Km Open and Groomed: 40 km Track Set: 30 km New snow: Base Depth: 22" on man-made trails. 3" on natural snow. Off Track: 5" Surface Conditions: Groomed granular Remarks: 17 of 27 trails open including Porter Mt. Loops. Some rough spots on the legacy trails, but overall skiable. Fresh track set on man-made snow loops only. Older set track on most legacy trails. PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: Km Open: 30 of 40km open. Track set: 7 km New Snow: Base Depth: 5-6" Off Track: 10" Surface Conditions: Groomed granular Remarks: Building staffed Thursday - Sunday. Track set on the wider trails where the large groomer can be used. Narrower trails groomed, but no track set. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS: 19" at Lake Colden 2-3 feet above 4,000 feet Icy surfaces everywhere, but the gentlest terrain is skiable. Otherwise, reports below are what will be skiable with 3 or more inches of new snow - whenever that happens. WHITEFACE HIGHWAY: Skiable all the way to the Castle. MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL: Skiable with caution as not all rocks are fully covered. HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Not yet recommended as skiable. AVALANCHE PASS: Not yet skiable Avalanche Lake is frozen and crossable, but use caution at the outlet. CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING: Just barely skiable cover, All downed trees removed. HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL: Definitely very skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow. So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed. (Yay!) FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL: Definitely skiable, and loop back on the ponds now very doable. RAQUETTE FALLS: Probably not yet skiable. GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area not being plowed, so far this season. All culverts and bridges have been repaired/replaced. As of late December, one tree down just short of the ponds. NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Fully skiable. Some snowmobile traffic along with the foot traffic. INTRODUCTION
Sunday, 1/9, saw some freezing rain and temperatures above freezing for 5-6 hours. No significant loss of snow, but with only the barest dusting of new snow, surface conditions are pretty hard and fast. Best skiing will be at the groomed center until we pick up several inches of new snow. The immediate forecast calls for very cold weather on Tuesday, in the 20s Wednesday and Thursday, and then highs only in the teens through the coming weekend. So far, no mention of any significant new snow - at least until next week. So, until it snows it looks like either Mt. Van Hoevenberg or Paul Smith's VIC. But we're haven't lost any of the base that we have ever so slowly built up over the past few weeks. JACKRABBIT TRAIL Entire trail has at least minimal cover for skiing, but is not recommended until we pick up more snow. CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER: Km Open and Groomed: Track Set: New snow: Base Depth: Off Track Surface Conditions: Remarks: Ski shop open, but no grooming MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: Km Open and Groomed: 40 km Track Set: 5 km New snow: Base Depth: 22" on man-made trails. 3" on natural snow. Off Track: 5" Surface Conditions: Groomed granular Remarks: 17 of 27 trails open including Porter Mt. Loops. Some rough spots on the legacy trails, but overall skiable. Track set on man-made snow loops only PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: Km Open: 30 of 40km open. New Snow: Base Depth: 5-6" Surface Conditions: Groomed granular Remarks: Building staffed Thursday - Sunday. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS: 19" at Lake Colden 2-3 feet above 4,000 feet Icy surfaces everywhere. Reports below are what will be skiable with 3 or more inches of new snow - whenever that happens. WHITEFACE HIGHWAY: Skiable all the way to the Castle. MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL: Skiable with caution as no all rocks are fully covered. HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Not yet skiable. AVALANCHE PASS: Not yet skiable Avalanche Lake is frozen and crossable, but use caution at the outlet. CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING: Just barely skiable cover, All downed trees removed. HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL: Definitely very skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow. So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed. (Yay!) FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL: Definitely skiable, and loop back on the ponds now very doable. RAQUETTE FALLS: Probably not yet skiable. GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area not being plowed, so far this season. All culverts and bridges have been repaired/replaced. As of late December, one tree down just short of the ponds. NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Fully skiable. Some snowmobile traffic along with the foot traffic. ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENT DURING THE WEEK, BUT ICY PRECIP. ON 1/9:
