BRIEF UPDATE BEFORE THE WEEKEND

Trail conditions have not changed significantly since our report at the beginning of the week.  Mercifully, it has stayed cold all week with single digit temps at night, so at least the snow we have has been preserved.  

National Weather Service forecasts snow showers through the weekend and into early next week with temps hovering above freezing during the day and just below freezing at night.  This could be just a dusting or we could get lucky with a "foot of flurries"...time will tell.

For this weekend we refer you to the last conditions report for recommendations on where to ski.  All the groomed nordic centers will be in great shape and can be highly recommended.  Avalanche Pass has been regularly skied and will only improve with a few more inches at higher elevations, though the Marcy Dam truck trail is still the better approach for nordic touring into that area.  

All sections of the Jackrabbit Trail will have good cover with the exception of the long downhill from McKenzie Pass to McKenzie Pond, which is still in rough shape.  We don't recommend skiing that section, except if traveling toward Lake Placid.  Caution still required on steeper descents throughout the trail - watch out for open drainages, water bars, bare spots, barely covered rocks and ice flows.   

BRIEF CONDITIONS UPDATE:
Last week the Jackrabbit Trail saw a ton of traffic and we went into the weekend with a very compacted base on all but the most obscure sections.  On Saturday we skied from Rock & River in Keene to downtown Saranac Lake, the main 25-mile section of the trail.  Skiing was fast with good cover almost everywhere, with the exception of the long downhill on the Saranac Lake side of McKenzie Pass, which cannot be recommended except maybe for the hardiest of skiers on metal edge skis.  That side of the pass suffered some washouts from the big warm-up and rain on Jan 11-12 and has yet to recover.  There are large sections with partially exposed rock and bare patches in places where it is very difficult to slow down.   

On Saturday afternoon it rained for 1-2 hours starting around 1pm, switching to snow around sunset.  We picked up 1-2 inches of wet snow overnight on Saturday, and a few more inches throughout the afternoon on Sunday.  Ultimately it was a net gain for the ski trails but we're left with some wet snow covering slush which will make skiing challenging in some places.  

The smoother sections of the Jackrabbit Trail close to Lake Placid are again very skiable, the Old Mt. Road  section can be recommended but use caution descending toward Keene and around the beaver ponds.  There is mostly good cover but some "wonky" sections.  Craig Wood Golf Course to River Rd., River Rd. to the Lake Placid Club Golf Courses, and the Peninsula Section are again in good shape.  The section heading toward Saranac Lake from Whiteface Inn Lane held a base and is good skiing to the top of the pass for the most part, but be on the lookout for water bars and a few broad wet areas that may have turned into ice flows.  Near the top of the pass on the LP side there is a small washout that isn't quite covered with snow again that requires caution.  As noted above the section descending from the top of the pass to McKenzie Pond cannot be recommended, there are many hazards on the entire descent. From McKenzie Pond to McKenzie Pond Rd and over to NCCC is good to go.  From Lake Clear there is a good snowmobile track on the power line heading toward Paul Smiths, and the skiing from Easy St to the VIC will be good as well.  

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
            Snowshoes or skis are required in the High Peaks when there is 12" or more of snow on the ground.   There is again about 24" at Lake Colden and 3-4 feet at 4,000 feet. 

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable with good cover.

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Skiable with caution as some log staircases/bog bridges are still exposed, and some larger rocks still not covered.

AVALANCHE PASS:  Still somewhat rough past Marcy Dam, but the pass itself is in good shape.  Lake ice on Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden is being crossed. Be cautious around all inlets and outlets - especially the outlet to Avalanche Lake where the safest course is to exit on the western shore and cross the outlet on the bridge.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Skiable with good cover.
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HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow,  

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely fully covered from the parking area.  

28TH ANNUAL SKI TO SWIM PARTY

On Sunday we celebrated the 28th "pool party" at the Crowne Plaza Resort.  This is our favorite FUN-raiser and member appreciation event of the year.  26 people, including over a dozen kids, skied the Theresa's Tour from Cascade XC Center to downtown Lake Placid.  We were excited to welcome a couple new families to the area who joined BETA for the first time at the pool party, as well as many pool party veterans.  A fun time was had by all thanks in part to our event supporters - Crowne Plaza Resort, Big Slide Brewery, Origin Coffee Co, Outpost Wine & Spirits, Long Run Wealth and Lakeview Deli.  Huge thanks to everyone! 

1/19 UPDATE:

     In the end, only 2-3"of new snow, but conditions now are good on any place except the low-lying routes that are particularly rough like Raquette Falls.  Other minor updates are included below.

