Yes, we picked up a few more inches of snow on Monday night - more to the south and east, but  now rain is in the forecast for Thursday night, part of Saturday  and pretty much all day Sunday.  So I guess the real reason for this post is to let you know that while staying home, as you are supposed to be doing, you aren't missing any good skiing.

​Stay safe, be well, and there's always next year. 

The snow conditions are changing about as fast as the reports/recommendations regarding the Corona virus.  This week has seen several warm days, and Friday will be in the 60s. It will immediately cool down, but with no new snow the surfaces won't be conducive for anything except hiking with traction aids.  In general, there is no snow on south-facing slopes at elevations below 2,500 feet, and not much snow left below 1,500 feet.  Next week will again see temperatures in the 40s with only a chance of some snow showers while it is still below freezing each day. 

So, not much specific can be reported at this moment.  If you are local, you can probably figure out something to do with these conditions - we've been here before.  If you are not local, you likely live south of here where the snow may have been gone for a while.  Consider just staying local and exploring some of your local terrain to stay sane while we all endure this unprecedented change in our daily lives.  Perhaps by exploring locally you'll discover some new place you can go back to even after this virus scare is history.

Just in case this site is where you go to check on the conditions at the groomed centers,here's the update.  Otherwise, refer to the previous report.
Mt. Van Hoevenberg:  12 km open with a "machine-groomed" surface.  There may be some shallow track set on the flatter terrain.  Ungroomed trails do have cover, but also have intermittent ice bulges.
Cascade: 5km open and groomed
Paul Smiths VIC: 30 km open with some grooming on a good base. 

Update 3/15:

     Mt. Van Hoevenberg has continued grooming and now has 12 km of terrain groomed for skating- the flats plus East Mountain Loop.  Cascade remains open (skiing not the restaurant) with 15 km open.

      The coming week offers more "spring" conditions, but not much loss of base -soft above freezing, hard below freezing.  Still no sign of winter's return as we've seen in a few recent years, but we're not  giving up just yet.  We could still get a few more weeks with the "right" (at least for us) weather.
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Yesterday's report promised more details today.  Unfortunately, there's not much good news - at least in the short term.  

Today, Friday, the temperatures are in the low to mid 40s with heavy rain falling for most of the morning.  The cumulative effect of this rain and the warm days earlier mean that the snow cover has shrunk considerably - especially in open areas and south-facing slopes.  It will cool off tonight, but only eventually get to the upper 30s, so surfaces will be hard and fast for most of the day.  Probably a better weekend to get the microspikes back out again and go for a hike.  

Winter, however, can still make a comeback as it has in several of the past few years. In the backcountry, there is still 41" of snow at the stake at Lake Colden and 5-6 feet at 4,000 feet. Approaches to the High Peaks will need several inches of snow to cover up the ice that remains on the start of either the hiking trail or the truck trail, and at the moment there is no significant snow in the forecast. So, we'll just wait it out and see what happens.  Next report when there is a change worth reporting.  

For now, Mt. Van hoevenberg reports only 1 km open, but they do have 3" of base left that won't need too much new snow to again be skiable.  Cascade X-C Ski Center is closed.  Paul Smiths VIC has the best base, and should again offer good skiing with just a few inches of new snow.

Today, Monday, will be the warmest day of the week with temperatures in the 50s.  Only cooling off to the 40s tonight, but then staying in the 40s Tuesday.  Tuesday night and every night for the rest of the week will be below freezing, so we will have the "spring conditions" as predicted last week.  And given the cold temperatures at night, there won't be any significant loss of snow cover except in exposed areas at lower elevations.  

For the coming weekend the highs are now predicted to be right around freezing.  Absent any new snow, surfaces will be somewhat  hard and fast except at the groomed centers.  Lake Placid Loppet  now cancelled.  Cascade will be in full operation.  More complete update Friday, 3/13.

INTRODUCTION
         Looks like a great weekend for skiing.  An inch of new snow Wednesday night on top of a foot or more of solid base means everything is skiable.  Cold Friday night and a high in the upper 20s on Saturday will be followed by temps in the 40s on Sunday.  Next week will see a continuation of "spring" conditions - above freezing during the day and below freezing at night.  Some chance of new snow, but so far next week will have firm surfaces each morning before the snow softens later in the day.  So, don't miss your chance this weekend.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
        Good cover from end to end, and all sections are well broken out.  Section in from McKenzie Pond Rd. is thin at the start, but improves as one skis toward the pond.  

