The end is quickly coming upon us. Snow pack is still in the 1-2+ foot range in the traditional “snow bowls” in central and southwestern Hamilton county. Snow cover is 6-12+ inches in the woods around the immediate Indian Lake and Speculator village areas. But large bare areas are opening up near roadsides, open fields and southerly exposed hillsides. The inner village trails around Indian Lake and Speculator are shot!
You safest bet is to park at Mason Lake parking lot on Route 30, then work your way into Perkins Clearing Road from the north end. You’ll be dodging skank for the first several miles, but you’ll still be able to fight your way back to the prime stuff after you take a right at HM6 and work your way up Jessup River Road past Sled Harbor. Much of S41/Mud Lake Road will be good riding, but will probably get thin/bare at the east end toward HM110.
Parking at the south end of Old Route 30 in Wells may yield decent results and allow you to hit Old Route 30, Fly Creek Road and perhaps Cave Hill Road in the Speculator Tree Farm.
Powley Road is still ride-able, but the connecting trails are probably close to shot.
Moose River Plains holds ride-able snow from the end of Cedar River Road through the Big-T, but getting to the snow from the Brown’s Farm parking lot along the road is probably a complete bust by now. The gate at Cedar River Headquarters may be closed by now, but I do not have confirmed report on this.
538/Newcomb Trail will be ride-able, but there will be some bare areas on the Newcomb side, especially on the Joseph Mountain section that traditionally gets grounded down to dirt. Park where the Northville/Lake Placid trail crosses Route 28/30 near Lake Durant. Then you can work your way back behind the Ranger’s cabin to Lake Durant Campsites, then cross Route 28/30. Continue on the trail for about a mile, then turn left onto 538/Newcomb trail. C8B going over to Newcomb or Long Lake is shot.
Bottom line:
If you want to get one last whack at winter’s corpse, you better do it this week. And the sooner the better! The ultra diehards will probably find the snow this weekend, but it will get really difficult to reach unless you know exactly how to find it.
