Ski Trail Conditions
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Quick Saturday afternoon update:
Mt. Van Hoevenberg is now reporting all trails open and track-set. Dewey Mt. now has groomed most trails. Tupper Lake has groomed their 8" of new snow. The other areas were already reporting full operation. Warmer today than originally predicted (15-20 rather than 10 for a high). Forecast for Sunday says highs in the upper 20s, and then low 30s for the rest of the week with some new snow on Tuesday. We can only hope that these predictions hold up. Ski it while you can! INTRODUCTION Yes! The forecasts were right and we picked up, depending on location, 6-10" of nice dry snow. All groomed centers are again in full or nearly-full operation with grooming ongoing during the day. Some backcountry trails only had limited base left, but most managed to survive the thaw and are again good skiing. We'll update those reports as we have a chance to check out those trails. The DEC has issued an avalanche warning given that this new snow has fallen on a hard, frozen base. and can easily slide off. Beyond that, this report will not specifically assess the danger on any particular slide. Friday and Saturday will be quite cold with overnight temperatures below zero and daytime highs only 10 on Friday and 15 on Saturday. Sunday will be near freezing as will the first days of next week, but so far no thaw in sight . JACKRABBIT TRAIL All sections can again be skied, and most, if not all hazards are fully covered. Still somewhat thin is the start of the trail to McKenzie Pond from McKenzie Pond Road where there wasn't much base left. We'll pass along reports as the various sections are broken out, but experience as of Thursday afternoon indicates that this light snow is easy for making tracks. As of Thursday afternoon, the Old Mt. Road section has been broken out. Less snow (3-4") on the Lake Placid end, but fully skiable end to end. 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: 15km New snow: 7" Packed Base Depth: 4-6" Off Track 10-12" New Snow last 72 hours: 7" Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: Entire system open with track set or being set on all trails. 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. Free for residents of the Tri-Lakes area. $15/day, $10/half-day for others. . scottscobblenordic.com KM Open and Groomed: 15 Track Set: 15 New snow: 7" Packed Base Depth: 3-4" Off track: 7-10" New snow past 72 hours: 7" Remarks: No current report, but the smooth golf course terrain should allow the area to be fully open. MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/nordic-sliding-centers/conditions 518-523-2811 Km Open and Groomed: 50 Track Set: 30 New snow: 7" Packed Base Depth: 6-8" Off track: 10-12" New snow past 72 hours: 7" Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: One part of the online report says all trails rolled with track set on the cross-country side and the competition trails. The trail by trail report indicates only that the biathlon side trails are open but not groomed. We'll check back later today. Eastern Collegiate championships on Friday and Saturday. Lake Placid Loppet on Sunday. PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: https://trailhub.org/ts/AJqsdStcVzW7Mjrr4MJh 518-327-6241 Km Open: 40 20 km of set track New Snow: 8-10" Packed Base Depth: 10-12"" Off track: 15-20" New snow past 72 hours: 8-10" Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: Jenkins Mt. Backcountry Ski Zone is again open. Use requires a helmet and skins for climbing. Wider trails groomed and track-set with the big groomer. Narrower trails being groomed during the day. DEWEY MOUNTAIN: https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter 518-891-2697 Km Open: Track set: New Snow: New snow past 72 hours Surface Conditions: Lower trails groomed with track set in most places. Upper trails still ungroomed but skiable. Remarks: TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/ 518-359-8370 Km Open: Track set: New Snow: 8" Base Depth: ? Off track: ? New snow past 72 hours: 8" Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: New snow has been groomed. Good conditions for Saturday's "Brewski" event. