Weekend weather saw a bit of rain along with a bit of snow, but not enough to change conditions from those reported below. There is still snow cover on all trails, but it is thin in spots. Surfaces are frozen granular, so the only skiing worth mentioning are the groomed centers that have enough snow to actually groom.

Mt. Van Hoevenberg has groomed and track-set their 4 km of competition trails where there is man-made snow plus "put some corduroy" on 4 km of the flattest Legacy trails.

Cascade reports about 8 km of terrain north of the brook as skiable.

Paul Smith's VIC had groomed about 9 km enough to produce a loose surface, but still warns about some this or slushy spots.

The weather this week will be mostly cooler than last week, so no further loss of snow; but no significant new snow. Not finally really cooling down now until next Sunday. The best plan may just be to sharpen up the Microspikes. 

UPDATE FRIDAY EVENING 1/26:
It rained on and off, mostly on, for about six hours on Friday up to about noon. Still something white on the ground everywhere,  but not much else good to say about the conditions. The groomed centers will have some tough evaluating to do tomorrow about what, or even whether,  to open.  We won't try to stay on top of that situation, so use the contact information on the reports below if you plan to ski at any of the centers.

Otherwise, maybe just pick up a subscription to Ski and Snowboard Live (https://skiandsnowboard.live/) and watch the World Cup sprints from Goms, Switzerland - where today it was also raining, but promised to be sunny tomorrow.

INTRODUCTION

The temperatures will be moderating over the weekend, but still some rain possible on Friday before temperatures only poke above freezing on Saturday, and then only reach freezing on Sunday . High on Monday will be low 20s, but back to highs in the upper 20s the rest of the week.  So far we haven't lost too much of the nice snow that we had accumulated, but unfortunately not much chance of any significant new snow to go one our base. In the absence of much new snow, Mt. Van Hoevenberg will surely be able to groom up their competition trails, and Paul Smiths should be able to do the same on most of their system.  Cascade will likely have to evaluate how aggressive their grooming can be. In any event, it doesn't seem that the backcountry will be very skiable - except for the gentlest terrain.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
         All sections remain covered, but surfaces will be frozen and fast once the temperature drops. Comments on the previous report reminded us of the logging ongoing between White Pine Camp and Jones Pond roads.

GROOMED CENTERS

        ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER)
         https://adk.org/cascade-welcome-center/   518-837-5047
           Km Open and Groomed:  ?  Track Set: ?  
          New snow:    Packed Base Depth: 3"   Off Track:5"   
          New Snow last 72 hours: 
          Surface Conditions: Wet powder
          Remarks: Closed to skiing on Thursday due to warm conditions. Hope to be open again with cooler temperatures  on the weekend. Fischer light backcountry waxable skis on sale for $50.00
Remember that Cascade is now owned by the Adirondack Mt. Club. Ski shop open as usual, and ADK members  ski free. 

         SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER - NEW
         10 km of groomed trails on Craig Wood Golf Course - rentals, lessons operated by High Peaks Cyclery. Trail fee of $15/day - $10/half-day. Residents of the Tri-Lakes area ski for free (Donations appreciated)       scottscobblenordic.com.
518-523-9811 or 518-523-3742

          KM Open and Groomed:  ?   Track Set: ?
         New snow:    Packed Base Depth:    Off track:   
          New snow past 72 hours: 
          Surface conditions:     Wer Powder       
          Remarks: No current report

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
        https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/daily-update/   518-523-2811
          Km Open and Groomed: 38  Track Set: 5 km  
          New snow:    Packed Base Depth: 15" on manmade snow, 2-3" on Legacy trails   Off track:  5"
          New snow past 72 hours: 
          Surface Conditions:  Wet powder and groomed granular  
         Remarks:  Legacy trails on X-C side open except for Porter plus most trails on the biathlon side. No set track on any legacy trails.

​           PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
         https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/  518-327-6241
           Km Groomed and Open: 25    Track Set: On most trails.   
           New Snow:   Packed Base Depth:  3"  Off track: 5" 
           New snow past 72 hours:  
           Surface Conditions:   Wet Powder
​           Remarks:  No current report, but enough base that the trails should remain skiable  Esker Loop still has a caution symbol.

