TR: Swamp skiing in the Adirondacks: High Falls Truck Trail

[MikeK]

With lack of new snow, most of the trails were reported to be fast and crusty. I was concerned my wife would be terrified if I took her on anything that had any significant terrain, so we stayed low and mellow this weekend.

Saturday night dusted most of the Western Adirondacks with about 4" of fluff. The temperature had dropped from low 30's on Saturday to single digits, so we had the perfect dust over crust conditions. Was perfect skiing for the Glittertinds.

We met a young dude on his way back from High Falls on snowshoes who had spent the night out there on Saturday. He said he wished he had brought skis instead... for sure - the conditions were excellent.

Both Saturday and Sunday were blue bird days most of the time - the sun was blinding at times.

I've done canoe trips up the Oswegatchie river in the summer and it's amazing how much different northern 5 ponds looks in the winter than summer. It is much more bright and cheery in the winter. In the summer, it earns it's nickname as the heart of darkness.

[MikeK]

I should add this trail is so well graded (it's part of a former jeep trail and railroad bed) that even my wife called it 'boring if it weren't so pretty."

[MikeK]

FWIW Sat was not a Wilderness ski - just a plain old xc ski along an old road now closed to vehicles.

http://www.newcombny.com/facilities/santanoni-preserve/

http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/53095.html