When riding from Lake Durant into Newcomb a couple weeks ago, I was prepared for that to be my last for winter 2023-24. But we live in the land of “ya never know!” I don’t pull the battery out for off-season storage until end of April.
After Sunday’s brutal round of snow removal, I wanted to get at least one play!
Indian Lake Side
Brown’s farm parking lot hadn’t been plowed, so I muscled the ilsnow mobile command center to its resting place for the afternoon.
There was a sawhorse closed sign at the trailhead and Cedar River Headquarters gate was closed. But I can also read the sign indicating snowmobiling is permitted into Moose River Plains whenever the road is snow/ice covered.
Judge me. Hate me. Whatever. I’ll trust that N.Y.S. is OK with me obeying its rules.
The 4 miles to Cedar River Headquarters had many low-hanging trees, one tree I had to roll over and a large tree I had to get around. Otherwise, it was good riding.
Past Headquarters, it become a deep steaming bowl of powder-chowder going over the top enroute to Silver Run.
Yeah!!!!!
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Inlet side
Snow thickness diminished, but still enough to ride it. A couple of water hazards. Plenty of low hanging trees and a couple of fallen trees I had to roll over. I had to do a slightly tricky bypass around this one.
Big-T flats were untouched under last night’s snow!!
Hung left at Big-T intersection and rolled the deadender all the way back Otter Brook Bridge. Aside from low hanging helmet whippers, that was a really nice ride!
Stopped to enjoy Otter Brook sarenade.
From Big-T I pressed toward Inlet. Unfortunately, a large-diameter fallen tree that I couldn’t ride over, under or around stopped me a couple of miles past Big-T.
Big mistake – Mitchell Ponds trail
The foot-plus deep slush pit at the trail’s entrance should have turned me back. But I got hell-bent on trying to see whether I’d get to Inlet, or at least ride Red River-T deadender back and forth.
Long, but shallow, water hazards from the start. Can’t believe I rolled through this one. Just nursed the throttle slowly to slither over it.
Got through it unscathed and enjoyed some nice stretches untouched of back woods riding.
Plenty of low hanging trees and a couple of blow down I hacked through with my folding handsaw. There was enough snow to cushion boulders, but I had to be careful.
ALMOST, made it to Red River-T. But a large-diameter fallen tree lurking past the swamp stopped that ill-advised quest.
If not for that barrier, I could have gripped-n-ripped-it across the shallow swamp.
In retrospect, I shouldn’t have bothered with Mitchell Ponds trail. Sometimes, you can do a dumb thing and get away with it. Just don’t make a living at it.
Back to the truck
Once I got back to Big-T, I ripped another back-and-forth on the deadender. By late afternoon, sun was in full bloom and nobody had followed my tracks to Big-T.
Over the hump between Silver Run and Headquarters, I surfed remaining untouched powder like Baywatch Zac Efron – which was a rush!
On the way I encountered a guy from Saratoga who was riding to Big-T deadender and hang out by Otter Brook Bridge. So I told him what to expect.
After getting back to Cedar River Headquarters, I rolled it to Silver Run and back, just to thrash any remnant untouched pow-pow!
Had a nice rest-stop at Cedar River flow before I made the final push to Brown’s farm parking lot.
The thin coating of snow on Cedar River Road I skated over mid-day had gotten vaporized by March sun. Carbides hated it, but the skid frame had plenty of snow packed in there to keep the underside cool and damp enough.
Loaded onto the truck after 76 miles for the ride, to FINALLY push my season miles over 2000.
Snow cover was, at minimum, 6-12 inches. Over the hump between Cedar River Headquarters and Silver Run had 12-18+ inches, especially deep on the back slope of Cellar Mountain. It’s a different ball game at 2500+ foot elevation!
Ride map
Click here for ride stats, 3D Flyover and Larger Map.
Bottom line
The playground was small, but at least I’m playing! Aside from my dumb foray into Mitchell Ponds trail, I didn’t clack rock or even scratch carbide in Moose River Plains. Definitely got enough for a local playground ride tomorrow. But it won’t last much longer with temperatures into 50s expected by Wednesday afternoon.
For the ilsnow nation,
Darrin
