Ski Trail Conditions
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INTRODUCTION:
During the past week, we have continued to pick up small amounts of new snow which has kept the surfaces fresh but without any need for trailbreaking. It will be mid to upper 30s on Saturday, but cold again Sunday and Monday before warming to the 30s mid week. No significant new snow in the forecast, but for a change we really don't need more to maintain great conditions. This will be my last report for a few weeks. Megan Gorss, who did a great job filling in last year, will again keep the report updated. JACKRABBIT TRAIL Every section of the Jackrabbit Trail has plenty of cover to be skied. McKenzie Pass Section: Fully skiable with finally good snow right from McKenzie Pond Rd. Old Mountain Road Section: Skiable. Use the new start that bypasses Rock and River. Park on the left at the bottom of the field to access this new start. Paul Smiths Section: Trail skiable from the VIC to Lake Clear as there apparently won't be any logging on the trail this winter. Other sections: Craig Wood to Birdsong Lane and the new section around Scotts Cobble both in good shape. Good skiing behind the guardrail to reach Mountain Lane, and the new trail to the top of the hill is covered and clear. River Road to the Lake Placid Club golf courses also has good cover. GROOMED CENTERS SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER 15 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: 15 Track Set: 15 Remarks: Continued good skiing with bot track and skate lanes. MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/daily-update/ 518-523-2811 Km Open and Groomed: 45 Track Set: 40 Remarks: Due to training for the IBU biathlon competitions, all competition loops plus the approach to the tubes that allow access to the North Brook Loop are closed. (Access to the North Side (formerly the biathlon side) and the North Brook Loop is via the bridge. There are also restrictions on the approach to the Legacy trails from the lodge. Otherwise, all Legacy trails are open and recently groomed with set track on most sections. The groomers recommend the Porter Mt. Loops as the best skiing. So don't let the competition restrictions keep you from skiing there this weekend, and as a bonus you can watch some high level biathlon action. PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/ 518-327-6241 Km Groomed and Open: 30 km Track Set: 30 km Remarks: All trails open and groomed as of 2/26. DEWEY MOUNTAIN: https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter 518-891-2697 Km Open: 10 Track set: 8 Remarks: Lower and Upper Mountain trails groomed. Lower trails with track set, and some track set on upper trails. TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/ 518-359-8370 Km Open: 10 Track set: 10 Surface Conditions: Perfect powder conditions Remarks: Annual Brewski on Saturday. ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER) Unfortunately, not operating this winter with its long-term status yet to be determined. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS Winter conditions regarding temperatures and snow depth sufficient to require skis or snowshoes. Wednesday 2/26, report from Lake Colden says the snow depth at the cabin is 53". Now 6 feet or more of snow with deeper drifts at 4,000 feet. Lake ice crossable, but as always use care around inlets and outlets. Whiteface Highway: The highway is definitely skiable with cover from edge to edge on most of the usually windy spots. However, all that looks white will not necessarily have the same depth of coverage. Connery Pond to Whiteface Landing: There is good cover all the way to the landing. Ice on the pond is an alternative to the up and down start. No slush, but as always, the outlet must be given a wide berth. Marcy Dam, Truck Trail: Skiable all the way to Marcy Dam. Meadows Lane now blocked off for the winter. Park on the left to leave room for ranger vehicles with snowmobile trailers in the event of an emergency. Fish Pond Truck Trail: Great skiing all the way to Fish Pond. The ponds for the alternate return are now skiable, although slush was still an occasional issue two weeks ago and may still be. Hays Brook Truck Trail: Definitely very good skiing to both the Sheep Meadow and Grass Pond. The parking lot was not plowed after last week's 7-8" snowfall, so it may be necessary to park on the highway. Newcomb Lake Road: As usual, good skiing with over a foot of snow in Newcomb. The side road to Moose Pond also has good cover, reportedly no fresh broken track. Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds: Good cover. As of 2/5 (the latest in-person inspection) there continues to be space for about five cars plowed. No guarantee that this will continue, but we like the trend. Parking for Hoffman Notch has also been plowed. (Parking on the road is legal - just not ideal.) Otherwise, good cover and at least an older broken track all the way to the ponds. Raquette Falls: Good skiing to the falls. Gate to the Seward trailhead is now closed, so no plowing or likely any vehicular traffic that might make it possible to drive to the actual trailhead. The "default" parking at the end of town plowing adds about a mile to the ski. Avalanche Pass: Officially, the hiking trail is still closed due to the July landslide, but the ski trail is open. (Of course the two join up, but that is how at least some are reporting the situation.) Definitely skiable with plenty of cover on the slide area. There may be some amount of avalanche danger from the new slide, but to date no problem and people have been skiing the slide.. Calamity Brook Trail from Upper Works to Flowed Lands, skiable and broken out. Caution needed when crossing the Opalescent River in Flowed Lands Ausable Lake Road: Good cover right from the gate. Wright Peak Ski Trail: Finally skiable up to the divergence from the hiking trail with great cover on both the approach and the top part of the trail. Mt. Marcy Ski Trail: Plenty of snow and broken out.
