Barkeater Trails Alliance
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Ski Trail Conditions

Damage Assessment & Recovery Outlook

1/14/2020

2 Comments

 
After a drive "around the block" yesterday, I can report that all is not lost.  The snow is pretty much gone in Keene and is thin in Lake Placid and thinner in Saranac Lake, but there is still some good base left to the west and south.  Surfaces are hard and icy, but 3-4" of new snow will make a good deal of the gentler terrain skiable again.  This will happen slowly through the week with the best chance of more significant snow on Saturday.  Friday will be quite cold, but Saturday and Sunday will see temperatures in the low to mid-20s before cooling off again on Monday, MLK Day.  
Warning: High winds accompanied the thaw, so there may be new downed trees on any of the trails. 

Specifically:

Marcy Dam Truck Trail - 2-3" if ice or hard crust left, but the ground is covered.

Jackrabbit Trail - The section starting at Whiteface Inn Lane retained consistent snow: 5" at the trailhead.  McKenzie Pond Rd. end virtually bare as are the Old Mt. Road and the golf course sections.  The Paul Smiths Section had 10" at the Easy Street Crossing, but less toward the VIC.

Hays Brook Truck Trail - 3-4" at the trailhead.  Note in the register says Forest Ranger Scott Sabo cleared the trail as of 12/12.  Looking for confirmation from the ranger that all trees to the Sheep Meadow have been cleared.

Fish Pond Truck Trail - Also 3-4" at the trailhead, so skiable with some new snow.

Newcomb Lake Road - 4-5" in the road where it had been packed down, and 6-8" off trail.

Gulf Brook Road to Boreas Ponds - The parking is now being plowed and there is about 6" of snow at the south-facing trailhead.  Note in the register says, "culvert #1 impassable", but is was definitely passable a month ago.  

Ausable Lake Road - No cover at the gate under the thick trees, but likely some after 1/2 mile.

These condition reports are provided by the Bark Eater Trails Alliance (BETA), continuing a service started by the Adirondack Ski Touring Council.  BETA continues as a mostly volunteer-driven organization (no pay for yesterday's drive), but the organization now does field a small, paid trail crew to work on routine maintenance of the vastly expanded trail network while also working on the many opportunities for new trail construction now that the Saranac Lake Wild Forest plan has been approved.  The organization also has a full-time, paid executive director to coordinate all of the above activities, not to mention the cost of keeping this site active.  
So, if you've never contributed to BETA but find these reports useful. please consider going to the organization's website, www.betatrails.org, and making a contribution using PayPal or most credit cards.  Thanks
2 Comments
Nate
1/15/2020 09:20:16 am

Thanks for all you do to keep us updated about the ski trail conditions!

Reply
James
1/15/2020 09:42:43 pm

Thank you for the report. It's appreciated.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Trail Conditions 101

    ​Trail 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. 

    Always plan ahead for your outing, be prepared with proper clothing, equipment, maps and emergency supplies, and check local weather conditions as well before departing on your trip.

    Maps - don't leave home with them!

    For trails in the High Peaks Wilderness area, we recommend purchasing the High Peaks Adirondack Trail Map from the Adirondack Mountain Club.  

    For trails outside of the High Peaks area, we recommend purchasing the Lake Placid & Saranac Lake Winter Trails Map from Green Goat Maps, which covers the Jackrabbit Ski Trail and other adjacent ski touring opportunities.

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BARKEATER TRAILS ALLIANCE (BETA)
volunteer driven - member supported - human powered


Address
P.O. Box 843 - ​Lake Placid, NY 12946

Telephone

518.523.1365

Email

betatrails@gmail.com
  • Home
  • About
    • BOARD & STAFF
    • History
    • Contact Us
    • Gallery
  • Bike Trails
    • Wilmington MTB >
      • Flume Trails
      • Hardy Road (Beaver Brook)
      • Poor Man's Downhill (PMD)
    • Lake Placid MTB >
      • Lussi & Loggers Trails
      • Craig Wood Trails
    • Saranac Lake MTB >
      • Dewey Mountain
      • Mount Pisgah
    • Elizabethtown MTB >
      • Otis Mountain
      • Blueberry Hill
    • electric MTBs
  • Ski Trails
    • Conditions
    • Jackrabbit Ski Trail
  • Join BETA
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • 2020 Survey
    • WIN A BIKE
    • events >
      • JACKRABBIT RALLY
      • Annual Meeting
      • Ski Movie Fundraiser
      • Ski & Swim Party
      • Avalanche Pass Key Swap
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