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS: Snow depth at Lake Colden: 37" as per DEC's Thursday report 5-6' above 4,000 feet Skis or snowshoes are required by regulation in the High Peaks as the snow depth is now well above the 8" threshold. Snowshoes still advisable on all other backcountry terrain, and good traction will be needed where there is ice under the new snow.. WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL: Again, enough cover to be skiable above the hiking trail, but probably still not enough to get there and back on skis. MARCY TRAIL: Still likely somewhat marginal up as far as Indian Falls. Good skiing above Indian Falls. WHITEFACE HIGHWAY: Skiable starting at the Toll House. Usual thin areas likely covered as previous wet snow fell without any significant wind. MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL: Skiable, but caution is still advised as the recent thaw exposed some of the rocks that will not be fully covered by this light snow. Also, some blowdown in the trail. One may again require stepping over. Another requires a short detour to get around. All others only partially block the trail. HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Skiable, but the Truck Trail remains the better choice. AVALANCHE PASS: Skiable all the way to Lake Colden, but still not at true mid-winter conditions as a few rocks are still exposed and there are dips for stream crossings. Ice on Avalanche Lake crossable, but use caution at the outlet. If in doubt, take the trail on the west (right) side about 50 yds. before the actual outlet and use the bridge to cross the outlet. Still some rocks to avoid on the way to Avalanche Camp. CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING: Conditions are good to Whiteface Landing, and one can now cross the pond to avoid the initial hills. Those first hills are finally in good shape for those preferring not to cross the pond. One downed tree on the initial hills, but otherwise the trail is clear. HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL: The parking lot has been plowed so far this winter. Hope that continues. Skiing is close to perfect to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow. FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL: Very skiable on the truck trail to Fish Pond along with the side trails. Lakes are skiable as well, but some intermittent areas of slush may be present. RAQUETTE FALLS: No specific report, but it should be skiable with caution on any downhill under thick hemlocks that have blocked the snow. GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Good skiing with the new snow. A few spots have been plowed for parking. NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Near perfect conditions on that ski. AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: 3-4" of packed base at the gate, and again skiable to the lake, but vehicular traffic does make the skiing a bit less enjoyable..
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Wednesday evening update: Still not much snow falling as of 7:00 PM, but the forecast is still calling for 7-12". We'll update again on Thursday, but over the years we've learned not to count our inches until they fall.
As of Monday afternoon, 2/20, the National Weather Service is predicting some snow and a brief return to colder than normal temperatures. There will be snow showers most days this week, but the best chance for snow is on Thursday. As of now, no prediction on how much, and we need at least 4" to cover up the crust and fill in the bare spots. Friday looks to be a very cold day with highs in the low teens, followed by upper teens on Saturday. Sunday appears to start a warming trend with highs in the upper 20s. So, stay tuned. We'll update Wednesday evening when, hopefully, we'll be able to predict a significant snowfall on Thursday. In the meantime, conditions as reported below haven't changed very much despite another day of above freezing temperatures. Saturday Afternoon update: Beautiful day to be out doing most anything. Only real update is to report that the Old Mt. Road and McKenzie Pass sections of the Jackrabbit Trail are being skied. Thin in spots - especially the Saranac Lake end of the McKenzie Pass section. So, these and other sections can now be rated as 'skiable' - metal-edged skis strongly recommended.
Saturday Morning update: In the end, not much new to report. No additional snow overnight, so most areas just have a dusting to 1/2" on the crust. The exception is Paul Smith's VIC which reports all of 1-1/2" new. full groomed center report below. No additional information on whether any backcountry routes beside the ones mentioned below are really skiable. 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: ? km New snow: Packed Base Depth: 3-4" Off Track 5-6" New Snow last 72 hours: Surface Conditions: Groomed granular Remarks: All trails north of the brook are open and groomed with track set on most trails where possible. 