Conditions 1/2/2014

• INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 
• Change is definitely on the way with now 4" of new snow possible by Friday morning.  This will allow more terrain to become skiable, although the snow will be very light and won't cover up all the obstacles. Temperatures will be well below normal for Thursday and Friday before recovering to highs of 15 on Saturday.  
• Garnet Hill, Lapland Lake, the free BREIA trails in Booneville, and Osceola Tug Hill have enough snow for skiing, and the southwestern Adirondacks picked up as much as 10" on Tuesday, so those backcountry trails are back in reasonably good shape.
  
• JACKRABBIT TRAIL CONDITIONS:
  •               Base Depth - 2-3"
  •               Surface Conditions - dust on crust       
                         Km Open - ?
                 Remarks -  Flatter sections such as the Peninsula skiable. River Rd. to Rt. 86 has been skied, but cover is very thin under any fir trees.  The new snow Tuesday has also made the Keene end of the Old Mt. skiable - at least as far as the first beaver pond.  
  
  BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
                Snow Depth at Lake Colden: 13"
                Snow Depth at 4,000 feet:  18-24" 
                Surface Conditions: Crust with very loose, light  powder on top.
                Remarks:    New light snow in various flurries has brought the snow depth at Lake Colden up to more "normal" depth for early January, but snow cover is still very thin at ADK Loj, so even the Marcy Dam Truck Trail is not yet recommended. Skis or snowshoes not yet required in the High Peaks, but should be carried and used if heading to any of the higher summits. Micospikes or crampons will be practically mandatory right from the parking lot.  
  
          Road to Newcomb Lake is still the best backcountry choice with 6" of cover.   The Hays Brook and Fish Pond Truck Trails have cover, but many blowdowns from the icing event before Christmas.  No report on Raquette Falls, but likely not quite enough cover yet.  Ausable Lake Road has an inch or so of fluff on an icy base and with the new snow could be skied.  Likewise, Marcy Dam Truck Trail is fluff on crust with rocks that must be dodged and still not recommended 
  
  Ice on Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden and all other smaller bodies of water safe to cross,  just be very careful around inlets or outlets (reports of several mishaps at Avalanche Lake outlet). Unbridged streams have mostly refrozen Opalescent River now crossable in Flowed Lands.
  
             Definitely be prepared for full winter weather conditions on any bare summit. 
  __________________________________________________________________________
  
  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 -  3
                  Inches New Snow - 1
                  Surface Conditions -  powder on crust
                  Km Open - 8
                  Km Tracked -  1
  •               Remarks - One km of man-made  has track set and good skiing.  Additional flatter terrain open but with cautions about some rocks and other obstacles not fully covered.  New snow will allow more terrain to open.
  • There is good skiing at the Intervale Jumping Complex on man-made snow from 12:00-4:00 daily. $10 trail fee for both areas.
  • 
         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 -   3
                  Inches New Snow - 1
                  Surface Conditions - powder on crust
                  Km Open - 5
                  Km Tracked - 
                  Remarks - Ski shop and bar open daily.  
    
             Whiteface Club Nordic Center:
  •     10 km of trails, open Wed-Sun. (except holiday weeks)  rentals, 518-523-2551,
  • www.whitefaceclubresort.com
                  Base Depth -  
                  Inches New Snow - 
  •               Surface Conditions -  
                  Km Open -  
                  Km Tracked - 
                  Remarks - 
  
             Paul Smith's VIC:
             15 km of trails, open daily, rentals, 518-327-6241, www.adirondackvic.org
                         Base Depth - 6-8"
                          Inches New Snow -  2"
                         Surface Conditions - powder on crust
                         Km Open - 20
                         Km Tracked - 
                         Remarks - All trails now open.  No set track, but good 
  
                 Dewey Mountain - Saranac  Lake
              13 km of trails, open daily (including nights until 7PM Tue. - Fri.), rentals, 891-2697         http://www.deweymountain.com
                          Base Depth 
                          Inches New Snow - 
                          Surface conditions - 
                          Km Open - 
                          Km Tracked - 
                          Remarks -  Closed until conditions improve
  
                   Tupper Lake free x-c ski trails
               10 km of groomed trails starting from Tupper Lake Golf Course 
               http://www.skitupperlake.blogspot.com
                  No current report.