Looks like an early start to mud season in the valley, and so far no sign that winter will make even a brief return. Any skiing is limited to areas above 3,000 feet. Many hiking trails still have significant ice even below 3,000 feet, and reports of those hiking this past weekend indicate that even Microspikes are inadequate for some of the steeper pitches. Thus, either wear crampons or stick to lower trails or south-facing ones.  Rooster Comb and Snow are in decent shape. Blueberry Cobbles and Bald Peak in New Russia are also likely good choices.  Those considering any higher peak should expect ice that grades to 4-5 feet of snow above 4,000 feet.

After a week of daytime temperatures above freezing, today, Monday, the high was about 20, and tomorrow won't be all that much warmer.  After that, temperatures warm to the 50s on Thursday before falling back to the 40s for the remainder of the forecast period.

Some areas of Lake Placid picked up as much as 5" of new snow, and local die-hards will know where to find it before it mostly all melts on Thursday. This would have put a nice surface on the base left on the road to Newcomb Lake, but again that will be gone by the weekend.  

Mt. Van Hoevenberg is again open for recreational skiing after being closed most of last week due to training and racing for the National Biathlon Championships and the Continental Cup Nordic Combined. Van Ho reports 3" of new snow, which puts a nice surface on their 5km of competition trails. All Legacy trails remain closed. 

Paul Smith's VIC is still just reporting three "caution" trails with the rest closed. 

Cascade X-C Center is closed for skiing, but their "going out of business sale" (now owned by the Adirondack Mountain Club) has 50% off on anything still left in the ski shop.

UPDATE 3/24/22: While we had no major "heat wave" this week, daytime temperatures were generally in the 40s, so the melting continued. For the coming weekend, only die-hards will be able to find skiable snow, which is still available past Marcy Dam. Paul Smith's VIC now only reports three "caution" trails with the rest closed. Mt. Van Hoevenberg is down to the man-made snow on the competition trails, and those are closed for the weekend's competitions. Cascade is closed for the season. If we somehow end up with a big new dump, we'll report on it, but this could be this season's last report. Let us know if you have appreciated these reports.

UPDATE 3/20/22:  Looks like a week of "spring conditions" but without much sunshine and intermittent chances for either rain or some wet snow. Hard and fast each morning if the temperature is below freezing, but softening during the day. Mt. Van Hoevenberg is down to just the competition trails. Legacy trails are closed. Paul Smith's VIC still has approximately 15 km noted in green (=good), and another 15 km noted as yellow (=caution).  

INTRODUCTION

     Temperatures today, Thursday, will easily hit 60 in the Lake Placid area, so most of last week's snow will be gone. There is still a base that will survive, but not on any south-facing slopes or open areas. Friday will be cloudy and not quite as warm, but Saturday could see as much as 1/2" of rain. Cooler again on Sunday, but still a high near 40. Then it's spring conditions heading into next week with temperatures below freezing at night and above during the day. Hard to predict exactly what will remain skiable a week from now, but another good snowstorm would not be unprecedented. There's always hope.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
          Entire trail no longer skiable.  Old Mt. Road section and McKenzie Pass section up from Whiteface Inn Lane are the only longer sections that remain skiable, but just barely; and may not be by the end of the week. McKenzie Pass section above Whiteface Inn Lane will remain good once one is on the flats leading to the lean-to, but the approach is narrow in spots due to runoff, and there are sections of gray ice on the climb up.
          
        CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  No report on the skiing. Ski shop open
          Km Open and Groomed:      Track Set:  
          New snow:    Base Depth:   Off Track 
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder 
          Remarks:  

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  4 km    Track Set: 4 km
          New snow:    Base Depth: 15" on man-made snow trails. 0-?" on "Legacy"/natural snow trails. Off Track: 0-?
          Surface Conditions: Wet granular       
        Remarks: CLOSED TO PUBLIC SKIING 3/21 - 3/27 DUE TO CONTINENTAL CUP NORDIC COMBINED COMPETITION AND NATIONAL BIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIPS.  All Legacy (non-competition trails) are closed due to lack of snow. 

