We headed up the toll road tonight in very high winds. As we were skiing up, 3 pick-up trucks came down, one plowing a single lane in the middle of the highway. They were not spreading salt. Despite this there was ice covering the pavement all the way to the bottom, and enough snow on either side of the plowed lane to ski uphill, but it will of course be more difficult to maneuver on the downhill.
As is typical for early season conditions, above the pump house there is decent snow cover and a few inches of fresh on the sides to make good turns on the downhill. Descending below the pump house is a dicey with large patches of ice and narrow strips of mostly hard snow mixed with frozen chunks from the plowing on Friday night. We didn't get anywhere near the 3-6" forecast yesterday.
Skiing should be decent Sunday morning for more adventurous skiers but we can't say for sure that the plow won't be out again. Use caution on the downhill below the pump house.
More snow on the Ausable Club golf course than any other course, but the surface is a bit crusty. Must park at the bottom of the hill and walk up, but it's skiing. Lake Road not quite ready without going up about two miles, and then lots of foot prints in the 2-3" of snow. The above generated a definitive answer about skiing on the Ausable Club golf course. The ruling is IT IS NOT PERMITTED. I'm sorry to have just gone by long tradition in my earlier post. However, with the significant increase in traffic through the Club and the consequent chance that there would be more skiing there,I and everyone else must comply with this ruling. Furthermore, with better snow elsewhere skiing there is no longer a necessity just to get sliding.
The National Weather Service forecast for tonight and Saturday:
Snow is expected to move into the area later this afternoon and persist well into the evening hours. Total accumulations of 3-6" are expected across the Adirondacks, with 2-6" possible for east and central Vermont, with highest amounts above 1000 feet. Snow will begin to taper off after midnight tonight and will be replaced by periods of drizzle or freezing drizzle.
The Whiteface toll road should be skiable by Saturday morning provided that crews do not plow the road between now and then. Local golf courses might also provide some decent kicking and gliding, depending on localized snow accumulation. Only one way to find out...get out there and see for yourself!
A quick "windshield survey" after the Friday's snow revealed that the Whiteface Highway has been plowed. Otherwise it would be good skiing. As for the golf courses, only Craig Wood is just barely white, so it looks like another weekend of hiking. If you do go hiking, expect, icy trails right from the trailhead on many peaks, and traction will definitely be needed before reaching any summit. Afternoon temperatures in the valleys will be in the 30s, but with high winds predicted, it will be full-on winter on the summits. Sunday will only see temperatures in the 20s in the valleys, so be prepared for winter condition on Sunday as well. The long-term outlook for next week is continued cold with several chances for more snow. We'll keep you informed.