No great amount of snow over the past few days, but the periodic flurries have definitely improved conditions over the past few days. The Jackrabbit Trail is now fully skiable, although caution is still advised on any downhill - especially the descent to McKenzie Pond. The Old Mountain Road section in Keene has the best conditions. Some icy precipitation today, but no loss of snow. Colder on Monday, then very cold on Tuesday with some additional flurries. The rest of the week will be warmer, but remain a bit below seasonal normals through the week and into the weekend. So, plan on good conditions on everything except for the steeper mountain routes (Avalanche Pass, Wright Peak, Mt. Marcy) for the coming weekend. ORIGINAL POST During the past week, conditions have improved slightly due to a few flurries, but no significant change from the report and updates below. Read them as well. DEC backcountry now reports 19" at Lake Colden, but confirms the report below that Avalanche Pass is still not skiable. The DEC does report that Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden are frozen. Still, caution is always necessary at the outlet to Avalanche Lake. To be sure, get on the trail and then cross the outlet on the bridge. Jackrabbit Trail from Whiteface Inn Lane to McKenzie Pass is just barely skiable to the flats leading to the lean-to, but good from there to the top of the pass. Snow cover diminishes as one approaches McKenzie Pond, but is still "negotiable". Old Mountain Road section mostly in good shape, but Chimney Hill and some of the approach from Lake Placid still have some exposed rocks. Otherwise, truck trail to Marcy Dam is good, and Hays Brook to the Sheep Meadow and Grass Pond are very good with, as reported below, plowed parking. Saturday will be a bit on the cold side, but Sunday will be warmer. Hopefully not too much of that "other precipitation" on Sunday before next week brings in a few days of really cold conditions. UPDATE 1/3/22 (EVENING): Thanks for the comment that confirmed the suspicion that Avalanche Pass wasn't quite "ready for prime time". Also, a good report on Boreas Ponds - both ski conditions and parking. Last year, there was initially no plowing, but eventually the parking area was plowed.
Elevation didn't seem to be an important factor in total snowfall from this last storm. McKenzie Pass section of the Jackrabbit Trail is "bony" but skiable up from Whiteface Inn Lane. Descent to McKenzie Pond is "questionable" until we get a report from that side of the pass. UPDATE 1/3/22: In the end, more like 3", maybe 4", in the Lake Placid area. Not as much as we had hoped, but enough to improve the skiing. In addition to the trails listed below, we can add that most sections of the Jackrabbit Trail are now skiable. Caution definitely advised as not all rocks are fully covered, and one may want to walk down particularly steep pitches such as Chimney Hill on the Old Mountain Road section. No update from Mt. Van Hoevenberg, by maybe some of the easier terrain on the "legacy" trails is now skiable. Cascade has been saying 3km open there, maybe more now. As of Saturday morning, the National Weather Service has now predicted 4-6" of new snow for Sunday into Monday. Since the base has survived on all the popular early-season trails (Newcomb Lake, Boreas, Hays Brook, Fish Pond, Whiteface Highway, and Marcy Dam Truck Trail), this snow will make for a great start to 2022. There may even be enough to bring Avalanche Pass into good condition, but we won't report that with the confirmation of actually skiing it. So far, only a slight turnout plowed at the Boreas trailhead, and it remains to be seen whether Hays Brook will again be plowed as it was last year. Stay tuned, and we should be able to have a complete report of possibilities for next weekend; but if it really snows 6", don't wait. UPDATE 12/30:
We thank Dave for his comments - see below. Good to know that there is some more snow west of Lake Placid/Saranac. With the warm conditions, the Lake Road to the Lower Ausable Lake is again skiable, but it will be very rough and choppy when it's below freezing. Additionally, the DEC report as of today rates the Marcy Dam Truck Trail as skiable, but there will still be rocks to avoid on several of the downhills. 2-1/2 feet of snow at timberline, and 13" at Lake Colden. There are online reports that the lakes, Avalanche and Colden, are being crossed; and people are skating on the Cascade Lakes. However, with only 13" at Lake Colden, Avalanche Pass can't really be considered "skiable". Forecast is for warm temperatures and some rain through Saturday evening, but then cooling so that Monday's highs will only be near 20. Unfortunately, no significant new snow predicted with the cool down UPDATE, 12/26 EVENING: Newcomb Lake Road is definitely skiable, but conditions are very fast. Anything steeper than that will be a challenge since the breakable crust isn't conducive to easy turns or snowplowing. Original Post 12/26: Christmas Eve and Day saw some light freezing rain which has resulted in less than ideal surface conditions. We can expect some snow showers today that may help, but probably not much. Going forward, not much new snow in sight. However, as of Monday, 12/27, the Mt. Van Hoevenberg report only says that the competition trails are open, not any of the flatter, smoother terrain. This terrain remains covered, but is icy and too thin to groom. Mt. Van Hoevenberg has great conditions on the man-made snow on the intermediate and expert competition trails. Paul Smith's VIC reports 18 km of their easier trails open with some grooming possible. And the nearby Hays Brook trail remains skiable to the Sheep Meadow and Grass Pond. No current report from the DEC of snow depth at Lake Colden; but Avalanche Pass, while it can probably be negotiated on skis, isn't recommended. Ice on Lake Colden and Avalanche Lake is crossable, but use caution around any inlets or outlets - especially the outlet to Avalanche Lake. Otherwise, many of the other ponds are now skateable, but it is entirely up to each individual to judge the safety for themselves. Comments either confirming or refuting this quick post-freezing rain analysis. UPDATE 12/24:
Not much new to report. DEC has not updated the snow depth at Lake Colden, but experience would indicate 6-9 ". Not enough to make Avalanche Pass really skiable. Cascade Lakes are fully frozen with skaters on the ice, so ice on Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden should be crossable. Still pay attention around any inlets or outlets - especially the outlet to Avalanche Lake. Mt. Van Hoevenberg reports 12km of their easier "legacy" trails are open, but after the Olympic trials, there is plenty of snow on the 4 km of competition trails. Unfortunately, no significant new snow in the forecast, but still no thaw that will invalidate the title of this post. Merry Christmas to all and a snowy New Year. UPDATE 12/21: Lake Road to Lower Ausable Lake can now be added to the skiable routes. Excellent conditions on Newcomb Lake Road, and double track was handy to deal with the crowds there Sunday. Boreas parking not plowed as of Sunday, and no use there as of that time. Additionally, Cascade X-C Ski Center is open of 3 km, but hopes the flurries this week will allow them to open more for the weekend. Original Sunday morning post: Good news, we did receive the promised 5-6" of new snow on Saturday and into Saturday night. Is was very fine snow and is actually quite dense, so even with no base many of the smoother trails will be skiable. Newcomb Lake Road to Camp Santanoni will be the best skiing as that road held some base, but Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds, Fish Pond and Hays Brook will also have enough snow to ski. Marcy Dam truck trail will be skiable, but still be aware that there are some rocks that, while covered, still present a hazard on any downhill. Connery Pond to Whiteface Landing probably needs another bit of snow to be really recommended. Mt. Van Hoevenberg will be working to groom their "Legacy" trails, but the intermediate and expert terrain on the competition trails has remained skiable on man-made snow through this thaw. Cascade X-C Ski Center has yet to report that they are open for skiing. The online report for the Paul Smith's VIC is not very informative regarding new snowfall or grooming, but it appears that most of the trail system is open for skiing. Finally, the Old Mt. Road and McKenzie Pass sections of the Jackrabbit Trail can probably be negotiated on skis, but great care will be needed on any downhill sections. The shorter Craig Wood and Lake Placid Club sections will be skiable. More information later as we get a chance to check out these trails. Going forward, temperatures will remain below freezing for all of the coming week, but no significant new snow is in the forecast; but at least it will be a white Christmas with some skiable snow.
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Trail Conditions 101Trail condition reports are posted frequently during the ski season. The Adirondack backcountry can be a hard place to predict with weather and trail conditions that often change rapidly. We can't offer the same detailed descriptions of trail conditions as groomed nordic centers. Archives
January 2022
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