Despite two days of record highs, we still have some snow

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.