Hays Brook Truck Trail

Skied the Hays Brook Truck Trail today on about eight inches of light, fluffy powder. Except for a few scrapes (no base to speak of), conditions were ideal. Toward the end of the trail there is some blowdown, including one huge tree that must be gone around. Go left when you reach it.

3 more ski trips

We have added links to three more ski trips: Camp Santanoni, Debar Mountain Wild Forest, and the Seven Carries. We're up to 18 total, with more to come.

The good book revised

Click here to read my review of David Goodman's Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast, a revision of his cult classic.The 50 trips include Mount Marcy, Wright Peak, Avalanche Pass, and the Jackrabbit Trail. There also are suggestions for three trips in Johns Brook Valley, including Bennies Brook Slide. Not sure how Adirondack skiers feel about having that appear in a guidebook.

Toll road icy

We're told the Whiteface toll road was icy this past weekend. That's not surprising, given the warm weather in recent days.

But it will snow again, and the road will once more look it did earlier this month.

Click here to see photos of a trip when conditions were better.

Good ski film

Just watched the movie "Steep," about the evolution of extreme skiing in the backcountry. Highly recommend it. Great photography, good interviews, interesting history.

Still snowy up high

I went for a jog along the Bloomingdale Bog trail on Saturday and got a good view of Whiteface. It's still snow-capped.

A Catskill ski video

The other day we posted an item on the Albany Times Union website about the first ski descent of Slide Mountain in the Catskills, with a video featuring the Adirondacks' own Ron Konowitz. Click here to check it out.

The ski season begins

People have been skiing the Whiteface toll road for a few weeks, but I didn't get there till last Sunday. There was cover from the tollbooth to the summit, though it was hard and icy at the start. It's supposed to warm up this week, so some of the snow may melt at the lower elevations. Nevertheless, you should be able to find snow higher up this weekend.

The short video found here was shot on my cruise down the highway. I reached a top speed of 19+ mph, according to my GPS watch. Not exactly Olympian material.