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed: 15   Km Track Set: 15
          New snow:      Base Depth: 10"  Off Track 20"
          Surface Conditions: Packed powder and hardpack
          Remarks:  Final Full Moon Party tonight - 8 PM

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  45    Km Track Set: 45
          New snow:      Base Depth: 12"  off Track 20"
          Surface Conditions:  Packed powder and hardpack
          Remarks: All groomed and tracked, except the outer loop of the Ladies 5 km. 
​

           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open and Groomed:  37  
           New Snow:      Base Depth: 25"
           Surface Conditions: Packed powder and hardpack
       Remarks:  All trails groomed.  Most track-set 

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
            Snowshoes or skis are now required in the High Peaks.  There is 47" at Lake Colden and 6-7 feet at 4,000 feet. See introduction for a discussion of how surface conditions will "evolve" during the coming week.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Finally enough snow to truly cover all the rocks.  

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Definitely skiable.  Old Marcy Dam trail is the better start as there are no problems with any brook crossings.

AVALANCHE PASS:  No rocks to dodge above Marcy Dam. Pass is in good shape.  Lake ice on Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden is being crossed. Be cautious around all inlets and outlets.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Fully covered and broken out.   Pond can be crossed to avoid the hills at the beginning.
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HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow,   Blowdown past the crossing of Hays Brook now cleared, but parking is not plowed.

FISH POND TRUCK TRAIL:  Fully covered and broken out to the pond. Several trees down on the long descent when heading toward Fish Pond, but none that come as too much of a "surprise". Return option via St. Regis and Little Clear ponds also broken out.  Some slush on Little Clear Pond, but no danger of falling through.

RAQUETTE FALLS:  A bit thin under some of the hemlocks, and there is a tree at the bottom of a hill about three miles in, but otherwise very skiable. Road is plowed to the parking area past the bridge over Stony Creek with a few spaces plowed at the parking area.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area has been plowed.  Tracks broken to the ponds.  Second washed out culvert that required a detour has now been shoveled (thank you Jim Brundage?) and is no longer an obstacle.  First culvert is now just a "speed bump". 

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing as always. Moose Pond Trail also has good cover, but there is an undetermined amount of  uncleared blowdown.

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Plenty of cover. Snowmobile and hiker traffic makes the surface less than ideal for skiing, but still acceptable. 

Well, it was another beautiful weekend. Hope you got out and enjoyed it.  The weather this week will be less than ideal with temperatures in the 40s for a high each day through Friday and some rain along with a bit of snow and sleet.  It will cool off at night, so there won't be much loss of snow during the week.  The coming weekend looks good as far as weather, but we'll just have to see what the surface conditions will be in the ungroomed areas.  Meanwhile, the groomed centers are in full operation, and all popular routes have good cover and soft surfaces thanks to the warm weather.   

UPDATE 2/29/20
       Contrary to the usual pattern, areas south of the High Peaks did not receive much snow after Thursday's rain and snow that was very wet.  So, Hoffman Notch, Gulf Brook Road to Bores Ponds, and Newcomb Lake Road to Camp Santanoni may not be the best skiing for Sunday.  After the warm temperatures predicted for early next week, all opportunities will again be "equal", but for Sunday it is better to choose the Jackrabbit Trail (all sections broken out), or the other popular tours north of the High Peaks.   

After some less than ideal precipitation yesterday, the 1-3"originally predicted became more like 3-6" in the Tri-Lakes area.  This snow came with some very high winds, so some places could be almost bare (at least down to the crust) and some drifts could be much deeper.  The net result is that all trails are covered, and the only issue will be trail breaking on the ungroomed trails. Most sections of the Jackrabbit Trail had been broken out by Friday afternoon.

4 ft plus of snow at Lake Colden and 6-7 feet at 4,000 feet.

Still only predicted to be in the teens tomorrow and around 20 for a high on Sunday.  

Brief update on the groomed centers:
                   Van Hoevenberg:  4" new, 12" base, all 45 km tracked.
                    Cascade: 6'new, 12" base, all 15 km groomed, 10 km tracked
                   Paul Smiths VIC: Over 6" new, all 37 km groomed.

