Conditions 2/14/18

• INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 
•   We continue to ride a virtual "temperature roller-coaster" as it will be near 40 today, above 40 on Thursday and into Friday before becoming a bit colder than normal on Saturday, followed by warming to again around 40 early next week.  Given this pattern, it would almost require hourly updates to provide truly current conditions, but we'll do our best with daily or every other day reports.  There is sufficient base that we won't lose it all with Thursday's warm temperatures, but we will need some new snow Friday as it cools down to have decent skiing for the weekend - at least away from the groomed centers.  As of today, trails that have been skied are hard and fast with just a bit of new powder in the Lake Placid area.  Areas that have not been skied or snowshoed have a loose, sugary surface that would be good skiing.  
• Next update late Friday when we know how much snow we might get and whether the warm temps continue further into President's Week.  And a highlight in another Nordic sport, ski jumping, will be the first competition on Lake Placid's big 120-meter jump in many years.  Training on Monday from 11 AM to 1 PM (plus a night jump on the smaller hill), and then a competition on Tuesday starting at 11 AM.  

• JACKRABBIT TRAIL CONDITIONS​ ​
• Base depth:  8-12"
•  Surface Conditions:  granular and crust
•  Km Open - 50 km 
•  Remarks -  Steeper terrain will be quite fast and perhaps not advisable until it softens up or we get more snow.
• 
  BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS         
•  Skis or snowshoes absolutely required by regulation to at least be carried in the High Peaks and needed elsewhere .  Good traction aids (Microspikes or more aggressive crampons) will be needed on the steeper trails if they have been heavily skied or snowshoed.
  •     Snow Depth at Lake Colden: 38"
        Snow Depth at 4,000 feet:  5-6'  
        Surface Conditions: Powder 
  • • Hiking trail to Marcy Dam now skiable, but still with some thin spots and a few rocks to dodge.  Truck Trail good all the way to Marcy Dam.  Wright Peak and Marcy may still be a bit rough on their lower approaches, but skiable above the Phelps Mt. junction on Marcy or after leaving the hiking trail on Wright. 
    • Road to Newcomb Lake and  Moose Pond in great shape with about 20" of snow there.
    • Fish Pond and Hays Brook truck trails all skiable.    
    • Lake Colden and Avalanche Lake crossable.
    • Whiteface Highway - no current report
    • Keene Valley/Garden Parking not really skiable to JBL as thee is just a narrow, firm snowshoe track. 
    • Lake Road to Lower Ausable Lake again fuly covered, but will have a very hard surface due to the snowmobile traffic. Mr. Van Trail skiable from the Loj. No report on the Marcy Brook crossing, but an approach via Meadow Lane and the Klondike Trail will be fine.
    • ___________________________________________________________________
    • • 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) - 4" 
        •               Off track snow depth - 12"
                        Inches New Snow - 2" since Monday
                        Surface Conditions - Groomed powder
                        Km Open - 50
                       Km Tracked - 50
        •               Remarks - 
        •      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) - 4" 
        •               Off track snow depth - 12"
                        Inches New Snow - 2" since Monday
                        Surface Conditions -  Groomed powder 
                        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) - 10"
      •                        Off track snow depth:  18"
                                Inches New Snow 12" by Thursday evening
                               Surface Conditions - Groomed powder  
                               Km Open - 30
                               Km Tracked - 20
                               Remarks - 
      •                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 (packed) - 5" 
                                Inches New Snow -
                                Surface conditions - Powder and granular 
                                Km Open -13
      •                         Km Tracked - 5
                                Remarks -  Upper trails ungroomed but skiable
        
                         Tupper Lake free x-c ski trails
                     10 km of groomed trails starting from Tupper Lake Golf Course 
                     http://www.skitupperlake.blogspot.com
      • No report since Sunday's thaw.