            DEWEY MOUNTAIN:
           https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter  518-891-2697
            Km Open: 10  Track set: 5 km
           New Snow:      
           New snow past 72 hours: 
           Surface Conditions:  wet powder
           Remarks: Lower trails have good cover and mostly track-set before the snow. Upper trails ungroomed but very skiable .

           TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS
           https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/  518-359-8370
            Km Open: 10   Track set:    no mentiion
           New Snow:  ?   Base Depth: 5"    Off track: 6-8"   
           New snow past 72 hours:  ?
           Surface Conditions:  Powder
​           Remarks:  The system has been groomed, but no recent grooming due to warm conditions. Free Maxiglide in the sign-in booth.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS: (Reports below do not reflect the expected icy surfaces as the temperatures cool.)

                 Snow depth at Lake Colden:  31" as of DEC's Thursday, 1/25 report. 
                
                Skis or snowshoes are required by regulation in the High Peaks when the snow depth is  8" or above. Not now required at trailheads, but skis or snowshoes now required for those venturing to higher terrain. All storms to date have been definitely elevation-dependent, so expect much greater snow depth above 3,000 feet. And above 4,000 feet expect 5-6' since the earlier snow did not melt at that elevation.

WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL:  No report, but still not likely skiable until above the hiking trail portion.

MARCY TRAIL:  Now reported as thin until just above 50-meter bridge. Skiable from there to Indian Falls and beyond.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable starting at the Toll House. Some windblown sections on the usual turns.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable to Marcy Dam, but there may still be a few rocks that are not fully covered.

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Not skiable.    

AVALANCHE PASS:  Now skiable. Some rocks still to dodge between Marcy Dam and Avalanche Camp. Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden now being crossed. On Avalanche Lake be aware of possible thin ice at the outlet.  If in doubt, go to the right shore a few yards before the outlet and use the foot bridge to cross.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Skiable. Outlet to the pond is still not fully frozen, but some have found a way to cross the pond rather than skiing the bypass around the private land.

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL: Parking lot has been plowed so far this winter.  Some trees down from an earlier windstorm, but not a real problem, and otherwise good skiing, and gentle enough to be a possible alternative with icy conditions.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable to Fish Pond.  No current report on the lakes, but the ice is good as long as there is no slush underneath the snow.  

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Skiable with caution. No plowing beyond the end of the town road. This adds about a mile each way to the ski.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS:  Good cover to the ponds.  No spots had been plowed for parking as of 1/22. Please register if you ski there to help justify continued plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Near perfect conditions on that ski, and gentle enough to be a good alternative once the temperature drops. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Very skiable before the thaw, but now snowmobile tracks by Ausable Club workers will make it quite hard and fast.  

INTRODUCTION

The temperatures will be moderating this week from the weekend cold snap.  Perhaps moderating a bit too much, but so far it doesn't appear there will be all that much rain come Thursday (the warmest day), so we shouldn't lose too much of the nice snow that we have accumulated. And by next Sunday the temperatures are predicted to be back below freezing. We can't make any promises on the exact surface conditions as of next weekend, but the conditions below will prevail through Wednesday.  Updated report then when the forecast becomes clearer.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
         All sections are covered, and most rough spots are now covered. Still, be careful on any downhills. 

GROOMED CENTERS

        ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER)
         https://adk.org/cascade-welcome-center/   518-837-5047
           Km Open and Groomed:  15  Track Set: 12 km  
          New snow:  1"  Packed Base Depth: 5"   Off Track: 7"   
          New Snow last 72 hours: 1"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder
          Remarks:Good skiing with track set on most trails.    Fischer light backcountry waxable skis on sale for $50.00
Remember that Cascade is now owned by the Adirondack Mt. Club. Ski shop open as usual, and ADK members  ski free. 

         SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER - NEW
         10 km of groomed trails on Craig Wood Golf Course - rentals, lessons operated by High Peaks Cyclery. Trail fee of $15/day - $10/half-day. Residents of the Tri-Lakes area ski for free (Donations appreciated)       scottscobblenordic.com.
518-523-9811 or 518-523-3742

          KM Open and Groomed:  10   Track Set: Planned to do 1/18
         New snow:  1"  Packed Base Depth: 5"   Off track: 1-6"  
          New snow past 72 hours: 1"
          Surface conditions:     Packed Powder       
          Remarks: 

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
        https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/daily-update/   518-523-2811
          Km Open and Groomed: 35  Track Set: 5 km  
          New snow: 1"   Packed Base Depth: 15" on manmade snow, 3" on Legacy trails   Off track:  5"
          New snow past 72 hours: 1"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder  
         Remarks:  Legacy trails on X-C side open except for Porter plus most trails on the biathlon side. No set track on any legacy trails.

