Conditions 4/3/2015

• • Thursday and Friday saw temperatures near 60 in most areas (but so far none of the predicted rain), and therefore  plenty of snow is still left.  Open areas and south-facing slopes below 2,000 feet are mostly bare, but snow remains everywhere else.  Still over a foot of snow in the woods in the Lake Placid area.  It will cool down Friday night with 3-4" of new snow expected after initially starting as rain.  Next week will remain colder than normal with a continued chance of additional snow along with some rain, so no significant melting for yet another week.  
  • We thus continue to expect our snow cover to last well into April.  As stated in earlier reports,  the rule will now be SPRING CONDITIONS, i.e. potentially hard and icy when temperatures are below freezing and soft and slow when they are above freezing.  Any new snow will, of course, change that equation for a short time, but from now on it's watching the thermometer or skiing at the groomed centers as long as they are open.  
    
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  • JACKRABBIT TRAIL CONDITIONS:
•              Base Depth - 6-10" 
               Surface Conditions - Wet powder and frozen granular
               Km Open - 50 km - except bare ground along River Rd. in Lake Placid and on the Lake Placid Club golf course.
•                        Remarks - Steeper sections on Old Mt. Road section and McKenzie section not recommended unless there is new snow or it is above freezing.
  
  
  BACKCOUNTRY CONDITIONS:
                Snow Depth at Lake Colden: 34"
                Snow Depth at 4,000 feet:  5-6'  
                Surface Conditions: Wet powder and frozen granular
            Meadow Lane now closed for the winter.  Adds nearly a mile each way on the Marcy Dam Truck Trail.  Skis or snowshoes required in the High Peaks, needed elsewhere.  
• • All popular routes including Marcy and Wright Peak have excellent cover, but only recommended with new snow or warmer temperatures.  Approach to Marcy Dam from ADK Loj is hard and fast.  Truck trail is longer but definitely better skiing.
  • Ice on Avalanche Lake and Lake Colden still safe and will remain so at least a week.  Opalescent still crossable in Flowed Lands, but no guarantees at the AllenMt. crossing with even this slight additional melting.  Other lakes also safe for now, but watch for any inlets that might have locally weakened the ice.
  • Whiteface Highway remains skiable from the Toll House. No current report on the upper part that has been icy with bare areas due to the high winds we have experienced this season.
    
  • Keene Valley/Garden Parking to JBL not checked, but likely not continuously skiable. Good cover for skiing beyond JBL.
  • Lake Road to Lower Ausable Lake packed by snowmobiles and skiable.
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  • 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) -  10" 
    •               Off track snow depth - 24"
                    Inches New Snow - 
                    Surface Conditions - Groomed granular
                    Km Open - 50
                    Km Tracked - 50
    •               Remarks -  Still fully open and grooming.  Now closing on Monday and Tuesday, but currently plan to remain open as long as skiers continue to show up.
    •      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) -   
    •               Off track snow depth - 
                    Inches New Snow - 
                    Surface Conditions - 
                    Km Open -
                    Km Tracked - 
                    Remarks -  Closed for the season
               Paul Smith's VIC:
               20 km of trails, open daily, rentals, 518-327-6241, www.adirondackvic.org
                           Base Depth (packed) - 4"
                           Off track snow depth:  18"
                           Inches New Snow - 
                           Surface Conditions - Wet powder and  granular
                           Km Open - 15
                           Km Tracked - 
                           Remarks - No further grooming  
                   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) - 8-10"
                            Inches New Snow - 
                            Surface conditions - Wet powder and granular
                            Km Open -10
                            Km Tracked - 
                            Remarks -  Fast conditions on the lower trails.  Upper trails skiable with caution.  Lodge closed for the season, but skiing will continue as long as there is snow.
    
                     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 3/20, but there must still be cover.