1/18/20 UPDATE:

      The chance for some more significant snow has increased with perhaps 4-6" now possible by Sunday at noon. If that actually happens, most of the trails that still had a few rocks showing will be fully covered, and rougher trails such as Raquette Falls will finally be skiable.  Stay tuned.

INTRODUCTION

      Yesterday the area picked up 4-6" of somewhat dense powder snow.  Where there was still a base, this wet snow will tend to stick to the base and make for some good skiing for the weekend. While it will be cold and blistery today, temperatures will moderate to the 20s and near 30 on Sunday before dropping back to the teens for highs Monday through Wednesday.  Skiers should be aware that the thaw finished with high winds on Sunday, and we weren't able to get out and check every trail for blowdown during the "window" before yesterday's snow.

         JACKRABBIT TRAIL
        The smoother sections close to Lake Placid are again very skiable, the Old Mt. Road  section can be recommended with caution because there was very little base left after the thaw.  Craig Wood Golf Course to River Rd., River Rd. to the Lake Placid Club Golf Courses, and the Peninsula Section are again in good shape.  The section heading toward Saranac Lake from Whiteface Inn Lane held a base and is good skiing to the top of the pass.  The upper part of the descent to mcKenzie Pond is probably fine, but there was virtually no base left on the trail in from McKenzie Pond Rd,, so be aware that there are likely hazards on the lower third of the descent. It is thin but skiable in as far as the pond. Update: If we get the predicted4-6", all will be skiable. 

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed: 15   KmTrack Set: 10
          New snow:  3".    Base Depth: 5"  Off Track 9"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder 
          Remarks:  Restaurant and ski shop open

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  49    Km Track Set: 30
          New snow:  3".    Base Depth: 5"  off Track 12"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder 
          Remarks: Everything except the outer loop of the Ladies 5 km. Track set everywhere except East Mt. and Porter Mt.
​

           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open and Groomed:  37  
           New Snow:   3".    Base Depth: 8"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
       Remarks:  All trails groomed with some track-setting planned for Friday.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
            Snowshoes or skis are required in the High Peaks when there is 12" or more of snow on the ground.   There is again about 24" at Lake Colden and 3-4 feet at 4,000 feet. 

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Just enough cover to ski with caution. The rocks are still not really "covered", just "disguised".

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Possibly skiable, but not recommended.

AVALANCHE PASS:  Still somewhat rough past Marcy Dam, but the pass itself is in good shape.  Lake ice on Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden is being crossed. Be cautious around all inlets and outlets - especially the outlet to Avalanche Lake where the safest course is to exit on the western shore and cross the outlet on the bridge.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Skiable with caution as not all rocks are covered.  Some washouts, but all are easily crossable. 
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HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow,  Some blowdown past the crossing of Hays Brook.  Two of the trees are a bit of an effort to get around, but they don't detract from the overall experience.  Use caution on the steep hill that descends to Hays Brook.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely fully covered from the parking area.  

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area has been plowed, but not after this recent snowfall. Still doable with 4WD, and just a bit harder with 2WD.  Some culverts washed out in the Halloween storm, but the first is crossable, and the second only requires a short detour.  Trail broken as far as the inner gate.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: 6" new snow on a 6" base. Definitely still the best skiing. Moose Pond Trail also has good cover, but there is an undetermined amount of  uncleared blowdown.

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Now can be recommended for skiing with 4" of new snow on an icy base. 

Status as of Thursday morning:

     While not really predicted as recently as Monday, we have picked up 4-6" of somewhat wet powder with more possible by the end of the day. The fact that it is somewhat wet snow is perhaps good in that it will stick to the icy base - at least in places (see below) where there was some base left.  The x-c centers will be grooming, and should have most of their terrain open for the weekend.  All the gentle backcountry routes and most, if not all, of the Jackrabbit Trail will be skiable.  Some of the rougher terrain such as Avalanche Pass will probably be skiable, but the Wright Peak and Marcy ski trails are still probably not ready.  

      Tomorrow, Friday, will see highs only in the single digits with some high winds, but weekend temperatures will be mid-20's to 30 before cooling to highs only in the teens through Wednesday.  No significant additional snow is in the forecast so far, but at least we'll hold on to what we get today.

​        A more complete report tomorrow after the x-c centers have groomed and we can get out and see what's skiable.

After a drive "around the block" yesterday, I can report that all is not lost.  The snow is pretty much gone in Keene and is thin in Lake Placid and thinner in Saranac Lake, but there is still some good base left to the west and south.  Surfaces are hard and icy, but 3-4" of new snow will make a good deal of the gentler terrain skiable again.  This will happen slowly through the week with the best chance of more significant snow on Saturday.  Friday will be quite cold, but Saturday and Sunday will see temperatures in the low to mid-20s before cooling off again on Monday, MLK Day.  
Warning: High winds accompanied the thaw, so there may be new downed trees on any of the trails. 