​           PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
         https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/  518-327-6241
           Km Groomed and Open: 30    Track Set: On most trails.   
           New Snow:  1" Packed Base Depth:  3-6"  Off track: 10" 
           New snow past 72 hours:  1"
           Surface Conditions:   Packed Powder
​           Remarks:    Esker Loop still has a caution symbol.

            DEWEY MOUNTAIN:
           https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter  518-891-2697
            Km Open: 10  Track set: 
           New Snow:   1"   
           New snow past 72 hours: 1"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
           Remarks: Lower trails have good cover, but a bit more snow needed to set track. Upper trails ungroomed but very skiable .

           TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS
           https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/  518-359-8370
            Km Open: 10   Track set:    no mentiion
           New Snow:  ?   Base Depth: 5"    Off track: 6-8"   
           New snow past 72 hours:  ?
           Surface Conditions:  Powder
​           Remarks:  Most of the system is groomed. No report on how much lake effect snow they received, but conditions are ideal.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                 Snow depth at Lake Colden:  35" as of DEC's Thursday, 1/18 report. 
                
                Skis or snowshoes are required by regulation in the High Peaks when the snow depth is  8" or above. Not now required at trailheads, but skis or snowshoes now required for those venturing to higher terrain. The weekend storms were  definitely elevation-dependent, so expect much greater snow depth above 3,000 feet. And above 4,000 feet expect 5-6' since the earlier snow did not melt at that elevation.

WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL:  No report, but still not likely skiable until above the hiking trail portion.

MARCY TRAIL:  Now reported as thin until just above 50-meter bridge. Skiable from there to Indian Falls and beyond.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable starting at the Toll House. Some windblown sections on the usual turns.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable to Marcy Dam, but there may still be a few rocks that are not fully covered.

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Now reported as skiable, but very thin.   

AVALANCHE PASS:  Now skiable. Some rocks still to dodge between Marcy Dam and Avalanche Camp. Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden now being crossed. On Avalanche Lake be aware of possible thin ice at the outlet.  If in doubt, go to the right shore a few yards before the outlet and use the foot bridge to cross.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Skiable. Outlet to the pond is still not fully frozen, but some have foind a way to cross the pond rather than skiing the bypass around the private land.

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL: Parking lot has been plowed so far this winter.  Some trees down from an earlier windstorm, but not a real problem, and otherwise good skiing.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable to Fish Pond.  No current report on the lakes, but the ice is good as long as there is no slush underneath the snow.  

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Skiable with caution. No plowing beyond the end of the town road. This adds about a mile each way to the ski.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS:  Good cover to the ponds.  No spots had been plowed for parking as of 1/15. Please register if you ski there to help justify continued plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Near perfect conditions on that ski. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Very skiable, but now being snowmobiled by Ausable Club workers.  

UPDATE: 1/17/24:
       First of all, thanks for the comments that have expanded on our knowledge of what's skiable - and what's not. Tuesday's somewhat unexpected 5' of light fluff has definitely improved conditions on many trails - particularly Connery Pond and Raquette Falls that seemed iffy before then. Tupper Lake had some good lake effect snow today, so those trails are in even better shape than they were last weekend when they were able to hold a race there. Given the recent high winds, downed trees will be an issue, but BETA should be able to take care of the trees on at least Hays Brook and Connery Pond in addition to the Jackrabbit Trail.  
         Meanwhile, Cascade Welcome Center is fully open with some set track. Van Ho has at least rolled most of their Legacy Trails (except Porter, so far), and the VIC has probably the best skiing. Bundle up for the weekend, but it's looking like good conditions underfoot.

