LAKE GEORGE RECREATION CENTER - Gage Brook xc ski & hiking trails

 

Getting There. 43.401531, -73.733131   MAP.   Note: despite what they say, it is seldom groomed.

Nov 6, 2024 - Yet another warmup for a couple of days. I went on a morning loop hike, mostly on trails, some off-trail. Short bushwhack to "the canyon". 2 brooks - not much water. The temperature was rising through the 60s, sunny at first, then increasing clouds. 3.5 miles, 550' el gain, 3 hours.

July 29, 2024 - Short morning hike. Temp rising thru the 70s, humid. Good for shrooming - brought home a bolete & some chanterelles. 2.6 miles, 476' el gain, 2 hours.

July 16, 2024 - A morning walk to beat the heat & humidity. Temp rising through the 70s. Good shrooming - found some lobsters & chanterelles. Saw 2 people. No cars in the parking area at the start, 4 when done. Finished up at the sledding hill for the view of the lake. 2 hours.

May 10, 2024 - Wildflower hike. Saw red trillium, violets (violet, white, yellow), blueberry, bluets (blue, white), Jack-in-the-pulpit, fringed polygala, sessile bellwort (wild oats), foamflower, plus some unidentified white & yellow flowers. Temp in the 50s, mostly cloudy, no biting flies. 3 hours.

March 25, 2024 - I had enough of breaking trail the last 2 days & wanted to go somewhere where the trails were more likely to be broken out. Most of the popular trails were broken out by skiers & snowshoers, leaving an 8-10" trench in which to ski - these were relatively fast, nice! The upper trails W of 204th Way had seen minimal (1 snowshoe) or no use. I broke trail over half of Magua's Revenge to "The Throne" & on Bear Claw - 2 of my favorites. Also went partway up the unmarked trail into state land to Prospect Mtn which was better than expected because it can have wet spots & rocks showing - saw 1 skier & 2 evil bare-booters. Also skied 204th, Guard Help Way (best to avoid wet sections past the lean-to), Sylvan, Hawkeye, Uncas Return, Algonquin, & Let's Go - some of them twice. Added side-trips to a lookout to the lake, & an off-trail downhill jaunt to get a look at a small canyon. Up to 18" of snow, temp mid-30s to mid-40s & sunny. Took a brief look at nearby snomo trails incl. Prospect - badly beaten up by snomo use. Snomos not allowed in the LGRC. 7.5 miles, 906' el gain/loss, 4 hours.

Nov 12, 2023 - Hiked most of the trails. Cleared some of the trails in prep for xc ski season, the upper trails are looking overgrown. Saw 3 people & 1 dog. 2.8 hours.

Mar 22, 2023 - Started at the toll road then over to the sledding hill. Spent most of my time on the higher elevation trails west of 204th Way - everything from Chingachgook to Magua's Revenge. The lower trails had been "groomed" by snowmobile & there was much evidence of snowshoe use & some bare-booting postholers. Higher trails had received little to no use & I had to break trail for a while. Good to very good skiing on up to 16" of dense snow that was a bit crunchy in spots. Temp mid 40s to low 50s. 6.8 miles, 827' el gain/loss, 3.7 hours.

Mar 21, 2023 - Spring skiing on Bear Claw:

Jan 24, 2023 - Lower areas had been broken by ski & snowshoe, less use on the upper trails. Wet spots on Guard Help above the lean-to (680' el), 204th to Chingachgook Sagamore Tomahawk & up Mahican Ridge - had to push thru some overhanging snow-laden trees. Tree down at top of Magua's Revenge & steep drop. Visited "The Throne" on West Brook. Nice run down Bear Claw. Headed up the unmarked trail toward Prospect Mtn into state land - some rocks showing & wet spots. Got up to 1280' el before chickening out. Back at the LGRC, repeated Bear Claw & had nice runs down Guard Help & 204th. Fun run down Uncas & finished up with a visit to the top of the sledding hill where there is a view of Lake George. Up to 10" of snow. 6.1 miles, 873' gross el, 4.1 hours.

   

Feb 26, 2022 - Very good skiing on up to 8" of new powder on a thin base which was occasionally crunchy or ice, nice to have pointy tips on poles, especially going up hills.  Elevations between 500' & 1,000'.  Broke trail on some trails.  3.4 hours.  The trails: Guard Help Way - most popular trail, quick drop then fairly easy to the lean-to at the falls, climbs away (often wet or icy), then climbs gently alongside West Brook.  204th Way - old woods road with fun fairly easy run downhill.  Let's go - easy.  Uncas Return & Hawkeye - nice hill either way.  Chingachgook, Sagamore, Tomahawk - intermediate hills, light use.  Mohican Ridge (no sign) & Gauntlet Hill - more challenging, need over a foot of snow, little use.  Magua's Revenge - very steep downhill at start but intermediate after that, very scenic along West Brook.  Bear Claw - nice downhill run from the junction with Magua's.

