After two days of high temperatures, the weather has cooled down. We picked up a dusting to 1" overnight, but should get another inch or so by Sunday morning. After that, temperatures only in the upper 20s through Tuesday, but then again warming up later in the week with a chance of rain as well.
Unbridged brook crossings will be a challenge even after the waters go down because any brook that "went out" will be flowing in a deep trench. Of particular concern would be the crossing of Marcy Brook at Indian Falls on the Marcy trail. The other questionable crossing will be the Opalescent River in Flowed Lands, but there at least one can stay on the hiking trail to get to Lake Colden.
Most areas still have a good base. Skiing today won't be that good, but should be much better Sunday to Tuesday at least. As noted in the previous report, it is now "spring conditions" so until the snow melts a lot more the controlling factor will be temperature. There will be some isolated bare spots on southern slopes and in open areas where earlier winds earlier blew much of the snow away, but these shouldn't require too much walking to cross.
- JACKRABBIT TRAIL CONDITIONS
- Base depth: 6-12"
- Surface Conditions: Frozen granular with a bit of new snow on top
- Km Open - 50
- Remarks - no reports yet on any section that has bare spots, but they should be small given how much snow we started with.
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- BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS
- Snow depth at Lake Colden: 50"
- Snow depth at 4,000 feet - 5-6 feet
- Good cover on all backcountry trails in the High Peaks and most other popular routes. Surface conditions will vary from fast downhills where it had been packed out to a more forgiving crust on unbroken areas.
- Johns Brook trail from the Garden was skiable with care, but no longer recommended after the thaw.
- Road to Lower Ausable Lake still had snowmobile traffic until this thaw, but is still very skiable with just the inch or so of snow on the old tracks.
- Boreas parking area again plowed with good cover. No report on how much new snow there or in Newcomb.
- SKIS OR SNOWSHOES ARE STILL REQUIRED ON ALL TRAILS IN THE HIGH PEAKS AND ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE WORN ELSEWHERE - BOTH FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AND TO PRESERVE GOOD CONDITIONS FOR ALL OTHERS.
X-C SKI CENTER CONDITIONS: (Groomed, trail fee required)
Mt. Van Hoevenberg X-C Ski Center:- 50km of trails, open daily, rentals, lessons, 518-523-2811, www.whiteface.com/activities/cross-country-skiing
Base Depth (packed) -7" - Off track snow depth - 14"
Inches New Snow - 1" last 24 hours
Surface Conditions - Packed powder on frozen granular - Km Open - 50
Km Tracked 50 - Remarks - Lake Placid Loppet on Saturday will close part of the area. All open on Sunday.
- Cascade X-C Ski Center:
- 20 km of trails with connection to 50km at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, open daily, rentals, lessons, restaurant, bar. 518-523-9605, www.cascadeski.com
Base Depth(packed) -6" - Off track snow depth - 12"
Inches New Snow - 1" last 24 hours
Surface Conditions - Packed powder on frozen granular
Km Open - 15
Km Tracked - 10
Remarks - - Paul Smith's VIC: www.trailhub.org/trail/generatepdf?orgid=TXpFMA==&actid=TVRVPQ==
- 30 km of trails, open daily, rentals, 518-327-6241,
Base Depth (packed) - 14"- Off track snow depth: 26"
Inches New Snow: 1" last 24 hours
Surface Conditions - Packed powder on frozen granular - Km Open - 30
Km Tracked -
- Off track snow depth: 26"
Dewey Mountain - Saranac Lake- 13 km of trails, open daily (including nights until 7PM Tue. - Fri.), rentals, 891-2697 http://www.deweymountain.com
Remarks - Lower trails groomed and good skiing. Upper trails ungroomed , but still with some thin spots.
- 50km of trails, open daily, rentals, lessons, 518-523-2811, www.whiteface.com/activities/cross-country-skiing