INTRODUCTION

Even though it's now mid-January, this is report will seem more like an "early" winter report. However, with additional light snow periodically through the week, this weekend will offer a number of possibilities.  And it will be truly winter with weekend highs barely making it out of the single digits. Updates on this report as the week progresses. Right now, ungroomed areas are 1-3" inches on likely a somewhat breakable crust. We can hope that a few more inches and the crust won't be a problem.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
         All sections are covered, but this light powder does not fully cover up all the rough spots, so be careful - especially on any downhills. There may also be trees down as we haven't been able to sweep the entire trail.

        ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER)
         https://adk.org/cascade-welcome-center/   518-837-5047
           Km Open and Groomed:  15  Track Set:  
          New snow:  3"  Packed Base Depth: 3"   Off Track: 5"   
          New Snow last 72 hours: 3"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder
          Remarks: Thin cover but good skiing with most icy spots now covered. Not yet enough depth to set track.  Fischer light backcountry waxable skis on sale for $50.00
Remember that Cascade is now owned by the Adirondack Mt. Club. Ski shop open as usual, and ADK members  ski free. 

         SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER - NEW
         10 km of groomed trails on Craig Wood Golf Course - rentals, lessons operated by High Peaks Cyclery. Trail fee of $15/day - $10/half-day. Residents of the Tri-Lakes area ski for free (Donations appreciated)       scottscobblenordic.com.
518-523-9811 or 518-523-3742

          KM Open and Groomed:  10   Track Set: 
         New snow:  3"  Packed Base Depth: 3"   Off track: 1-6"  
          New snow past 72 hours: 3"
          Surface conditions:     Packed Powder       
          Remarks: Wind on Sunday made accumulation uneven. Grooming today, Monday, should be able to improve conditions. More detailed report by the end of the day.

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
        https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/daily-update/   518-523-2811
          Km Open and Groomed: 28  Track Set: 5 km  
          New snow: 3"   Packed Base Depth: 15" on manmade snow, 3" on Legacy trails   Off track:  5"
          New snow past 72 hours: 3"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder  
         Remarks:  Upper competition trails not open.  Legacy trails on X-C side open except for Porter plus a few trails on the biathlon side. Access to most biathlon-side trails blocked by construction on the pump house.

​           PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
         https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/  518-327-6241
           Km Groomed and Open: 30    Track Set: some - where possible   
           New Snow:  4" Packed Base Depth:  3-6"  Off track: 10" 
           New snow past 72 hours:  8"
           Surface Conditions:   Packed Powder
​           Remarks:   All trails open with set track where possible. Esker Loop still has a caution symbol.

            DEWEY MOUNTAIN:
           https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter  518-891-2697
            Km Open: 10  Track set: 
           New Snow:   3"   
           New snow past 72 hours: 7"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
           Remarks: Lower trails have good cover, but a bit more snow needed to set track. Upper trails ungroomed but skiable .

           TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS
           https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/  518-359-8370
            Km Open: 10   Track set:    no mentiion
           New Snow:  4-6"   Base Depth: 5"    Off track: 6-8"   
           New snow past 72 hours:  6-8"
           Surface Conditions:  Powder
​           Remarks:  Most of the system is groomed

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                 Snow depth at Lake Colden:  15" new. We'll await DEC's Thursday, 1/18 report. 
                
                Skis or snowshoes are required by regulation in the High Peaks when the snow depth is  8" or above. Not now required at trailheads, but skis or snowshoes now required for those venturing to higher terrain. The weekend storms were  definitely elevation-dependent, so expect much greater snow depth above 3,000 feet. And above 4,000 feet expect 5-6' since the earlier snow did not melt at that elevation.

WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL:  No report, but not likely skiable until above the hiking trail portion.

MARCY TRAIL:  Not yet skiable until some point short of Indian Falls

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable starting at the Toll House. Some windblown sections on the usual turns.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable to Marcy Dam, but not all rocks are fully covered.

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Not yet skiable.   

AVALANCHE PASS:  Upper part skiable, but no skiable connection to Marcy Dam.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  No report, but now likely skiable.

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL: No report on whether the parking lot has been plowed so far this winter, but with this new snow on a smooth road this is a good choice. Some trees down from an earlier windstorm.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Report says skiable to Fish Pond.  Lakes not  skiable.  

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Not likely skiable yet

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS:  Good cover to the ponds.  No spots had been plowed for parking as of 1/15. Please register if you ski there to help justify continued plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Near perfect conditions on that ski. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Covered and skiable, but with a breakable crust outside of a sometimes icy snowshoe track.  