Specifically:

Marcy Dam Truck Trail - 2-3" if ice or hard crust left, but the ground is covered.

Jackrabbit Trail - The section starting at Whiteface Inn Lane retained consistent snow: 5" at the trailhead.  McKenzie Pond Rd. end virtually bare as are the Old Mt. Road and the golf course sections.  The Paul Smiths Section had 10" at the Easy Street Crossing, but less toward the VIC.

Hays Brook Truck Trail - 3-4" at the trailhead.  Note in the register says Forest Ranger Scott Sabo cleared the trail as of 12/12.  Looking for confirmation from the ranger that all trees to the Sheep Meadow have been cleared.

Fish Pond Truck Trail - Also 3-4" at the trailhead, so skiable with some new snow.

Newcomb Lake Road - 4-5" in the road where it had been packed down, and 6-8" off trail.

Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds - The parking is now being plowed and there is about 6" of snow at the south-facing trailhead.  Note in the register says, "culvert #1 impassable", but is was definitely passable a month ago.  

Ausable Lake Road - No cover at the gate under the thick trees, but likely some after 1/2 mile.

These condition reports are provided by the Bark Eater Trails Alliance (BETA), continuing a service started by the Adirondack Ski Touring Council.  BETA continues as a mostly volunteer-driven organization (no pay for yesterday's drive), but the organization now does field a small, paid trail crew to work on routine maintenance of the vastly expanded trail network while also working on the many opportunities for new trail construction now that the Saranac Lake Wild Forest plan has been approved.  The organization also has a full-time, paid executive director to coordinate all of the above activities, not to mention the cost of keeping this site active.  
So, if you've never contributed to BETA but find these reports useful. please consider going to the organization's website, www.betatrails.org, and making a contribution using PayPal or most credit cards.  Thanks

FURTHER UPDATE 1/10/20

      Mixed rain and snow has started to fall as of 9AM in the Lake Placid/Keene area.  Temperatures rose overnight from 14 degrees at 10 PM to 30 degrees at 7 AM. The current forecast calls for a flood watch for this area with a winter storm watch further to the north.  The winter storm will be mostly freezing rain.  Below is the current map of the two watch areas.  Of course it all depends on exactly how this storm tracks.  In any event, we are not going to try to provide hourly updates on this site.  We'll just get out Monday and do a damage assessment.  Here's the map:



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UPDATE 1/9/20

       Since Monday we have picked up 2-3 more inches of light snow, so no real change in the conditions.  The forecast still calls for warming temperatures tomorrow, Friday, with some rain or sleet possible by evening followed by even warmer temperatures on Saturday with rain that could continue into Sunday before it cools down.  We may get some snow at the tail end of this weather pattern, and so far we shouldn't lose all of the base we've slowly accumulated.  We'll  update this report when it is possible to know what the skiing will be like next week; but there is not much that we can say that's good about the weekend  

INTRODUCTION

      While most areas only received the 3" of the predicted 3-5", skiing is now quite good in many areas.  Generally cold temperatures are predicted or the coming week with additional chances for additional light snow.  So get out and ski if you can.

        Unfortunately, by the end of the week we will again be facing temperatures near 40, so "two steps forward and one step back". 

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
        The smoother sections close to Lake Placid are again very skiable, the Old Mt. Road and the McKenzie Pass sections can be recommended with caution.  Specifically, Craig Wood Golf Course to River Rd., River Rd. to the Lake Placid Club Golf Courses, and the Peninsula Section are in good shape.  The section heading toward Saranac Lake from Whiteface Inn Lane is skiable for the first half-mile with good skiing from there to the top of the pass. The descent to McKenzie Pond is only really skiable going up, but it is thin but skiable in as far as the pond.  

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed: 15   KmTrack Set: 10
          New snow:  1".    Base Depth: 4"  Off Track 7"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder with icy spots
          Remarks:  Restaurant and ski shop open

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  49    Km Track Set: 30
          New snow:  1".    Base Depth: 4"  off Track 7"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder with icy spots
          Remarks: 

           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open and Groomed:  37  
           New Snow:   2".    Base Depth: 6"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
           Remarks:  Grooming in progress, and skiing is again recommended.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
            Snowshoes or skis are required in the High Peaks when there is 12" or more of snow on the ground.   There is again about 12" at Lake Colden and 2-3 feet at 4,000 feet. As noted above, traction required on most trails and summits.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Just enough cover to ski with caution. The rocks are not really "covered", just "disguised".

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Not yet skiable.

AVALANCHE PASS:  Now just barely skiable past Marcy Dam, but the pass itself is in reasonably good shape.  Lake ice on Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden is being crossed. Be cautious around all inlets and outlets - especially the outlet to Avalanche Lake where the safest course is to exit on the western shore and cross the outlet on the bridge.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  May finally be skiable.

