Good snow but another cold weekend ahead

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.