Northeast Wild

  Dec 30, 2016 - HENNIG PRESERVE & HOMESTEAD COUNTY FOREST ski, in western Saratoga County.  12-15", 6" of new powder on a good base - very good skiing.  Looped on the yellow trail; also white & blue trails on eskers, red trail to vly/pond.  Elevations 1,300' to 1,650'.  Nice views of Cadman Creek in the county forest.  Easy intermediate N of Centerline Rd, intermediate to the S.  6.6 miles, 4.6 hours.  Jan 27, 2014 - HENNIG PRESERVE , western Saratoga County , just outside the Adirondack Blue Line , elevations over 1,500'.  Skied most of the trails N of Centerline Rd incl. new blue loop, all loops counterclockwise.  Very good to excellent skiing, mostly silky smooth but did hit 4 or 5 rocks (mostly on northern white trail that goes over an interesting esker ).  Up to 10" of snow, mostly powder.  1" fresh powder in tracks from previous skiers, did have to break trail some of the time tho.  2 hours.  Dec 31, 20...

  Feb 17, 2014 - SNOW HOLE.  Taconic Crest Trail from Petersburgh Pass (el 2,000') Rt.2 on the NY/MA border.  2-3' of snow (perhaps too much?!) - very good skiing in & out of snowshoe tracks, uphills a bit of work in the troughs.  Bare-booted the initial steep section from road to kiosk but skied it on the way back.  Great view from White Rocks lookout (2,300') 2.5 miles in - the Taconics, across the Rensselaer Plateau to the Catskills.  Williams College/Hopkins Memorial Forest has cut down most trees on a hill before White Rocks to attract flora & fauna that was found here in the past.  The grotto-like Snow Hole did have snow in it,.  Most of the trail is in NY but a section is in VT.  Short side-trip on Birch Brook Trail which eventually drops 1,500' to Williamstown - nice conditions for that.  Mostly intermediate with one steeper hill.  6 miles, 4.7 hours.  Jan 11, 2009 - THE SNOW HOLE & BALD MTN.  Taconic C...

  Mar 30, 2014 - COOPER KILN POND thru ski from Whiteface Mountain Rd to Bonnie View Rd in Wilmington.  Believe the start is the highest elevation plowed trailhead in the Adirondacks, over 2,300'.  5" fresh heavy snow on packed base.  Climb of 900' to height of land at over 3,200' (passed by 2 snowmobiles who soon turned off to Forestdale, broke trail most of the way) then drop 200' (to the pond & lean-to.  Misty.  Drop of 1,900' from height of land - steep, sometimes washed out snowmobile trail (saw group of 6 near the end).  5.9 miles, 4.5 hours then added another hour going back a ways to look for the last 2 members of our group.  Best skiing was up high where the new snow was lighter, got heavier & harder to snowplow & turn down low.  Epic skiing, best done by advanced skiers with new snow before 'bilers get out.  Lean-to camping on Heart Lake next to Adirondack Loj - it was good to get smoke in the eyes once again. ...

  Apr 19, 2004 - DUTCH HILL & HOOSAC RANGE skiing. Green Mountain NF. Good skiing on 0-15" corn, some wet spots. Started at ~2,200' on Rue Madeline in Heartwellville VT. Some bushwhacking, some old woods roads, some old ski trails. Climbed to the N of DH. View E to MA & NH? from ledge on 2,657' peak. Found an old camp & abandoned vehicles incl. school bus. Looped back on woods road to DH. Nice view across Aiken Wilderness to Prospect & Glastenbury Mtns from top of the old (closed in 1985) Dutch Hill Ski Area. Went partway down one of the old runs (not much snow down low). Sunny, temp rising thru the 40s to mid 50s, skied in shorts again. 4.7 miles, 4.5 hours.  Visit us on Facebook

Mar 25, 2009 - SPECULATOR TREE FARM ski.  From parking area just off Rtes 8&30 near bridge on Old Rtes 8&30 which is not plowed shortly after the bridge.  Avg. 1.5' of snow.  Icy at first but real nice as temp rose well over 40F + lots of sun to soften things up.  S on Old Rtes 8&30 for ~1 mile, rapids of Sacandaga River seen to the R.  L on Fly Creek Rd, a snowmobile trail (mountain bike trail in summer).  Pass 3 Camp Rd which goes to Elm Lake then pretty much stay close to Kunjamuk River (mostly ice-free).  Pass Long Level Bridge & continued on E side of Kunjamuk to site of Upper Bridge, there is no longer a bridge here.  Some nice views along the way with Upper Pine Mtn's cliffs to the E & East & Dug Mtns to the W.  I wouldn't ski here on a winter weekend due to snowmobiles but makes for a good late season weekday trip.  Mostly novice but with enough hills to make things interesting.  15 miles, 5.1 hours....

  The Huyck Preserve is a non-profit research organization located in the scenic hamlet of Rensselaerville.  The preserve's 12 miles of trails are spread out over 2,055 acres and lie between 1,600' and 1,900' in elevation.  An excellent map can be found on their website (huyckpreserve.org) or picked up at the visitor center on weekdays.   The best starting-off point for the skier is at a small parking area and kiosk on Pond Hill Road across the street from Lincoln Pond.  From there, it is a short walk to the beginning of the Wheeler-Watson Trail which climbs away from the road and soon reaches a 19th century cemetery.  On a clear day, you may get a view to the Catskills before reaching the flat Race Track, an old horse-racing oval.  The Partridge Path's 3 loops are the preserve's newest trails and are ideal for skiing with plenty of ups and downs through open hardwoods with little understory  I especially love skiing the glade on the southwes...

  February 28, 2010 - WHALES TAIL NOTCH.  High Peaks Wilderness. Start at HPIC.  Old Marcy Dam Trail.  Marcy Dam - popular spot due to its magnificent mountain views (+nice & sunny today).  Whales Tail Notch Ski Trail (400' up & down in 1.2 miles, wider than most hiking trails) - climbs moderately at first then quite steeply (climbing skins helped make this section easy) - view of Mt. Colden from notch.  Quite steep down to Algonquin Trail.  Skied out onto Heart Lake for views.  6.7 miles, 3.5 hours.  2'-3', good (WTN) to excellent (packed trail to Dam) skiing.  WTN advanced, rest intermediate.  Still time to grab a microbrew in Lake Placid.  Skiers caught in avalanche on nearby Wright Peak yesterday - story .  Visit us on Facebook Welcome to the Adirondacks NYSDEC Info