Trail Report February 21, 2012 Night

Just got back from a little night ride around the village trails. They are in remarkably good shape for the low snow conditions. I saw the Snowarriors groomer returning to town from a Blue Mountain run. We’re getting some light snow tonight as well to freshen things up a bit. Anyone who says it’s over is either a liar or a fool. Don’t let all of this good work go to waste!

The Indian Lake side of Moose River Plains from Headquarters to Silver Run got really whooped this weekend. Conditions should improve out there as the groomers make their runs to iron things out.

Trail Report February 20, 2012 PM

Here is the video from Indian Lake. Crank up the resolution to 720p HD for best clarity.

Today with nice and sunny, a perfect lake day! So I took Darrin Jr and little Miss Evelyn out on Indian Lake this afternoon. There was an inch or two of snow on the lake, which was nearly perfect for tooling around. We ran through the islands on the east side of the lake down to Johnny Mack Bay. We were treated to a great view of the Snowy Mountain range on the way down and saw the High Peaks to the distant north on the way back.

After I dropped the kids back at the house, I ran down to Lewey Lake. The between-the-lakes campsite trail was really choppy from the weekend traffic. Lewey Lake had a few inches of snow on it and was a ton of fun. For kicks, I ran the 2 Miles from Hell a short distance. Let me just say that “Trail 30” appears to be a much better alternative. Without any assurance that Perkins Clearing was still a good ride, I turned around and headed back up to Indian Lake.

The portion of the Sabael trail that dumps onto Indian Lake was nothing but needles and pebbles on the bottom third. Let me just say the SkiWheelz came in handy. Furnell’s field is showing bare areas, although you can easily get around them. The Sabael trail was either bony or icy throughout. But I could tell the groomers worked hard to keep that trail passable throughout the weekend. It was pretty flat with only one significant washout in the wetland section.

The village trails were showing dirt spots in the usual exposed sunny spots. But again, the groomers have done a great job in keeping the trails the best they can be under the circumstances. There were a couple of big water holes in the Bear Trap Swamp, but you can get around them pretty easily. The section of trail between the Bear Trap Swamp and Route 28&30 is getting skanky with a huge unavoidable dirt stretch coming off the swamp.

The back side of Benton Road had good snow and ice coverage. 42nd and Broadway was nice. While I was back there, I talked to a local who had ridden C8 out as far as Deer Valley and said it was in remarkably good shape for the conditions. I’m sure Moose River Plains got smashed to smithereens over the long weekend with snowcross moguls from Cedar River Headquarters to Silver Run. It will take the groomers a little while to recover that trail. I’m sure you can ride the Blue Mountain Trail out to the Newcomb trail if you are a little careful. The Snowarriors have done a great job keeping that trail rideable through the winter.

I spun off 55+ miles and was glad to finally take both the kids on a nice ride this winter. The snow on the lakes will gradually get eaten away this week with the milder temperatures, but should remain intact until Thursday night. Better grab it this week, because Friday is going to hurt big time around here.

Update February 18, 2012 PM

Indian Lake got about 2 inches of snow this afternoon, while Moose River Plains got 4 inches. Got a report that Moose River Plains was good this morning, then went to hell in a handbasket this afternoon. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully, the groomers will come out to play bright and early :)

Trail Report February 17, 2012 PM

The fresh inch of snow we got last night sprung me loose today and I took ilsnow.jr with me :)

The lakes have just enough snow for lube, cooling and traction. Non-studded sleds still need to be really careful out there.

There are some nasty shore heaves near where the Sabael trail dumps onto Indian Lake. You can get around them no problem, but you need to be on the lookout. You’ll be kicking pebbles on the way up the hill to the Route 30 crossing.

Furnell’s field is VERY thin, but passable. The Sabael trail was mainly flat, but there are icy corners galore! In the wetlands, it’s pretty bony with some washouts. If you’re careful, you can make it through without much problem. If you are not careful, you might trash your sled. Choose wisely.

The inner village trails had some dirt spots in the usual sunny exposed places. But overall, the snow and ice coverage is still good with just a few rocks poking up through the base. The bumps, if any, were slight. There is some mush on the Bear Trap Swamp, but it wasn’t a big problem when we went through this morning. The shelf along Crow Hill Road is grubbly and snirty, but it’s enough to make the connection into the village for food and gas.

The Blue Mountain trail was its usual snirt and chop from the end of Benton Road, across the Cedar River Bridge before the hill climb. The hill climb itself was worn to dirt in places near the top, but it was passable. The first couple of miles past the hill climb was marginal and snirty in places with a couple of decent water holes. After that, it improved into a decent ride all the way up to the Newcomb trail intersection, although it was a bony and a tad choppy under the tall pines. The Snowarriors have marked most of the washouts with red ribbons tied to trees. If you are content to bee-bop along at 20 MPH and keep a lookout for washouts and icy corners, you can make it through the Blue Mountain trail without any problems. Despite the hazards, most of the trail was an enjoyable ride! It was certainly good enough to make it out to the Newcomb trail.

The Indian Lake side of the Newcomb trail was a terrific ride and we did see the Snowarriors grooming it. Past the green gate onto the Newcomb side, it was a bumpy ride most of the way up to the intersection with C8B. The hilly divert around Goodnow Flow was bony and choppy with at least one significant washout.

On our way back to town, the traffic was churning the surface into loose granular which improved cooling. The village trails were freshly groomed by the time we got back, so we looped around 42nd & Broadway and Lake Adirondack. Little Canada was SWEET between Sawmill Road and the Lone Birch, but was thinner and a little bumpy going back to the One Stop. We noticed that the grooming did partially fill in some of the washouts with the granular snow. At the end of the day, we had clicked off 65 miles and had a lot of fun.

I don’t have any first hand information on C8 out to Cedar River Headquarters. But if what I saw around town was any indication, I’m sure you can run that trail all the way out with little difficulty. I’m not sure how Moose River Plains will be, but I guarantee it’s rideable.

BOTTOM LINE: The groomers are doing the best they possibly can with the marginal conditions we’ve had all winter. Every time that I have gone out to ride, I’m glad that I did. If you are smart about it, exercise common sense and pick the right trails, you’ll have a good time this weekend. The Poker Run is on Saturday, so you might want to get out a little early to get the best of what we’ve got. But then again, the bumps aren’t going to get very high either.

A WORD ON LAKES: Riding the lakes is at your own risk as ice thickness is much less than mid-winter norm. With the lack of deep snow, ice heaves are a bigger problem than usual. Enlist the help of a trustworthy and knowledgeable local if you are unfamiliar with weak spots and hazards on the lakes.