11:55 PM FRIDAY Update: After our 5 inches melted down to 2-3 inches, we picked up another inch or two of snow at night. Falling temperatures were making the wet snow “set up” on the trails. Groomers should be able to work some magic on Saturday once the trails have fully firmed up.
The melting turned out to be a mixed blessing as it knocked Friday morning’s wet snow off the trees…minimizing the time the trees were under heavy load. There were still some reports of branches and knocked down trees on trail.
As for running lakes, stay away from inlets/outlets and beware of shoreline hazards and weak spots. Lake riding is at your risk, but many people rode them on Friday.
Ride to Oxbow Lake and back
Crazy Cal and I hooked up for an after-work snowmobile ride down to Oxbow Inn for dinner.
Trails around Indian Lake Village were bumpy in places with some water spots, but plush.
Indian Lake was really slushy. We had to discuss for a few minutes whether we’d actually make the run down the lake:
Of course, we took the shot. Fortunately, the slush’s bark was worse than its bite. I was able to easily maintain 50+ mph on one-third throttle.
Campsites were brutal. 2 Miles from Hell was pretty bumpy with at least 3 places in the trail where water has eaten away the base from underneath or the sides.
Perkins Clearing Road was bumpy, especially the north end. But the plush snow cushioned the bumps nicely.
C4/LP3 was a good run down into Speculator. River trail was bumpy with numerous water holes. I didn’t encounter any bottom-less holes though.
Lake Pleasant – Sacandaga Lake and Oxbow Lake were not anywhere near as slushy as Indian Lake.
LP1/Page Street trail wasn’t terrible. Fish Mountain-Oxbow trail was actually pretty good, aside from some bumps and water holes between the graveyard and Oxbow Lake.
Dinner at the Oxbow Inn was great! Had the half-pound black Angus burger that offered a bit of resistance to my appetite:
On the way home, we went back the way we came, to maximize the smooth lake riding. The strong winds created snow dust storms on the lakes, especially blinding whenever the wind blew perpendicular to our course.
As temperatures dropped into the middle-20s, the trails firmed up. Even the slush on Indian Lake had tightened up quite a bit by our return trip.
Rolled back into the compound with 78 miles. I would like to think I have at least another ride or two to Speculator before the lakes go to hell-in-a-handbasket. But ya never know, so I’m glad I was able to rip off a fun after-work ride. YES….I do work!! 😉
Bottom line
If you’re going to ask me if it’s worth coming up to ride, I’m going to say YES, simply because there is enough new material for the groomers to work with and we’re near the end of the snowmobiling season.
Seems like a no-brainer if you haven’t put your sled in mothballs. Many snowmobile trail systems are closed. We’re still open for business for the last big snowmobiling weekend remaining this season. Simple as ‘dat!
Just keep an eye out for places where the water is eating away the trails from the sides and from underneath.
Midweek
Despite a brief warm-up Sunday afternoon, snowmobile trails should hold up reasonably well into Wednesday in the shady deep woods. But of course, plowed roads, parking lots and exposed areas will bare up again with their winter ice-base long gone in most places.
The wheels will begin to fall off Thursday as a warm-wave begins to wash through and plunge us into die-hard season:
So there you have it. Get up and and grab it!!
For the ilsnow nation,
Darrin
This report is brought to you by Pilot Knob Marina in Lake George. Just get off Northway I-87 Exit 20, then follow NY Route 149 East until you hit the junction of NY Route 149 and Bay Road. Pilot Knob Marina features a wide selection of new and pre-owned Arctic Cat snowmobiles & ATVs. If you see Nick Barber, tell him that Darrin @ ilsnow.com sent ya!
