We got an inch of “gunk” yesterday evening, which provides some fresh meat for the die-hard. It even has a hard glaze crust this morning.
Overall, snow cover around Indian Lake is still about 6 to 18 inches in the shady woods. But I can tell you that any snow in the exposed areas is getting paper thin with large bare areas that grow daily.
Some of the traditional snow bowls still hold upwards of 2+ feet of snow pack:
This is quite a bit of remnant snow pack going into mid-April. But the snow to liquid ratio is less than 3:1, meaning that it’s ripe and will disappear quickly once it gets really warm.
Midweek Outlook:
Cloudy and cool conditions will do a nice job of holding the line for the die-hards on Thursday. But a warm shot on Friday could send temperatures soaring to 60*F on Friday, which will accelerate the snow melt once again.
Weekend Outlook:
DEC is considering closing the Headquarters and Limekiln gates to Moose River Plains before the weekend, pending Friday’s conditions. If I hear anything definitive about that, I’ll let you know.
The gate at the north end of Perkins Clearing Road was already closed, because it was plowed for logging all winter. I just heard from the Lake Pleasant highway superintendent that the gate at the south end of Perkins Clearing Road has been closed, due to rapidly deteriorating conditions.
You could also try parking at the Northville-Lake Placid trail head on Routes 28/30 near Lake Durant than worm your way back to 538/Newcomb trail via S84. That will probably give you a nice spring ride. But I think you’ll run into some really marginal or skanky conditions if you try to run C8A to Long Lake or Newcomb. But I guess you can see how far can you go before you cry “Uncle” and turn around.
Lakes still have thick ice on them. But there are soft spots along shore and some open water showing near inlets and outlets from the spring freshet. Officially at your risk riding now…
After that?
Warmer temperatures will eat the remaining snow pack away next week. Getting to the ride-able snow will probably become more trouble than it’s worth for most people at some point, unless you’re the ultra die-hard who wants to say he rode into mid-April.
Check out the ilsnow.com bulletin board for die-hard recon. Maybe it will be enough to get you up here one last time…or not!
If I don’t bother with another report, have a great off season and we’ll do this all again next winter.
For the ilsnow nation,
Darrin
