One more ride! Horseshoe Lake to Star Lake

Had one more quarter in my pocket to play before Wednesday’s hurt rolls in.

I had ridden into St. Lawrence County only twice this winter. If this was to be my last opportunity until next winter, I wanted to hit it!

Darrin Jr and his work buddy Jim joined me for Tuesday’s ride. We met up at Horseshoe Lake mid-morning. As always, Route 421 to Horseshoe Lake was a frost-heaved abomination.

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Leaving Horseshoe Lake parking area was MINT until crossing C7/Railroad. From there, C7A was studder bumps and rollers through STLA2 intersection.

Split off through S88 and CT 720 Spur trail for nicer riding. From STLA 5 intersection, S77 was studder-ripple to STLA9 intersection.

C7C to Seveys Point was studder bumps and rollers.

Found a fresh groom on C7C across Route 3 and followed that through C7A and S88 over to STLA 29.

OHHH YEAH!!!! Cranberry Lake Mountaineers were working it.

C8 was a good-n-fast rip to Troopers Shed.

S83 and adjacent C7A were good riding toward Little Blue Mountain. Even on an overcast day, view at the summit was worth the bump-n-grind up the mountain to get there.

Ran into a long-time snowmobiling acquaintance at the summit. Don’t know whether it was his legit day off work, or he called in sick and gave his employer a bogus excuse. But I’m fine with protecting the guilty!

Star Lake run

From STLA 38 intersection, we rolled S81 to Cooks Corners. Studder-bumpy in places at first, then evolved into a pretty good ride. Groomed snowbanks kept us off most of the plowed road sections until the end.

C8 through Cooks Corners to STLA 222 was rough in places along the road, but better riding through the woods with soft studder bumps.

S80G was a nice twisty snake through the woods. Beautiful on approach to STLA 202 intersection.

S80 to Newton Falls and Star Lake ranged from nearly smooth to studder-ripple on the wide flats, and studderbumpy at times in the narrow and twisty sections.

Lunch

After a refuel stop at Circle-K, we stopped at Twin Lakes Hotel for lunch. It’s the hotel without rooms. Opens 7 days a week at 11am. Cash only, ATM on site. Good food at very reasonable prices. This place is the quintessential hole-in-the-wall eatery.

Hamburger-n-mac soup was hearty. Don’t know whether the chicken parm was made fresh from the chickens roaming in the back parking lot. But it was a good lunch, for sure!

Back to Horseshoe Lake

Jim needed to be back to the truck by 4pm to head home. With the sky pelting sleet and rain on us, Darrin Jr and I decided to roll it back to Horseshoe Lake with Jim and call it a day.

On the way back we rolled S80 several miles north from STLA 202 to pad some happy miles. Some really nice sections through that avenue.

C8 from Cooks Corners to STLA 25 intersection was stud- stud- stud- studdery! Thankfully, near 40*F temperature had softened the bumps. S89 was a nice rip to Cranberry Lake, but even that had studder bumps in places.

Had a really good-n-fast rip up C8 superhighway to STLA29. After S88, C7A to Shurtleff/Route 3 was studderbumps and rollers.

Did the 718, 717 and S88 thing to avoid some pounding on C7A. Got rewarded with good riding and a nice vista.

C7A from STLA2 to Horseshoe Lake bordered on bump-n-grid with large moguls in places. At least the final half-mile to the truck was a WHOOOOOOOOSH to end the ride.

After Monday’s high mile ride, today’s 136 miles seemed rather pedestrian. But I was satisfied with the snowmobiling I got in.

Ride map

Click here for ride stats, larger map and 3D Flyover!

Weekend Outlook

Got people asking whether there will be ANY snowmobiling this weekend.

Answer: YES there will be. You’ll have to decide whether it’s the kind of snowmobiling YOU want to do.

As of Tuesday evening, snowpack was 2 feet or deeper many places in the Adirondacks.

Temperature reaching into the 40s Wednesday and near 40 Thursday, accompanied by an inch-plus of rain will suck badly, but won’t completely wipe out the deep snowpack we’ve been building for two months.

Narrow woods trails will suffer the most damage with streams starting to open up in places. Seasonal road networks should hold out the best, as long as rain/melt isn’t enough to swell rivers over their banks. Trail sections that are plowed for “shared use” will become icy, bare or muddy. Lake ice will lose its snow cover.

Unfortunately, I don’t foresee more than dribs and drabs of snow Thursday night through the weekend once winter’ish cold returns. Scratchers may become your best friend.

Ain’t over (FOR ME)

Despite not getting my first ride in until January 22nd, I’ve pushed over 3000 miles for this snowmobiling season. In a stretch from February 10-18, I spun off five rides for 1001 miles. Four of those rides were over 200 miles!

I was hoping for more out of March with the deep snow cover we had built through February. But I’ll have at least a few more rides in my bag before it’s no longer worth the bother for me to get out there.

NOT signing off yet!

For the ilsnow nation,

Darrin