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open: 30 km.  Track set: ?? 
           New Snow:     Base Depth: 10"  Off Track: 12"
           Surface Conditions:  Wet granular
​            Remarks: Website shows 15km as good, 15km as needing caution. Some grooming has been done.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                30" at Lake Colden (estimate) 
                5-6 feet above 4,000 feet 
                Skis or snowshoes still required by regulation in the High Peaks and still needed on other higher terrain. Many hiking trails were pure ice before the new snow, and that ice will still be an issue for any travel on mountain trails. 
           
WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL: No report, but hiking trail portion likely again not skiable.

MARCY TRAIL:  Phelps Brook above Marcy Dam and Marcy Brook at Indian Falls definitely "went out", in the last thaw and has not refrozen. Both crossings are difficult.  Still some rocks showing going up as far as 5-meter bridge

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Cover all the way to the Castle, but  some bare spots on the windy corners.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable, but hardly ideal. Scant snow on any south-facing hill, some intermittent gray ice , and there are tire tracks from last week's search operation.   GENERAL NOTE: 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:  Covered and marginally skiable past the Algonquin junction. The first mile of the hiking trail is not  skiable. .  

AVALANCHE PASS:  Skiable.  As of Monday, 3/21, both Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden were still crossable, but avoid the outlets of both lakes. Avalanche Pass is still skiable from Marcy Dam up, but the caretaker who came out today indicated he probably wouldn't ski back in the next time. GENERAL NOTE: 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: Given that the hills face south, not recommended.

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow.  So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed even after the recent storms.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable, but no report on the ponds.

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Not really skiable. 

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Needs to be checked as the first hill, which faces south, is probably pretty bare. May be skiable after that.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Skiable to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Probably still skiable, but likely very thin at the start.

POST STORM UPDATE 3/13/22:

As of noon on Sunday, the storm has ended and the winds are beginning to die down. Actual snowfall totals ranged from 4-5" at the Keene end of the Jackrabbit Trail to as much as 12" in parts of Lake Placid. This is enough to make for good skiing on the entire Jackrabbit Trail and most popular backcountry routes. Given the reports on th Wright Peak Ski Trail as of Thursday, even 12" of snow might not be sufficient to cover the rocks on the hiking trail. Above that, it will be good powder conditions.  Likewise for the Marcy Trail, it may be a bit rocky for the first 1.5 miles above Marcy Dam, but good once on the separate ski trail up to and beyond Indian Falls.  Groomed centers now have enough to groom, but given the temperatures in the 50s by the en d of the week and rain now predicted for Saturday, this will be a brief "reprieve" from the previous week's meltdown.

As currently predicted, snow will start on Friday evening and continue through Saturday evening.  Heaviest snow will be Saturday afternoon and will be accompanied by high winds. Sunday will be cold with highs only in the low 20s. After that, temperatures rise to around 50 by Thursday.

The National Weather Service predicts 7-15" of total accumulation. Weather Underground says only 4-8" total with AccuWeather in between the two. Given that it is a coastal 'nor'easter', the exact track will influence exactly what and how much we receive.  Stay tuned....

  INTRODUCTION

       Since Sunday's major thaw, temperatures have returned to normal for March, but not much remains skiable.  Nearly all open areas are now bare, and most wooded sections only have a few inches of crust left. Some snow fell on Monday night, but in most placed it was only enough to produce our "famous" "dust on crust".  Some snow predicted for Friday night into Saturday, but so far no reliable prediction of how much. 

     Mt. Van Hoevenberg is only reporting 3 km of their competition trails open. No report for Cascade. The Paul Smith's VIC is the best bet as they report an inch or so of new snow on an icy base. They are grooming about 10 km of their easier terrain with light equipment, but noting that a fall on the icy base is to be avoided.

     Jackrabbit Trail up from Whiteface Inn Lane has about 1/2" on a frozen granular base and is actually skiable - just not great. McKenzie Pond Rd. end just has a dusting of new snow on a base that alternated between frozen granular and glare ice. Not recommended except with traction.