With widely varied conditions, this is only a preliminary report. Saturday saw periods of rain with valley temperatures at or just below 40. By evening it was below freezing and areas to the west, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, and Paul Smiths ended up with 4" of new snow. Thus, much of the Paul Smiths VIC trails are now open and groomed, Dewey Mt. has their lower trails groomed, and Tupper Lake also reports having snow to groom.  Cascade Welcome Center, however, still reports patches of ice with metal edges recommended.  Mt. Van Hoevenberg reports 14 km open, including the flatter trails on the cross-country side of the road while also indicating icy patches and varied accumulation of snow due to wind.

A cold front comes through on Sunday night with isolated snow showers or even intense squalls. This will be followed by a cold week with high temperatures only in the low 20s and overnight temps near 10. There is a chance for additional light snow, so we should have much more to report by the end of the week. 

Leaving the previous post so we can believe that there is a chance for some decent winter conditions. Anyway, yesterday, 1/10, we had a few inches of snow followed by rain and temperatures near or above 40. Now it has cooled off, and the best we can say is that now we finally have a solid base. Unfortunately, not much new snow Thursday or Friday, and again temperatures near 40 on Saturday with a chance of more rain. Next week will see a cooling trend and some more snow showers, but how much will fall and where is to be determined.

For now, the best skiing is the 4 km of manmade snow at Mt. VanHoevenberg that has been groomed with track set. Cascade reports 4-5 km open on 2-3" of frozen granular, not for beginners, metal edges helpful, no track set. (Hey, at least they're open.) Paul Smiths reports 1-2" of frozen granular, 4 km open, and blowdown clearing in progress. 

Otherwise, no reports of anyone venturing out on any section of the Jackrabbit Trail, but we will definitely have to do a blowdown sweep before any significant new snow happens to fall. We'll try to monitor conditions in Newcomb because just 2-3" of new snow would make the Newcomb Lake Road quite skiable.

INTRODUCTION

The snow did not apparently fall evenly as areas east of Lake Placid only picked up 4-5" as opposed to the 8-10" in Keene and 10" west of Lake Placid. We're still gathering reports and the weather pattern going forward may change things, but here is the first full report with as much as we do know as of Monday evening.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
         All sections are covered, but this light powder does not fully cover up all the rough spots, so be careful - especially on any downhills.

        ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER)
         https://adk.org/cascade-welcome-center/   518-837-5047
           Km Open and Groomed:  10  Track Set:  
          New snow:  5"  Packed Base Depth: 3"   Off Track: 5"   
          New Snow last 72 hours: 5"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder
          Remarks: Thin cover but good skiing.  Fischer light backcountry waxable skis on sale for $50.00
Remember that Cascade is now owned by the Adirondack Mt. Club. Ski shop open as usual, and ADK members  ski free. 

         SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER - NEW
         10 km of groomed trails on Craig Wood Golf Course - rentals, lessons operated by High Peaks Cyclery. Trail fee of $15/day - $10/half-day. Residents of the Tri-Lakes area ski for free (Donations appreciated)       scottscobblenordic.com.
518-523-9811 or 518-523-3742

          KM Open and Groomed:  10   Track Set: 
         New snow:  5"  Packed Base Depth: 3"   Off track: 5"  
          New snow past 72 hours: 5"
          Surface conditions:     Packed Powder       
          Remarks: 

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
        https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/daily-update/   518-523-2811
          Km Open and Groomed: 30  Track Set: 5 km  
          New snow: 5"   Packed Base Depth: 15" on manmade snow, 3" on Legacy trails   Off track:  5"
          New snow past 72 hours: 5"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder  
         Remarks:  Upper competition trails not open.  Most legacy trails open except for Porter. 

​           PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
         https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/  518-327-6241
           Km Groomed and Open: 25    Track Set:   
           New Snow:  10" Packed Base Depth:  4"  Off track: 10" 
           New snow past 72 hours:  10"
           Surface Conditions:   Packed Powder
​           Remarks:   All trails open, most packed


            DEWEY MOUNTAIN:
           https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter  518-891-2697
            Km Open: 10  Track set: 
           New Snow:   8"   
           New snow past 72 hours: 8"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
           Remarks: Lower trails have good cover, but a bit more snow needed to set track. Upper trails ungroomed by skiable on 8-10" of new snow.

           TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS
           https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/  518-359-8370
            Km Open: 10   Track set:    
           New Snow:  6-8"   Base Depth: 3"    Off track: 6-8"   
           New snow past 72 hours:  6-8"
           Surface Conditions:  Powder
​           Remarks:  Most of the system is groomed

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                 Snow depth at Lake Colden:  15" new. We'll await DEC's Thursday, 1/11 report. 
                3-4' above 4,000 feet as the earlier snow did not melt at that elevation.
                Skis or snowshoes are required by regulation in the High Peaks when the snow depth is  8" or above. Not now required at trailheads, but skis or snowshoes now required for those venturing to higher terrain.

WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL:  No report, but not likely skiable just yet.

MARCY TRAIL:  Not yet skiable

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable starting at the Toll House. Some windblown sections, but that has been the one place there was skiing before this new snow.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiers have traversed this trail, but still pretty rough.

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Not yer skiable.   

AVALANCHE PASS:  Upper part skiable, but no skiable connection to Marcy Dam.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  No report, but not likely skiable.

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL: No report on whether the parking lot has been plowed so far this winter, but with 10" on a smooth road this is a good choice.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Report says skiable to Fish Pond.  Lakes not  skiable.  

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Not skiable yet

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS:  Good cover and broken out to the ponds.  No spots have been plowed for parking as of 1/7. Please register if you ski there to help justify continued plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Near perfect conditions on that ski. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: 6-8" of snow  and skiable to the lake. Thin under the thick trees at the start. Some vehicular traffic may have started  as of Monday, 1/8.  

MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: 
       Thanks for the reports on Gulf Brook Rd. and Fish Pond. Otherwise, Mt. Van Hoevenberg reports much of their Legacy trails (except Porter Mt. Loops) are open along with the lower competition trails. Cascade Welcome Center has about half their system open. Paul Smiths reports 10" of new snow and 10 km groomed with their big groomer. Other trails to be groomed with lighter equipment. No current report from Scotts Cobble, but that golf course terrain should be in good shape. Check later at this link: www.scottscobblenordic.com

The Keene, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake area has picked up 6-8" of beautiful, light powder with snow still falling as of 11 AM. Given that there is no base underneath this new snow, caution is still required on any downhills on any of the somewhat rougher trails. Newcomb Lake Road, Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds, Fish Pond, Hays Brook, and the Lake Road to the Lower Ausable Lake are all fully covered with likely no problems underneath the snow. Marcy Dam Truck Trail, the Whiteface Landing Trail, and any stretch of the Jackrabbit Trail could still have dangers lurking under the snow.  

We'll have a more complete report on Monday after the snow has stopped, but for now, "Ski it While You Can" as the midweek forecast is not so good. 

FRIDAY SNOW AND WEATHER UPDATE:
 
Only about 2" of snow fell from Saranac Lake west to Paul Smiths, so no skiing there for tomorrow, Saturday. Later Saturday and into Sunday, we could see 4-6" of new snow. This will be our "share" of a major coastal storm. By now, we should have learned not count our inches until they fall. We can always hope for a sharp "left turn" on the storm's track that will bring more snow; but a rightward move would produce less. we're still looking at a day of above-freezing temperatures on Wednesday, but so far only light precipitation - be it rain or snow. 

Wednesday night the Lake Placid area picked up 3-4" of light snow, but there was not much base for this snow to fall on. Nevertheless, Cascade Welcome Center now reports about 4 km of their easier terrain open on admittedly thin cover. Mt. Van Hoevenberg has 5 km of the competition trails open and tracked, but none of the Legacy trails are shown as open.

Scotts Cobble Nordic Center reports having rolled the new snow, but skiing is not recommended until there is more snow. Paul Smith's VIC has not updated their conditions since 12/26. We'll try to find out more tomorrow for the weekend.

There is a chance of some more light snow this weekend, and then a bigger storm system in the middle of next week. Unfortunately, it will be borderline as far as rain or snow. We will monitor this as the time approaches. 

Meanwhile, the Whiteface Highway probably remains the best skiing outside of the man-made loops at mt. Van Hoevenberg.