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. Free for residents of the Tri-Lakes area. $15/day, $10/half-day for others. . scottscobblenordic.com KM Open and Groomed: 5 Track Set: 0 Remarks: Partially open. Fat tire bike demo day today MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/nordic-sliding-centers/conditions 518-523-2811 Km Open and Groomed: 35 Track Set: 30 New snow: Packed Base Depth: 3-4" Off track: 5-6" New snow past 72 hours: Surface Conditions: Groomed granular Remarks: Competition trails and x-c side trails open with variable surfaces. PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: https://trailhub.org/ts/AJqsdStcVzW7Mjrr4MJh 518-327-6241 Km Open and Groomed: 35 Track Set: ? New Snow: 1-1/2" Packed Base Depth: 6" Off track: 10" New snow past 72 hours: 1-1/2" Surface Conditions: Groomed granular Remarks: Jenkins Mt. Backcountry Ski Zone closed. Most other trails open with the wider trails recently groomed and providing the best skiing. DEWEY MOUNTAIN: https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter 518-891-2697 Km Open: ? Track set:? New Snow: New snow past 72 hours Surface Conditions: Granular Remarks: Lower mountain had been open and groomed, but no post-thaw report. TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/ 518-359-8370 Km Open: Track set: New Snow: 1" Base Depth: Off track: New snow past 72 hours: Surface Conditions: Remarks: No post-thaw report. All we can say as of Friday afternoon is that at least some snow remains on the popular backcountry routes and at the groomed centers. Temperatures have dropped below freezing, and we have picked up a dusting to 1/2 inch of new snow. We may pick up a bit more overnight, but the best skiing for the weekend will either be at the groomed centers or on the flattest terrain. Look for another update Saturday morning when know how much snow actually fell overnight. As for the weather, Saturday will be clear with high temperatures in the mid to upper 20s. Sunday is again above freezing, as is Monday. Then it cools off a bit for the rest of next week with the chance of some more light snow, but still no major new snow in the forecast. So far, judging by the reports from the cross-country centers, the best skiing will be at the Paul Smith's VIC. Paul Smith's VIC: They report all trails open except for the Jenkins Mt. Backcountry Ski Zone. Better skiing on the wide trails that are groomed with the heavy equipment, but the narrower trails can be skied with caution. Mt. Van Hoevenberg: Reports good skiing on the competition loops where there is man-made snow, but caution on the Legacy trails where the cover is too thin to really groom - and only the trails on the X-C side of the road are listed as open. ADK Cascade Welcome Center: Most trails reported as groomed and open as of Friday afternoon Jackrabbit Trail: Not sure if any full section can be recommended until we get more snow. Backcountry Trails: Lake Colden still has 27" of snow, but surfaces will be fast and icy until we pick up at least another 4" of snow. We'll wait until a few skiers get out and try that terrain before making any definite reports of conditions. Best bets are the Newcomb Lake Road to Camp Santanoni, where there is the February open house for the Great Camp, and Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds. This Valentines Day update is not one to 'love'. Temperatures will be near 50 on Wednesday with rain possibly starting in the afternoon. Then it's 90% chance of rain on Thursday, continuing into Friday before it cools down Friday night. Saturday will remain cold, but warm up by Sunday, and more rain is possible on Monday.
So, as the one comment on the previous report noted, it is 'spring skiing' conditions - i.e. hard and fast in the morning, but softening as the day warms up. Except when it rains all day and melts the base. Given this forecast, the best skiing on Saturday will be at the groomed centers. Once it warms up on Sunday, backcountry routes will be good - unless the warm weather has melted the snow and created bare spots. We'll update on Friday and again on Saturday morning with the reports from the groomed centers. It will take a bit longer to determine which backcountry routes, including the Jackrabbit Trail, still have enough cover to be skiable. Oh well, this isn't the first time we've lost a lot of snow in February followed by several more weeks of good skiing in March. Stay tuned, and don't give up on the season just yet. Anyway, overall conditions haven't changed much in the past few days, but after a cool-down tomorrow, Saturday, 2/11, we will again be seeing temperatures above freezing each day. By Wednesday, the highs could be around 50, which start to actually melt the nice base we have built up. So far, weekend conditions look pretty good.
If you might be interested in a somewhat different Nordic experience, Saturday and Sunday will feature World Cup ski jumping on Lake Placid's 120-meter jump - the "big hill". As best as I can tell, this website will most efficiently produce the information needed to buy a ticket to the event. https://lakeplacidlegacysites.com/todo/fis-ski-jumping-world-cup/ UPDATE 2/6/23: Additional minor updates. Still warm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. We'll post the local weekend conditions on Wednesday, 2/8.