     Old Mt. Road section still has cover, but only a dusting on again a base that alternates between frozen granular and glare ice. Again, not recommended except with traction aids rather than skis.

     Given the report from the Paul Smith's VIC, the Hays Brook truck trail is likely skiable as is the flat start of the Fish Pond trail.  Other than that, we just need more snow.  

     Next update Friday morning when we have a better idea of how much snow might fall on Friday night.

After a Saturday of beautiful skiing (or just about any other outdoor activity), Sunday started off with some heavy rain showers, followed by sunshine and temperatures that neared 60.  Coupled with a strong south wind, we have lost considerable snow - especially on south-facing slopes. Otherwise, we have preserved a decent base, and shouldn't lose too much more during the week. 

Monday will maybe see some more rain, but then cooler on Tuesday. Wednesday - Friday will be good sugaring weather with daytime highs above freezing and nighttime temps below freezing. This will make for hard and fast surfaces for skiing most of each day. All we will really need is a few inches of new snow to make at least the easier routes good skiing; but so far nothing in sight through the week.  Perhaps it's time to get the Microspikes back out while we wait.

We'll check what we can as far as remaining snow depth, and wait to see what the groomed centers can produce for good skiing surfaces with the base they have left.  Next update on Thursday, 3/10, when the weekend weather is better known.

UPDATE 3/3/22
      Conditions will remain as reported below through Saturday, but now Sunday will see rain and temperatures in the 50s. No new snow afterward as Monday will continue with some rain and a high of  40. Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the mid-30s for highs. Next update after Sunday's rain.

UPDATE 3/1/ 22

     Comments on the Marcy report confirm the original prediction.  Still not enough for steep but otherwise skiable trails. 

     Updated forecast has near freezing temperatures on Wednesday, but colder Thursday and Friday.  No significant new snow. Then warming back to freezing on Saturday with highs in the 40s on Sunday and Monday.  

INTRODUCTION

       On Friday we picked up 10-14" of very light powder, and this has pretty much everything back in good shape.  The only exceptions may be the hiking trail portion of the Wright Peak Ski Trail and the Marcy trail due to this snow being so light.
Temperatures are now predicted to remain below freezing through the coming week with a few additional chances for more snow. So it may be March, but the season is hardly over.   Sunday is predicted to be windy, so neither the Whiteface Highway nor any lake crossings will be the best choice, but they will be skiable.

             Otherwise, expect that all the popular routes will be broken out by the end of the day on Saturday.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
          Entire trail again skiable. 
          NOTE: Skiers starting from Rock and River in Keene should only park in the spots designated for skiers. Do not park in spots reserved for Rock and River guests. If all trailhead spots are taken, park in the overflow lot.

        CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed:  10    Track Set:  10
          New snow: 8"   Base Depth: 8"  Off Track 18"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder 
          Remarks:  

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  35 km    Track Set: 35 km
          New snow: 10"   Base Depth: 20" on man-made trails. 10" on natural snow. Off Track: 20"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder 
         Remarks:  Competition trails have been groomed along with the lower, flatter trails on the cross-country side and all of the biathlon side. East Mountain, Porter, and High Notch not groomed - at least not yet.

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open: 30 km.  Track set: ?? 
           New Snow:  22"   Base Depth: 12"  Off Track: 18"
           Surface Conditions:  Packed powder
​           Remarks: 10" on Friday, 8" on Sunday, 4" on Wednesday night.  All very light powder so it has settled, but still the best conditions being reported anywhere.  Live music and hot food this weekend 3/5-6.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                45" at Lake Colden (estimate) 
                6-7 feet above 4,000 feet 
                Skis or snowshoes required by regulation in the High Peaks and needed in all other areas.
           
WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL: No report, but hiking trail portion may not have quite enough new snow to again be skiable.

MARCY TRAIL:  Phelps Brook above Marcy Dam and Marcy Brook at Indian Falls definitely "went out", in the last thaw and have not refrozen. Both crossings are difficult. Additionally, this very light snow has not completely covered the rocks on the lower part of the trail. 