       

Feb 21 - Scouted out on foot/spikes the Prospect Hwy & Prospect Red trail (icy) the day before - up to 10" of hardpack- snomo trails closed but 3 rangers went by on ATVs & 1 fat bike, fairly icy in middle but skiable snow on the sides. Waited until the temp got above 40F & started skiing on the snomo route then decided to cut over to the LGRC. The easy trails were well-packed by skiers, snowshoers, & booters & sometimes icy. The more/most difficult trails had seen much less use & were much better skiing - only 1 hill, I think it is on Tomahawk or Mohican, had some rocks exposed. Also did less-used trails like Barkeater & Huron. Actually best off-trail on untouched snow where I would sink in 2". Saw 14 bare-booters, 2 snowshoers, & no other skiers. 4.5 miles, 2.7 hours, elevations 500'-900'. Temp in the low 40s. Used my old comfy real leather Garmont boots & rock skis, Fischer 78 with negative scales that do not climb well in cold powder, but worked well in the warmth.

  

Feb 6 - GAGE BROOK XC SKI TRAILS at the LGRC. Not groomed since the storm, thank you.  Trails broken out by snowshoers & skiers, so no breaking trail for me today. I usually try to hit the "more" & "most difficult" trails first while I'm still fresh, even the easier trails have some fun runs, & West Brook is always scenic. Side-trip to the top of the sledding hill for the view. Saw 2 snowshoers & several skiers. 3.3 hours.

Jan 20, 2022 - 6"-8" powder off-trail, most trails had been "groomed" (flattened & hardened) which made things better for bare-booters than skiers.  Most of the booters stuck to the easier trails & stayed off the intermediate trails.  West Brook is scenic in all seasons.  Saw 2 other skiers, 1 snowshoer, & 2 evil bare-booters.  Temp ~20F.  Elevations in the 600 to 900' range.  5.4 miles, 2.7 hours.  Nice view from the top of the sledding hill:

Feb 24, 2021 - Had to get out one more time before the dreaded-in-winter "r" word made its presence - not groomed but decent skiing on trails that had some previous use (thank you, snowshoers) - off-trail there was 3" of wet powder & sometimes-breakable 1" crust. "Easy" trails showed most use, harder trails much less use. Saw 1 bare-booter, no-one else. Always nice views of West Brook. Temp in the low 40s meant there were no iciness issues. Did not feel the need to ski on nearby snomo trails but did take a quick look at the snirty conditions (see pic).

Feb 21 - Got a little snow topped with sleet & ice earlier this week.  Trails were well-packed by snowshoes but not groomed for skiers, so it was fast & I found it hard to stop - survival skiing.

Feb 4, 2021 - Got back to the Gage Brook XC Ski Trails at the Lake George Recreation Center - had some unfinished business here - tried to find the Viper's Grotto trail but failed again - I did go up that old logging road to the NW again, sometimes fairly steep, got up to 1,100' el. Most of the named trails were roughly groomed (no set tracks) but I did get out onto some ungroomed snow while exploring. The snow was a bit sticky in sunny spots & temp in the 30s; 10-12" in most places - mostly very good skiing. The unmarked trail up Prospect Mtn from the south needs at least 6" more to cover up some rocks. Found a spot above the dog park with a nice view of the lake. Only saw 1 other person. 787' total elevation, 5.4 miles, 3 hours.

On the Prospect Mountain trail & bridge over West Brook:

Dec 23 - Back at GAGE BROOK XC SKI TRAILS to explore further. Many trails packed down by snowshoes & bare-booters. Bear Claw was unbroken & really nice - just sunk in 4" - snow depth had settled down to 15". Magua's Revenge is rated advanced but after that 1st steep drop it is really fairly easy - nice views of the brook - broken by snowshoe but bumpy. Saw no sign for Viper's Grotto but I probably went up its untracked E side then turned around when it looked steeper & still had a nice run down. Saw 1 evil bare-booter & no-one else - 2 cars in the parking lot early, only one when I finished. If you go across to the other side of the football field there is a view of Lake George to Buck Mtn & Shelving Rock Mtn. 3 hours.

Dec 21, 2020 - LAKE GEORGE RECREATION CENTER - Gage Brook XC Ski Trails. A maze of loops near Gage Brook aka West Brook. The website says groomed but I don't think they do that anymore. Cloudy/misty - temp just above freezing - less used trails a bit sticky (I'm waiting for my Maxiglide order to arrive) - very good skiing on well-used trails. Did easy & intermediate trails, left the 2 expert loops for next time. Took the unmarked trail that goes up Prospect Mtn to a bit past the state land marker. Lunch by the brook. Saw 2 snowshoers & 1 evil bare-booter. Also connected to the toll road where there were more snowmobiles than I would expect on a Monday - 3 ranger vehicles parked at Birch Ave/Gage Rd junction - probably out making sure the bilers are behaving. Trail names inspired by The Last of the Mohicans. 5.8 miles, 2.9 hours, 666' el. Info & link to map

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