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UPDATE: Saturday AM 2/21
As predicted we have some new snow. 4", 6", 8" depending on location. It started as heavy, wet snow but graded to lighter snow before the storm ended before midnight. Given that the snow is on the heavy side, trail breaking will be more of an issue that we originally thought. Groomed centers will be able to offer some great skiing, and we will hope for some reports of which trails have been broken out. We won't say anything about avalanche danger than to note that, with this heavy snow on a firm base, the danger exists. INTRODUCTION: Despite these few warm days, everything has remained skiable, but the powder surfaces are now firm hardpack where they have been skied or groomed. However, there will be a significant amount of new snow on Friday and into Saturday - 3-9 inches, which is enough to cover the hardpack without being too hard for trailbreaking. Temperatures will be near 30 all weekend, dropping to 20 for a high on Tuesday, but returning to near 30 for the rest of the week. JACKRABBIT TRAIL Every section of the Jackrabbit Trail has plenty of cover to be skied, but until the new snow any steep terrain demands caution. McKenzie Pass Section: Fully skiable with finally good snow right from McKenzie Pond Rd. Old Mountain Road Section: Skiable. Use the new start that bypasses Rock and River. Park on the left at the bottom of the field to access this new start. Paul Smiths Section: Trail skiable from the VIC to Lake Clear as there apparently won't be any logging on the trail this winter. Other sections: Craig Wood to Birdsong Lane and the new section around Scotts Cobble both in good shape. Good skiing behind the guardrail to reach Mountain Lane, and the new trail to the top of the hill is covered and clear. River Road to the Lake Placid Club golf courses also has good cover. GROOMED CENTER SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER 15 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: 15 Track Set: 15 Remarks: MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/daily-update/ 518-523-2811 Km Open and Groomed: 45 Track Set: 40 Remarks: All competition loops open plus 40km of Legacy trails open with set track on most sections. Some disruptions near the 1980 stadium due to preparations for the upcoming IBU Cup biathlon races. Also, access to the double tubes is closed du to IBU prep work. Access the North Side (formerly the biathlon side) via the bridge. PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/ 518-327-6241 Km Groomed and Open: 30 km Track Set: 30 km Remarks: All trails open and recently groomed, so good skiing evn before the new snow. DEWEY MOUNTAIN: https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter 518-891-2697 Km Open: 10 Track set: 8 Remarks: Lower and Upper Mountain trails groomed. Lower trails with track set, and some track set on upper trails. Somewhat icy until the 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: 10 Surface Conditions: Powder and hardpack Remarks: No specifics on snowfall or overall snow depth, but their Facebook page shows ample snow and fresh grooming as of 2/14. ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER) Unfortunately, not operating this winter with its long-term status yet to be determined. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS Winter conditions regarding temperatures and snow depth sufficient to require skis or snowshoes. Wednesday 2/18, report from Lake Colden says the snow depth at the cabin has settled down from 50" to "only" 48". Now 6 feet or more of snow with deeper drifts at 4,000 feet. Lake ice crossable, but as always use care around inlets and outlets. Whiteface Highway: The highway is definitely skiable with cover from edge to edge on most of the usually windy spots. However, all that looks white will not necessarily have the same depth of coverage. Connery Pond to Whiteface Landing: There is good cover all the way to the landing. Ice on the pond is an alternative to the up and down start. No slush, but as always, the outlet must be given a wide berth. Marcy Dam, Truck Trail: Skiable all the way to Marcy Dam. Meadows Lane now blocked off for the winter. Park on the left to leave room for ranger vehicles with snowmobile trailers in the event of an emergency. Fish Pond Truck Trail: Great skiing all the way to Fish Pond. The ponds for the alternate return are now skiable, although slush is still an occasional issue. Hays Brook Truck Trail: Definitely very good skiing to both the Sheep Meadow and Grass Pond. The parking lot continues to be plowed. Newcomb Lake Road: As usual, good skiing with over a foot of snow in Newcomb. The side road to Moose Pond also has good cover and there is reportedly broken track for at least a mile with no difficult blowdown to negotiate. Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds: Good cover. As of 2/5 there continues to be space for about five cars plowed. No guarantee that this will continue, but we like the trend. Parking for Hoffman Notch has also been plowed. (Parking on the road is legal - just not ideal.) Otherwise, good cover and a broken track all the way to the ponds. Raquette Falls: Good skiing to the falls. Gate to the Seward trailhead is now closed, so no plowing or likely any vehicular traffic that might make it possible to drive to the actual trailhead. The "default" parking at the end of town plowing adds about a mile to the ski. Avalanche Pass: Officially, the hiking trail is still closed due to the July landslide, but the ski trail is open. (Of course the two join up, but that is how at least some are reporting the situation.) Definitely skiable with plenty of cover on the slid area. There is also a yet to be determined amount of avalanche danger from the new slide, but to date no problem and people have been skiing the slide.. Calamity Brook Trail from Upper Works to Flowed Lands, skiable and broken out. Caution needed when crossing the Opalescent River in Flowed Lands Ausable Lake Road: Finally good cover right from the gate. Wright Peak Ski Trail: Finally skiable up to the divergence from the hiking trail with great cover on both the approach and the top part of the trail. Much yse on that trail this past weekend. Mt. Marcy Ski Trail: Plenty of snow and broken out. UPDATE 2/14/26:
This has been the easiest year yet to report ski conditions as nothing really has changed since the skiing was good. Sunday and Monday will continue just what has been reported below as of 2/6 with temperatures near but not above freezing. Then the middle of next week will see some warmer temperatures, but nothing that will in any way diminish the base we have built up. Perhaps the surfaces will suffer a bit, but temperatures will drop with a bit more snow to improve surfaces before the coming weekend when it will again be below - but not too far below - freezing. Pretty much no change in the conditions reported as of last Friday. We are looking at some more new snow on Tuesday into Tuesday night. The National Weather Service still says just 1-3 inches while other forecasters say 3-6". We'll see, but unlike some recent winters it doesn't really matter except the degree to which your drive to the trailhead might be affected. Looking ahead, not much new snow past Tuesday, but warming to the 20s as of Wednesday and then around freezing for highs Saturday-Monday. If you stayed inside last weekend because it was too cold, you have no excuse this weekend. INTRODUCTION:
Given the continued cold weather and the amount of snow on the ground, there is almost no need for this report. Everything is skiable with powder surfaces and will remain so through the weekend and into next week. There will be a few inches of new snow on Friday night and Saturday will not be bitterly cold to start with. However, the temperature will drop significantly in the afternoon, so get out early. Sunday will see a high of maybe zero, but warming to the mid 20s by the middle of the week JACKRABBIT TRAIL Every section of the Jackrabbit Trail has plenty of cover to be skied, and all sections by now have been well broken out. McKenzie Pass Section: Fully skiable and broken out with finally good snow right from McKenzie Pond Rd. Old Mountain Road Section: Skiable with beautiful powder surfaces. Use the new start that bypasses Rock and River. Park on the left at the bottom of the field to access this new start. Paul Smiths Section: Trail skiable from the VIC to Lake Clear as there apparently won't be any logging on the trail this winter. Other sections: Craig Wood to Birdsong Lane and the new section around Scotts Cobble both in good shape and cleared of blowdown. Good skiing behind the guardrail to reach Mountain Lane, and the new trail to the top of the hill is covered and clear. River Road to the Lake Placid Club golf courses also has good cover. GROOMED CENTER SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER 15 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: 15 Track Set: 15 Remarks: Based on an earlier cold snap, the area may not be open on Sunday due to the conditions. MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/daily-update/ 518-523-2811 Km Open and Groomed: 45 Track Set: 40 Remarks: All but 3 km of Competition loops open plus 40km of Legacy trails open with set track on most sections. PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/ 518-327-6241 Km Groomed and Open: 30 km Track Set: 30 km Remarks: All trails open. DEWEY MOUNTAIN: https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter 518-891-2697 Km Open: 10 Track set: 8 Remarks: Lower and Upper Mountain trails groomed. Lower trails with track set, and some track set on upper trails. TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/ 518-359-8370 Km Open: 10 Track set: 10 Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: No specifics on snowfall or overall snow depth, but their Facebook page shows ample snow and fresh grooming as of 2/4. ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER) Unfortunately, not operating this winter with its long-term status yet to be determined. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS Winter conditions regarding temperatures and snow depth sufficient to require skis or snowshoes. Wednesday 2/4, report from Lake Colden says the snow depth at the cabin has settled down from 50" to "only" 47". Now 6 feet or more of snow with deeper drifts at 4,000 feet. Lake ice crossable, but as always use care around inlets and outlets - especially on Avalanche Lake where it is best to exit the ice to the right about 50 yards before the outlet and use the bridge. Whiteface Highway: The highway is definitely skiable with cover from edge to edge on most of the usually windy spots. However, all that looks white will not necessarily have the same depth of coverage. Connery Pond to Whiteface Landing: There is good cover all the way to the landing. Ice on the pond is an alternative to the up and down start. No slush, but as always, the outlet must be given a wide berth. Marcy Dam, Truck Trail: Skiable all the way to Marcy Dam. Meadows Lane now blocked off for the winter. Park on the left to leave room for ranger vehicles with snowmobile trailers in the event of an emergency. Fish Pond Truck Trail: Great skiing all the way to Fish Pond. The ponds for the alternate return are now skiable. Hays Brook Truck Trail: Definitely very good skiing to both the Sheep Meadow and Grass Pond. The parking lot continues to be plowed. Newcomb Lake Road: As usual, good skiing with feet of snow in Newcomb. The side road to Moose Pond also has good cover and there is reportedly broken track for at least a mile with no difficult blowdown to negotiate. A comment on the previous report said that Newcomb Lake Road had two good tracks on either side of the road with a snowshoe track in the middle as far as the farm complex with just ski tracks beyond. Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds: Good cover. As of 2/5 there continues to be space for about five cars plowed. No guarantee that this will continue, but we like the trend. Parking for Hoffman Notch has also been plowed. (Parking on the road is legal - just not ideal.) Otherwise, good cover and a broken track all the way to the ponds. Raquette Falls: Good skiing to the falls. Gate to the Seward trailhead is now closed, so no plowing or likely any vehicular traffic that might make it possible to drive to the actual trailhead. The "default" parking at the end of town plowing adds about a mile to the ski. Avalanche Pass: Officially still closed due to the July landslide. Reported to be skiable. There is also a yet to be determined amount of avalanche danger from the new slide. Calamity Brook Trail from Upper Works to Flowed Lands, skiable and broken out. Caution needed when crossing the Opalescent River in Flowed Lands Ausable Lake Road: Finally good cover right from the gate. Wright Peak Ski Trail: Finally skiable up to the divergence from the hiking trail with great cover on both the approach and the top part of the trail. Mt. Marcy Ski Trail: Plenty of snow and broken out. UPDATES 2/3/25:
The only update that is really needed is to note that Wednesday and Thursday will see highs in low 20s with some sun. Friday will grade to snow but still not be truly frigid, but Saturday and Sunday will see highs around zero. Then a few degrees warmer as we start the following week. It's not ideal, but it beats a January Thaw. INTRODUCTION: Given the new snow and continued cold weather, there is almost no need for this report. everything is skiable and will remain so through the weekend and into next week. JACKRABBIT TRAIL Every section of the Jackrabbit Trail has plenty of cover to be skied, and most if not all sections by now have been broken out. McKenzie Pass Section: Fully skiable and broken out with finally good snow right from McKenzie Pond Rd. Old Mountain Road Section: Skiable with beautiful powder surfaces. Use the new start that bypasses Rock and River. Park on the left at the bottom of the field to access this new start. Paul Smiths Section: Trail skiable from the VIC to Lake Clear as there apparently won't be any logging on the trail this winter. Other sections: Craig Wood to Birdsong Lane and the new section around Scotts Cobble both in good shape and cleared of blowdown. Good skiing behind the guardrail to reach Mountain Lane, and the new trail to the top of the hill is covered and clear. River Road to the Lake Placid Club golf courses also has good cover. GROOMED CENTER SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER 15 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: 15 Track Set: 15 Remarks: Full Moon Party on Friday. Bonfires, skiing, sledding, and music. MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/daily-update/ 518-523-2811 Km Open and Groomed: 45 Track Set: 40 Remarks: All but 3 km of Competition loops open plus 40km of Legacy trails open with set track on most sections. "Classic Saturday" features double track set on the best line on Porter Mt. - just like it was 40 years ago. full Moon Party on Saturday. PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/ 518-327-6241 Km Groomed and Open: 30 km Track Set: 30 km with most track refreshed as of Thursday Remarks: All trails open. DEWEY MOUNTAIN: https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter 518-891-2697 Km Open: 10 Track set: 8 Remarks: Lower and Upper Mountain trails groomed. Lower trails with track set, and some track set on upper trails. TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/ 518-359-8370 Km Open: 10 Track set: 10 Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: No specifics on snowfall or overall snow depth, but their Facebook page shows ample snow and fresh grooming as of 1/20. ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER) Unfortunately, not operating this winter with its long-term status yet to be determined. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS Winter conditions regarding temperatures and snow depth sufficient to require skis or snowshoes. Wednesday 1/21, report from Lake Colden says the snow depth at the cabin is 50". Now 6 feet or more of snow with deeper drifts at 4,000 feet. Lake ice crossable, but as always use care around inlets and outlets - especially on Avalanche Lake where it is best to exit the ice to the right about 50 yards before the outlet and use the bridge. Whiteface Highway: The highway is definitely skiable with cover from edge to edge on most of the usually windy spots. However, all that looks white will not necessarily have the same depth of coverage. Connery Pond to Whiteface Landing: There is good cover all the way to the landing. Ice on the pond is an alternative to the up and down start. No slush, but as always, the outlet must be given a wide berth. Marcy Dam, Truck Trail: Skiable all the way to Marcy Dam. Meadows Lane now blocked off for the winter. Park on the left to leave room for ranger vehicles with snowmobile trailers in the event of an emergency. Fish Pond Truck Trail: Great skiing all the way to Fish Pond. Still no report on whether there is any slush on the ponds for the alternate return, but there shouldn't be a problem Hays Brook Truck Trail: Definitely very good skiing to both the Sheep Meadow and Grass Pond. The parking lot had been plowed and has continued to be plowed. (Thanks to Jackie N for the comment confirming the current plowing.) Newcomb Lake Road: As usual, good skiing with feet of snow in Newcomb. The side road to Moose Pond also has good cover and has been skied with, apparently no difficult blowdown to negotiate. An earlier report said that Newcomb Lake Road had two good tracks on either side of the road with a snowshoe track in the middle - ideal use of the space available on this wide road. Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds: Good cover. As of 1/24, some plowing for parking was evident at the highway, but no report on plowing since then. Parking on the road is legal - just not ideal. Raquette Falls: Good skiing to the falls. Gate to the Seward trailhead is now closed, so no plowing or likely any vehicular traffic that might make it possible to drive to the actual trailhead. The "default" parking at the end of town plowing adds about a mile to the ski. Avalanche Pass: Officially still closed due to the July landslide. Reported to be skiable. There is also a yet to be determined amount of avalanche danger from the new slide. Calamity Brook Trail from Upper Works to Flowed Lands, skiable and broken out. Caution needed when crossing the Opalescent River in Flowed Lands Ausable Lake Road: Finally good cover right from the gate. Wright Peak Ski Trail: Finally skiable up to the divergence from the hiking trail with great cover on both the approach and the top part of the trail. Mt. Marcy Ski Trail: Plenty of snow and broken out after Monday's storm. Sunday night and into Monday the area picked up anywhere from 10-16" of new snow. Even the lower amount is enough to make every popular ski route fully skiable, and with no thaw in sight we will be able to enjoy these conditions through the week and coming weekend. No significant new snow after Monday, so trails broken out this week will be great skiing for the weekend. Temperatures will remain below normal with highs only in the 10-15 degree range until Sunday that may actually hit 20. Perfect to keep this very light fresh powder fresh and light.