Next week will see another warming trend including temperatures in the 40s Tuesday and Wednesday.  Ski it while you can

     We had several hours of rain on Wednesday night, but by noon it had changed back to snow, but very wet snow so far.  No significant loos of snow with the rain, and the only questions now are how breakable will the crust be once the temperature drops, and how much additional lighter snow will we get overnight Thursday.  So far, it appears that all the major snow will stay well to the west and south of the Tri-Lakes area, but we could get another 2-3" which would put a nice surface on the trails that have already been broken out.  Weekend temperatures will be a high in the teens on Saturday, and around 20 on Sunday.  Then warmer again into next week with temperatures in the 40s Tuesday and Wednesday.  Another update tomorrow when we see how much snow fell overnight and we know what the groomed centers have managed to do with this less than ideal pattern.  
      Earlier this month my wife andI were in Norway.  We first visited our daughter and new grandson where they live north of the Arctic Circle, and then spent a few days in Oslo before flying back.  no snow in Oslo, but in addition to some museums we wanted to take a hike.  We stopped in at the office of the Norwegian Trekking Assoc. and got information on a suitable hike. We then asked about the weather for the following day.  The person we spoke with had excellent English, but he apologized for not having a good translation for the "sludd" that would be coming out of the sky.  We allowed as how that didn't seem to require any translation.  The above is a long way of saying, so far all we have gotten from this storm is sludd.  

INTRODUCTION
    Temperatures were into the 50s today, but this is not expected to be an extended thaw, so there won't be any significant loss of snow cover.  Temperatures through Thursday will be just above freezing for a high, but colder at night.  A mix of snow, sleet, and a bit of rain are in the forecast.  Then much colder on Friday (high of about 10) followed by somewhat warmer temperatures for the coming weekend.  

     Given today's warm temperatures, we need to hope for a few inches of snow before the weekend to cover up what will likely be some fairly hard and fast conditions once the temperatures drop.  Next update on Thursday, 2/27, after we know what has actually fallen from the sky and have a better idea of weekend weather.

JACKRABBIT TRAIL
        Finally good cover from end to end.  Downhills could be quite fast after today's warm weather unless/until we get some snow.   All sections are well broken out.  Section in from McKenzie Pond Rd. is thin at the start, but improves as one skis toward the pond.  Whiteface Inn trailhead has much more snow, but will also be quite "firm" when the temperatures drop as will be the other trailheads toward Keene. 

CROSS-COUNTRY SKI CENTERS
          CASCADE X-C SKI CENTER:  
          Km Open and Groomed: 15   Km Track Set: 15
          New snow:      Base Depth: 10"  Off Track 20"
          Surface Conditions:  Wet powder as of Monday
          Remarks:  Restaurant and ski shop open

          MOUNT VAN HOEVENBERG:
          Km Open and Groomed:  45    Km Track Set: 45
          New snow:      Base Depth: 12"  off Track 20"
          Surface Conditions:  Wet powder as of Monday
          Remarks: Groomed and tracked - everything except the outer loop of the Ladies 5 km. 
​

           PAUL SMITHS VISITOR INTERPRETIVE CENTER:
           Km Open and Groomed:  37  
           New Snow:      Base Depth: 25"
           Surface Conditions:  Wet powder as of Monday
       Remarks:  All trails groomed.  Most track-set 

BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
            Snowshoes or skis are now required in the High Peaks.  There is 47" at Lake Colden and 6-7 feet at 4,000 feet. See introduction for a discussion of how surface conditions will "evolve" during the week.

WHITEFACE HIGHWAY:  Skiable all the way to the Castle.

MARCY DAM TRUCK TRAIL:  Finally enough snow to truly cover all the rocks.  

HIKING TRAIL FROM ADK LOJ:  Definitely skiable.  Old Marcy Dam trail is the better start as there are no problems with any brook crossings.

AVALANCHE PASS:  Finally, no rocks to dodge above Marcy Dam. Pass is in good shape.  Lake ice on Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden is being crossed. Be cautious around all inlets and outlets.

CONNERY POND TO WHITEFACE LANDING:  Finally fully covered and broken out.   Pond can be crossed to avoid the hills at the beginning.
​
HAYS BROOK TRUCK TRAIL:  Definitely skiable to both Grass Pond and the Sheep Meadow,   Blowdown past the crossing of Hays Brook now reportedly cleared, but parking is not plowed.

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

RAQUETTE FALLS:  Finally enough cover for this classic tour. A bit thin under some of the hemlocks, and there is a tree at the bottom of a hill about three miles in. Road is plowed to the parking area past the bridge over Stony Creek with a few spaces plowed at the parking area.

GULF BROOK ROAD TO BOREAS PONDS: Parking area has been plowed.  Tracks broken to the ponds and out onto the surface for an even better view.  Second washed out culvert that required a detour has now been shoveled (thank you Jim Brundage?) and is no longer an obstacle.  First culvert is now just a "speed bump" with the new snow.

NEWCOMB LAKE ROAD TO CAMP SANTANONI: Good skiing as always. Moose Pond Trail also has good cover, but there is an undetermined amount of  uncleared blowdown.

AUSABLE LAKE ROAD:  Plenty of cover, but snowmobile traffic makes the surface less than ideal for skiing, but still acceptable.