UPDATE 2/5/23: The extreme cold is behind us, and snow conditions remain pretty much the same as reported below. Near or slightly above freezing temperatures will be the norm through Wednesday with a chance of light snow. Thursday and Friday will see temperatures near 40 and a chance of some light rain, grading to light snow in the evenings. So far, no major thaw in sight as it cools again by Saturday. Next update on Wednesday, 2/8, when we have a better idea of just how warm it might be at the end of the week along with a better idea of weather for the coming weekend. INTRODUCTION No new snow this past week, so conditions underfoot remain about the same. What will change for Friday and Saturday is very cold temperatures (Friday's will be -10 in Lake Placid, then just above zero on Saturday), but warming to around freezing on Sunday followed by highs above freezing for the rest of the week. No significant new snow predicted during the week, but not likely any melting either with temperatures only slightly above freezing. JACKRABBIT TRAIL All sections can now be skied, and most, if not all hazards are fully covered. Still somewhat thin is the start of the trail to McKenzie Pond from McKenzie Pond Road, and there may still be exposed roots under the thickest trees. The rest of the trail, McKenzie Pond to Whiteface Inn Lane, is good skiing. The Old Mountain Road section is also good skiing with just a few areas where water in the trail requires a bit of maneuvering to avoid. 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: 15km New snow: Packed Base Depth: 6--8" Off Track 8-10" New Snow last 72 hours: Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: Entire system open with track set on most trails. 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. Free for residents of the Tri-Lakes area. $15/day, $10/half-day for others. . scottscobblenordic.com KM Open and Groomed: 15 Track Set: 15 Remarks: Fully open. MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/nordic-sliding-centers/conditions 518-523-2811 Km Open and Groomed: 50 Track Set: 45 New snow: Packed Base Depth: 6-8" Off track: 8-10" New snow past 72 hours: Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: All track-set except the Ladies 5km. PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: https://trailhub.org/ts/AJqsdStcVzW7Mjrr4MJh 518-327-6241 Km Open: 40 30 km of set track New Snow: Packed Base Depth: 8-10" Off track: 12-15" New snow past 72 hours: Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: Jenkins Mt. Backcountry Ski Zone is again open. Use requires a helmet and skins for climbing. DEWEY MOUNTAIN: https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter 518-891-2697 Km Open: 5 Track set: New Snow: New snow past 72 hours Surface Conditions: Groomed powder Remarks: Lower mountain now open. Upper mountain open but not groomed TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/ 518-359-8370 Km Open: Track set: New Snow: 1" Base Depth: Off track: New snow past 72 hours: Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: Again open with nice conditions. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS: Snow depth at Lake Colden: 30" as of Thursday's (2/2) DEC report 4-5' above 4,000 feet Skis or snowshoes are required by regulation in the High Peaks as the snow depth is now well above the 8" threshold. Snowshoes still advisable on other higher terrain, and good traction will be needed where there is ice under the new snow.. WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL: Still enough cover to be skiable above the hiking trail, but probably still not enough to get there and back on skis. (Comment below says it's 'doable but adventurous'. Choose your own level of 'adventure' but the skiing above the hiking trail is good.) MARCY TRAIL: No specific ski report, but still marginal up as far as Indian Falls. Good skiing above Indian Falls. WHITEFACE HIGHWAY: Skiable starting at the Toll House. Usual thin areas likely covered as previous wet snow fell without any significant wind. MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL: Skiable, but still with caution. Most, but not all, rocks are fully covered. Also, some blowdown in the trail. One can now be mostly skied over. Another requires a short detour to get around. All others only partially block the trail. HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ: Skiable finally, but the Truck Trail would still be the better choice. AVALANCHE PASS: Finally skiable all the way to Lake Colden, but still not at true mid-winter conditions as a few rocks are still exposed and there are dips for stream crossings. Ice on Avalanche Lake crossable, but use caution at the outlet. If in doubt, take the trail on the west (right) side about 50 yds. before the actual outlet and use the bridge to cross the outlet. Still some rocks to avoid on the way to Avalanche Camp. CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING: Conditions are good to Whiteface Landing, and one can now cross the pond to avoid the initial hills. Those first hills are finally in good shape for those preferring not to cross the pond. One downed tree on the initial hills, but otherwise the trail is clear. HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL: The parking lot has been plowed. All blowdown has been cut through. Thanks to those who did that work. Skiing is close to perfect to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow. FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL: Very skiable on the truck trail to Fish Pond along with the side trails. Lakes are skiable as well, but some intermittent areas of slush have reappeared as of Monday, 2/6. RAQUETTE FALLS: No specific report, but it should be skiable with caution on any downhill under thick hemlocks that have blocked the snow. GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Good skiing with the new snow. A few spots have been plowed for parking. NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Near perfect conditions on that ski. AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: 3-4" of packed base at the gate, and again skiable to the lake, but vehicular traffic does make the skiing a bit less enjoyable.. |
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
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