
If any hikers are reading this....we always discourage hiking without snowshoes in winter, BUT NOW WOULD BE A HATEFUL TIME TO POST HOLE.
Skiing will be fantastic just about everywhere, but the heavy rain on Friday left previously frozen streams swollen with melt water and ice flows. Skiers should expect to navigate around at least some open water on most trails. The ice on larger rivers like the West and East Branch of the Ausable broke up on Friday. Most smaller streams and drainages are open with running water, but the cold temperatures should start to lock that up today. In some areas water flooded onto trails and then partially refroze before being covered with the new snow. Use extreme caution on ice crossings, especially near inlets and outlets.
In other words, WET SPOTS ABOUND...DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT A METAL SCRAPER.
One very specific alert for the Jackrabbit Ski Trail - see photo at right. When traveling toward McKenzie Pond from the parking area on McKenzie Pond Road, the first bridge reached (in the big dip) was flooded as of Saturday afternoon. Skiing on this section of trail cannot be recommended today. Crossing the stream is not advised.
National Weather Service forecast for the Lake Placid region here.
Sunny and cold today with overnight lows reaching -22F. Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be perfect for ski touring. Temperatures in the teens and sunny all day. More snow possible Tuesday and Wednesday.
We will post another update on Monday afternoon.
IF YOU ARE OUT SKIING AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OBSERVATIONS, PLEASE POST THEM IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. THANK YOU!