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow,  Some blowdown past the crossing of Hays Brook.  Two of the trees are a bit of an effort to get around, but they don't detract from the overall experience.  Use caution on the steep hill that descends to Hays Brook.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely fully covered from the parking area.  A comment on an earlier report says that the big hill two miles in from the register is now skiable, and that the downed trees that were a hazard have been cleared. No report of conditions beyond the side road to St. Regis Pond outlet.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area still hasn't been plowed as of 12/31, and parking on Blue Ridge Rd. is not ideal. Some culverts washed out in the Halloween storm, but they are crossable and will be more easily negotiated as we get more snow.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: 2" new snow on a 6" base. Definitely still the best choice for this week. Trees downed by the icing of the past few days had been cleared as far as the Moose Pond junction as of 12/31. Moose Pond Trail also has good cover, but there is an undetermined amount of  uncleared blowdown.

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Now can be recommended for skiing with 2-3" of new snow on a thin but firm base. 

UPDATE 1/4/2020​
       Two days of warm temperatures have again reduced the available terrain, but snow (3-5") is forecast for tonight and tomorrow.  That should allow the X-C Ski centers to get more than the 5km they have open right now.  Paul Smith's VIC still reports over 30km open, but surfaces are hard and fast as the temperatures dropped below freezing after the warm weather Friday.  So for today, it will be the flatter, smoother terrain that's skiable.

​          Continued cold with additional snow during the week, but Friday is again predicted to be above freezing, so we'll have to watch that for next weekend.

INTRODUCTION

      Continued light snow and a few snow squalls on Wednesday further improved conditions for skiing, but the pond skating is over for the moment. 

      Temperatures will remain warmer than normal through Saturday, and now there could be periods of rain.  Whether that will reduce what we have on the ground remains to be seen.  And be aware that many hiking trails are still quite icy with traction aids (Microspikes or crampons) pretty much mandatory. 

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
        The smoother sections close to Lake Placid are again skiable, but neither the Old Mt. Road or the McKenzie Pass sections can be recommended at this time.  Specifically, Craig Wood Golf Course to River Rd., River Rd. to the Lake Placid Club Golf Courses, and the Peninsula Section.  The section heading toward Saranac Lake from Whiteface Inn Lane will be rough for the first half-mile, but good skiing from there to the top of the pass.  All of these sections still demand caution as not every rought spot is likely covered.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed: 8   KmTrack Set: 3
          New snow:  3".    Base Depth: 3"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder with icy spots
          Remarks:  Restaurant and ski shop open

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  30    Km Track Set: 30
          New snow:  3".    Base Depth: 3" 
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder with icy spots
          Remarks: All trails except Ladies 5 km, East Mt. and Porter Mt.
           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open and Groomed:  37  
           New Snow:   4-5".    Base Depth: 6"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
           Remarks:  Grooming in progress, and skiing is again recommended.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
            Snowshoes or skis are required in the High Peaks when there is 12" or more of snow on the ground.   There is again about 12" at Lake Colden and 2-3 feet at 4,000 feet. As noted above, traction required on most trails and summits.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle, but there may be windblown stretches.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Just enough cover to ski with caution. 

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Not yet skiable.

AVALANCHE PASS:  Not yet really skiable past Marcy Dam.  Lake ice on Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden is being crossed. Be cautious around all inlets and outlets - especially the outlet to Avalanche Lake where the safest course is to exit on the western shore and cross the outlet on the bridge.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  May finally be skiable.

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow,  Some blowdown past the crossing of Hays Brook.  Two of the trees are a bit of an effort to get around, but they don't detract from the overall experience.  Use caution on the steep hill that descends to Hays Brook.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely fully covered from the parking area.  A comment on an earlier report says that the big hill two miles in from the register is now skiable, and that the downed trees that were a hazard have been cleared. No report of conditions beyond the side road to St. Regis Pond outlet.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area still hasn't been plowed as of 12/31, and parking on Blue Ridge Rd. is not ideal. Some culverts washed out in the Halloween storm, but they are crossable and will be more easily negotiated as we get more snow.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: 2" new snow on a 6" base. Definitely still the best choice for this week. Trees downed by the icing of the past few days had been cleared as far as the Moose Pond junction as of 12/31. Moose Pond Trail also has good cover, but there is an undetermined amount of  uncleared blowdown.

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Now can be recommended for skiing with 2-3" of new snow on a thin but firm base. 

BURN ROAD IN THE WHITNEY WILDERNESS AREA NEAR BIG TUPPER LAKE:  Skiable with new snow on a firm 2" base.