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Cover all the way to the Castle, but there will be some bare spots given the wind.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable and every rock fully covered.  Nice skied-in track once past the junction with the trail to Mt. Van Hoevenberg. GENERAL NOTE: 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:  Covered and skiable, but the truck trail is still the better choice because the unbridged crossing on the old Marcy Dam Trail is not easily crossable, and the first mile of the hiking trail is not that much fun to ski with still marginal cover.  

AVALANCHE PASS:  Skiable again. Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden remain frozen and crossable, but outlet of Avalanche Lake definitely a problem as someone has gone through the ice.  Take trail on right side a few yards before the outlet and cross on the bridge.  GENERAL NOTE: 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: Good cover again. Pond is crossable, and avoids the hills at the start. 

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow.  So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed even after the recent storms.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable.  No report on the ponds.

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Skiable with the new snow.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Definitely skiable. Parking area now seems to be regularly 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. If you ski there, please register as that will help justify future plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Skiable to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Skiable

INITIAL POST-THAW REPORT - 3:PM WEDNESDAY

       As of Wednesday afternoon, the temperature has dropped below freezing, and there are even a few snowflakes flying around. Not much expected with this cool down, but still a good chance of significant snow on Friday.

       Meanwhile, 12 hours or so of temperatures in the upper 40s accompanied by high winds did shrink the base, but it has held on all sections of the Jackrabbit Trail except the stretch along River Rd. in Lake Placid. Some spotty bare spots on golf courses, but nothing major.  There may be some isolated spots with water damage where culverts backed up, and the bridge over McKenzie Pond Outlet may be under some ice.  Too early for any reports there. So, as noted below, for tomorrow it's either the groomed centers or Microspikes, but we should be back to good conditions by Saturday morning.     

Warm temperatures will persist through much of Wednesday with some rain possible Tuesday night. Thursday will be cold, but on Friday it now appears we will pick up a significant amount of snow.  Given that we haven't lost our base, it looks very good for the coming weekend. 

       Meanwhile, good skiing on all the popular routes as long as it remains soft. Thursday appears to be a day for groomed center skiing since no significant snow will accompany that drop in temperature. Then Friday will see 5-10" of new snow.  Look for an update on Thursday when the predictions for snow amounts are clearer. 

INTRODUCTION (Updated to Saturday afternoon 2/18)

       Thursday's major thaw definitely changed conditions everywhere, but we picked up a few inches of new snow right after the thaw, and Saturday afternoon saw some surprise snow squalls that added a few more inches. So now, much terrain is back in skiable condition with any frozen ruts mostly covered up. On the backcountry trails, nearly every brook "went out" so unbridged crossings will be problematic.  Groomed centers are probably the best place to ski, but only Mt. Van Hoevenberg and Cascade are reporting any skiing.

      Looking ahead, it will be warmer on Sunday and Monday with temperatures in the low 40s on Tuesday and, of course, the possibility for more rain. Cooler on Thursday, but so far not much new snow to accompany the cool down.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
          Entire trail again skiable, but caution advised on the steeper downhills as there is not all that much powder for control .
UPDATE 2/20 - Whiteface Inn Rd to McKenzie Pond Rd is skiable.  The trail is frozen and packed hard, with a dusting to 2 inches of fresh snow on top.  The long downhill to McKenzie Pond requires caution, otherwise the rest of the trail is skiing well.  Off trail the snow is dense with a crust that mostly supports the weight of a skier.  Depending on equipment, you can stay on top of the crust for the most part.    
          NOTE: Skiers starting from Rock and River in Keene should only park in the spots designated for skiers. Do not park in spots reserved for Rock and River guests. If all trailhead spots are taken, park in the overflow lot.

        CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed:  10    Track Set:  10
          New snow: 2"   Base Depth: 5"  Off Track 10"
          Surface Conditions:  Groomed powder on hardpack
          Remarks:  

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  15 km    Track Set: 15 km
          New snow: 2"   Base Depth: 15" on man-made trails. 5" on natural snow. Off Track: 10"
          Surface Conditions: Groomed powder on hardpack 
         Remarks:  Competition trails have been groomed along with the lower, flatter trails on the cross-country side. Biathlon side is closed for now.

​           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open: 0 km.  Track set: 
           New Snow:  1"   Base Depth: 15"  Off Track: 24"
           Surface Conditions:  ??
​           Remarks: Condition report shows all trails currently closed.

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:

                35" at Lake Colden (estimate) 
                5-6 feet above 4,000 feet 
                Skis or snowshoes still required by regulation in the High Peaks and needed in all other areas, but good traction is also important..
           
WRIGHT PEAK SKI TRAIL: No report, but hiking trail portion will likely require a lot of new snow to again be skiable.

MARCY TRAIL:  No report, but Marcy Brook at Indian Falls definitely "went out", and that can be a difficult crossing.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Cover all the way to the Castle, but there will be some bare spots given the wind.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Was skiable and every rock was fully covered. Unbridged crossing 1/4 mile past the register could be a problem.  GENERAL NOTE: 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:  Covered and skiable, but the truck trail is still the better choice. Unbridged crossing on the old Marcy Dam Trail is probably not crossable.  

AVALANCHE PASS: No current report.  Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden remain frozen and crossable, but outlet of Avalanche Lake likely now a problem.  If in doubt, take trail on right side a few yards before the outlet and cross on the bridge.  GENERAL NOTE: 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:  Still covered, but pond may not be crossable, and the hills at the start will be a challenge even with the new snow.

HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Smooth and gentle, this trail remains skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow- just not ideal.  So far this season, the parking area continues to be plowed even after the recent storms.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  First few flat miles definitely skiable. Hills beyond probably are with the new snow.  No report on the ponds.

RAQUETTE FALLS: Probably skiable with the new snow.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: First hill will now be negotiable on the descent, and after that there are many miles of gentle skiing. Parking area now seems to be regularly 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. If you ski there, please register as that will help justify future plowing.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Skiable to Camp Santanoni. Moose Pond trail has some blowdown that may not be removed this winter. 

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD: Still covered, but reports of some washouts.

Yesterday, Thursday 2/17, we experienced several periods of heavy rain totaling about an inch. Additionally, temperatures climbed past the 40-degree mark with a few 50s reported. Not surprisingly, this pattern reduced the overall snow pack, but there is still a good base left. As the storm moved on, a few areas picked up as much as two inches of new snow, but we didn't benefit from the greater amounts that fell to the north and west.

Mount Van Hoevenberg reports that the competition trails have been groomed, but for the other trails the groomers will, in their words, "regroup for an effort on the other trails tomorrow. Thus we'll wait to provide a more detailed report for that area.  Cascade X-C indicates that they are grooming, and that area's terrain is much gentler than the Van Hoevenberg competition trails. Paul Smith's VIC so far reports that the trails are "in rough shape" but will try grooming today.  We'll see what they will list as open tomorrow.

Cold today and tomorrow, but warming to above freezing Sunday through Wednesday with alternating rain or snow, but nothing major in either category.  Stay tuned....

As of Friday afternoon, we can report 2-3" of new snow on the refrozen base. This will make the flattest terrain at least skiable, but our best guess is that any steeper terrain will not be easy to descend because of the frozen-in trench and the frozen chunks outside of that trench. Areas that were never skied, might be skiable on top of the crust, but that crust is still somewhat breakable, making for nearly impossible skiing conditions. 

It might just be a weekend to put on microspikes and take a hike, although there could be another 1-2" of new snow in some snow showers tomorrow.

The pattern for next week is not that good as well with warm temperatures Monday through Wednesday, and more rain on Tuesday without much, if any, new snow before it cools down to a high only near 20 on Thursday.

We'll just have to hope for one of our March "recoveries" to give us some more good backcountry skiing. In the meantime, we'll monitor what the groomed centers are able to offer.