Now we just need some reports of which trails have been broken out. For now, we can personally report is that the Keene end of the Jackrabbit Trail has been broken out as far as the top of the pass. No tracks coming up from the Lake Placid side. An online report has the Marcy Trail to Indian Falls and Avalanche Pass broken out. A skier report said that the McKenzie Pass section of the Jackrabbit Trail has been broken out. UPDATE 1/23/26: The area picked up 3-6" of new snow on Thursday and Thursday night. It came in a series of snow squalls, so some areas may have received more. Moderate temperatures on Friday, but by now everyone must know how cold it will be on Saturday. Rallying to a high of about 10 on Sunday, and then cold with highs 10-15 throughout the coming week. Possibly another significant storm on Monday.
All conditions below updated to reflect this new snow. JACKRABBIT TRAIL Every section of the Jackrabbit Trail has enough cover to be skied, and all trees that would pose any problem have been cleared.. McKenzie Pass Section: Fully skiable from Whiteface Inn Lane to the top of the pass. The hill down to McKenzie Pond is now fully skiable to the bottom at McKenzie Pond. Then skiable out to the road. Coming in from McKenzie Pond Rd., it is still thin for the first 100 yards or so, but better after that. Old Mountain Road Section: Skiable with beautiful powder surfaces. Use the new start that bypasses Rock and River. Park on the left at the bottom of the field to access this new start. No slush on the beaver pond on the Lake Placid side. Paul Smiths Section: Trail skiable from the VIC to Lake Clear as there apparently won't be any logging on the trail this winter. Some flooded sections on the section under the power line may again have slush on top of the ice, but the ice is safe. Other sections: Craig Wood to Birdsong Lane skiable and cleared of blowdown. The new section around Scotts Cobble is also in good shape and cleared of blowdown. Good skiing behind the guardrail to reach Mountain Lane, and the new trail to the top of the hill is covered and clear. River Road to the Lake Placid Club golf courses also has good cover. GROOMED CENTER SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER 15 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: 15 Track Set: 15 Remarks: Trails will remain open this weekend, but the pro shop may close if the combination of wind and cold make the skiing unsafe. MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/daily-update/ 518-523-2811 Km Open and Groomed: 45 Track Set: 40 Remarks: 5 km of Competition loops plus 40km of Legacy trails open with set track on most sections. PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/ 518-327-6241 Km Groomed and Open: 30 km Track Set: no specific report Remarks: All trails open. Fresh grooming on Thursday. Should be even better with the new snow. DEWEY MOUNTAIN: https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter 518-891-2697 Km Open: 10 Track set: 8 Remarks: Lower and Upper Mountain trails groomed. Lower trails with track set, but upper trails still to thin for set track.. TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/ 518-359-8370 Km Open: 10 Track set: 10 Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: No specifics on snowfall or overall snow depth, but their Facebook page shows ample snow and fresh grooming as of 1/20. ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER) Unfortunately, not operating this winter with its long-term status yet to be determined. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS Winter conditions regarding temperatures and snow depth sufficient to require skis or snowshoes. Wednesday 1/21, report from Lake Colden says the snow depth at the cabin is 39". Now 4-5 feet of snow with deeper drifts at 4,000 feet. Lake ice in the High Peaks and most other areas is now crossable, but as always use care around inlets and outlets - especially on Avalanche Lake where it is best to exit the ice to the right about 50 yards before the outlet and use the bridge. Whiteface Highway: The highway is definitely skiable with cover from edge to edge on most of the usually windy spots. However, all that looks white will not necessarily have the same depth of coverage. Connery Pond to Whiteface Landing: There is good cover all the way to the landing. Ice on the pond is an alternative. No current report on any slush, but that is not likely a problem. As always, the outlet must always be given a wide berth. Marcy Dam, Truck Trail: Skiable all the way to Marcy Dam. Meadows Lane now blocked off for the winter. Park on the left to leave room for ranger vehicles with snowmobile trailers in the event of an emergency. Fish Pond Truck Trail: Great skiing all the way to Fish Pond. No report on whether there is any slush on the ponds for the alternate return. Hays Brook Truck Trail: Definitely very good skiing to both the Sheep Meadow and Grass Pond. The parking lot had been plowed earlier, but no recent report on whether that has continued.. Newcomb Lake Road: As usual, the best skiing with over a foot of snow in Newcomb. The side road to Moose Pond also has good cover and has been skied with, apparently no difficult blowdown to negotiate. An earlier report said that Newcomb Lake Road had two good tracks on either side of the road with a snowshoe track in the middle - ideal use of the space available on this wide road. Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds: Adequate coverage with 4-5" at Blue ridge Rd. As of 1/24, some plowing for parking was evident at the highway. Apparently every storm isn't plowed, but 4WD at least could confidently pull in and get back out. So, it's a good trend, but still no guarantee that one can park off the road. Raquette Falls: No current report, but should be good. The Corey's Road gate remains open and hikers at least are still driving to the Seward trailhead, but no report on whether one can still park closer to the trailhead. The "default" parking at the end of town plowing adds about a mile to the ski. Avalanche Pass: Officially still closed due to the July landslide. Reported to be skiable. There is also a yet to be determined amount of avalanche danger from the new slide. As of 1/15, reported good conditions on the Calamity Brook Trail from Upper Works to Flowed Lands, and it should be even better now. Caution needed when crossing the Opalescent River in Flowed Lands Ausable Lake Road: Cover is still thin under the hemlocks just past the gate but very good skiing after that. Wright Peak Ski Trail: Still not likely skiable up to the divergence from the hiking trail. Otherwise the approach and the continuation to the top are in good shape. Mt. Marcy Ski Trail: Plenty of snow above Indian Falls, and now enough to be skiable right from Marcy Dam. UPDATE 1/16/26: With a bit more colder snow on top of the wet snow Wednesday night and cold temperatures, conditions have generally improved from the report below. With warmer temps on Saturday, it will be a great weekend to get out.
INTRODUCTION The warm spell has ended with 2-3" of new wet snow as of Thursday evening. We had hoped the first snow would be wet so that it would stick to the crust underneath. Now we can hope for the inch or two of new lighter snow predicted for tonight into tomorrow. Friday will be cold, but Saturday and Sunday will see temperatures in the upper 20s before it really cools off Monday-Wednesday. JACKRABBIT TRAIL Every section of the Jackrabbit Trail has enough cover to be skied, and all trees that would pose any problem have been cleared.. McKenzie Pass Section: Fully skiable from Whiteface Inn Lane to the top of the pass. The hill down to McKenzie Pond is skiable with care as it is still a bit thin and any new snow may have become crusty. Then skiable out to the road. Coming in from McKenzie Pond Rd., it is discouragingly thin for the first 100 yards, and somewhat better after that, but still a bit icy. All trees from Whiteface Inn Lane to McKenzie Pond Rd. (including to side trail to McKenzie Pond) have been cleared as of 1/3 and again the next week. (Thank you Jim and Jennie Sausville.) Old Mountain Road Section: Skiable with beautiful powder surfaces. Use the new start that bypasses Rock and River. Park on the left at the bottom of the field to access this new start. No recent report on any slush on the beaver pond on the Lake Placid side. It may still be slushy, but probably the thaw/freeze cycle and the new snow have solved that problem. Paul Smiths Section: Trail skiable from the VIC to Rt. 86. South of Rt. 86, there are still two trees down, but the comment below says they are easy to negotiate. There apparently won't be any logging on the trail this winter. Some flooded sections on the section under the power line may again have slush on top of the ice, but the ice is safe. Other sections: Craig Wood to Birdsong Lane skiable and cleared of blowdown. The new section around Scotts Cobble is also in good shape and cleared of blowdown. Good skiing behind the guardrail to reach Mountain Lane, and the new trail to the top of the hill is covered and clear. River Road to the Lake Placid Club golf courses also has good cover and should be free of blowdown GROOMED CENTER SCOTTS COBBLE NORDIC CENTER 15 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: 15 Track Set: 10 Remarks: Grooming as of Thursday. Fischer ski demo day on Saturday. Great chance to see if you ant to upgrade your equipment. MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG: https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/daily-update/ 518-523-2811 Km Open and Groomed: 40 Track Set: 30 Remarks: 6 km of Competition loops plus 34km of Legacy trails open with some set track where snow depth is sufficient. PAUL SMITH'S VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER: https://www.paulsmithsvic.org/trailconditions/ 518-327-6241 Km Groomed and Open: 30 km Track Set: 20 Remarks: All trails open. No grooming on Thursday, but should be able to groom once the snow has settled and dried out. Good