My favorite time to ski might be spring. The relief from the cold, and the longer days, make spring skiing as carefree as taking a walk in the summer. If the snowpack is really good, I would say spring is best. The corn snow doesn't stick to your boards in above-freezing temperatures, a light sweater is all you need for a top layer, and your form is usually pretty well tuned from the winter. Unless you're talking about skiing directly after a big snow during the heart of winter and making first tracks through snowclad woods, spring skiing is something for which to make time.
Just for the record,--not that I made a visit to Rockwood to verify,---the skiable snowcover left the trails approx. April 6th. Plenty more time to ski in the Adirondacks.
Hoping the Foothills ADK chapter can organize a clean up of the downed limbs in the trails at Rockwood this coming summer or fall.
Rockwood State Forest
Click the Photo for the Song of the Month---Richochei "Perfect Like You"
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Snow for April Fool's Day
The storm was forecasted to drop 8-12", then it was changed to 5-8", but Mother Nature fooled us. Even the Adirondacks were completely missed. Fulton County -- Precipitation Reports | ||||||||
Town | Amount | Type | Since | |||||
Caroga Lake | 1.00" | Snow | 06:00:00 AM | |||||
Gloversville | Trace | Snow | 05:00:00 AM | |||||
Fish House | Trace | Snow | 05:00:00 AM | |||||
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Hard snow
Snow is still plentiful, but we can use a little warm up after a very cold weekend. I skied the southeast part of Rockwood on hard snow. Only a few places are postholed deeply by snowshoes, back when the base was very soft. I found a 1/2" layer of fresh snow on South Loop Rd, covering the bulletproof base of over a foot.
Once we get a few days of warm weather the corn snow will be back in the woods. Branches in the trails are more and more an issue as the base evaporates. Bring a good snowplow for the downhills while the snow is hard. The southeast is THE most hilly of all the areas in Rockwood.
From the main parking lot, I skied the Forest Edge all the way to the far east entrance, passed through the stone pillars and skied South Loop Rd. I took D South Rd down between the Twin Peaks and back. I skied Camp Rd north to the Chimney and took Chimney Loop Trail out to D Spur. Then I went south on D spur and skied South Loop Rd again to D East Rd and out to the Forest Edge. The return to the parking lot on the Forest Edge on very firm base was fast and fun.
Started 3:30 at 36 degrees
Ended 5:30 at 35 degrees
Once we get a few days of warm weather the corn snow will be back in the woods. Branches in the trails are more and more an issue as the base evaporates. Bring a good snowplow for the downhills while the snow is hard. The southeast is THE most hilly of all the areas in Rockwood.
From the main parking lot, I skied the Forest Edge all the way to the far east entrance, passed through the stone pillars and skied South Loop Rd. I took D South Rd down between the Twin Peaks and back. I skied Camp Rd north to the Chimney and took Chimney Loop Trail out to D Spur. Then I went south on D spur and skied South Loop Rd again to D East Rd and out to the Forest Edge. The return to the parking lot on the Forest Edge on very firm base was fast and fun.
Started 3:30 at 36 degrees
Ended 5:30 at 35 degrees
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