skiing this weekend. DEWEY MOUNTAIN: https://www.facebook.com/deweymountainrecreationcenter 518-891-2697 Km Open: 10 Track set: 8 Remarks: Lower and Upper Mountain trails groomed. Lower trails with track set. TUPPER LAKE X-C SKI TRAILS https://www.facebook.com/Tupper-Lake-Groomed-XC-Trails-102907273119538/ 518-359-8370 Km Open: 10 Track set: 10 Surface Conditions: Packed powder Remarks: No specifics on snowfall or overall snow depth, but their Facebook page shows ample snow and fresh grooming as of 1/15. ADK CASCADE WELCOME CENTER (PREVIOUSLY: CASCADE CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTER) Unfortunately, not operating this winter with its long-term status yet to be determined. BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS Winter conditions regarding temperatures and snow depth sufficient to require skis or snowshoes. Wednesday 1/14, report from Lake Colden says the snow depth at the cabin is 34". Now 4-5 feet of snow with deeper drifts at 4,000 feet. Most lake ice is now crossable, but as always use care around inlets and outlets - especially on Avalanche Lake where it is best to exit the ice to the right about 50 yards before the outlet and use the bridge. Whiteface Highway: The highway is definitely skiable but before this new snow there were several sections that were either narrow or totally bare given the high winds and warm temperatures. The new, wet snow should have stuck to the bare sections, but use caution as not every spot that looks white will have the same depth of coverage. Connery Pond to Whiteface Landing: There is good cover all the way to the landing. Ice on the pond is an alternative, but no report on any slush after the thaw, and the outlet must always be given a wide berth. No report on any blowdown. Marcy Dam, Truck Trail: Skiable all the way to Marcy Dam. Meadows Lane now blocked off for the winter. Park on the left to leave room for ranger vehicles with snowmobile trailers in the event of an emergency. Fish Pond Truck Trail: Great skiing all the way to Fish Pond. Again, no report on blowdown. Hays Brook Truck Trail: Definitely skiable to both the Sheep Meadow and Grass Pond. There may be new blowdown after the earlier clearing thanks to work by BETA and DEC rangers. As of 12/30, the parking lot had been plowed and the skiing is reported to be excellent. We hope the plowing continues for this popular ski, and we welcome reports. Newcomb Lake Road: As usual, the best skiing with nearly a foot of snow in Newcomb. The side road to Moose Pond would also have good cover and has been skied with, apparently no difficult blowdown to negotiate Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds: Adequate coverage with 4-5" at Blue ridge Rd. Some plowing for parking reported at the highway, but no plowing of the main lot. Raquette Falls: No current report, but should still be good. Avalanche Pass: Officially still closed due to the July landslide. Apparently now enough snow to be skiable. There is also a yet to be determined amount of avalanche danger from the new slide. Reported good conditions on the Calamity Brook Trail from Upper Works to Flowed Lands. Ausable Lake Road: Was being plowed "for maintenance" up to Christmas. Plowing has ended, but the cover is still very thin for most of the first mile or so, and especially thin under the hemlocks just past the gate. After that, very good skiing. Wright Peak Ski Trail: Not likely skiable up to the divergence from the hiking trail Mt. Marcy Ski Trail: Plenty of snow above Indian Falls, and enough to be at least passable right from Marcy Dam. In addition to the comment on the previous, somewhat negative post, experience on Tuesday indicates that just the 1-2 inches we picked up between Sunday night and Monday night has made at least the easier terrain again skiable. Wednesday night could see up to 3", so the weekend could be looking pretty good as temperatures remain below freezing. Next week looks to start out quite cold, so no immediate 'January thaw' in sight.
More complete report with on Thursday evening after Wednesday's predicted snow. Saturday night saw more rain and wind, but fortunately temperatures stayed low enough that we didn't lose too much of our base. Surface conditions, however, are not really conducive for skiing, even with metal edges, outside of the groomed centers. We did pick up an inch or so of snow Sunday, but we need a few more to get back to where we were a week ago. The best chance seems to be Wednesday, which will start around 30 degrees, into Thursday, so stay tuned. If we are lucky, it will start with some heavy wet snow that will stick to the crust and then grading to lighter powder.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
03/06 Ski Meet Up at NewVida, 4-6pm 03/14 Social at Solace Cycles, Elizabethtown 6-9pm. 03/28 Social at Capisce Coffee & Espresso Bar, Lake Placid 7-9pm. 04/18 BETA Trivia Night at Rivertrail Beerworks, Saranac Lake 5:45-8pm. FCFS sign ups; space is limited.
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