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Looks like I am done for the season. I don’t have a trailer so I need to cross lakes and some backwoods trails to get to good riding. Years ago I would do it, but I don’t like beating up myself or my sleds anymore. As E. Emil says “not worth the price of getting there”.
I long for the real winters we had when I started riding the area 25 years ago, but this winter was a lot better than last winter where I didn’t even start my sleds. Makes you realize that you need to find a way to capitalize on conditions when they are good because you can’t count on the good times to last. Two weeks ago when conditions were great it felt like we had a few more weeks left in the season.
I sure can’t financially justify this sport, but I still love it so I will hang in there for a while longer…
If any locals are out today I would appreciate a report on trail conditions and lake conditions. I’m sure there will be riding to be found this weekend but wondering how bad lakes are likely to be. Looks like it is going to get colder, so maybe with scratchers deployed lakes can be managed…
I would love to do some riding like this, but I am primarily a weekend rider for another year or so until I retire. I think I know where Upper Pine Mt is, but don’t know the trail. I would like to learn some of the back woods trails in the area.
Freestyle, I agree that we don’t want to lose the backcountry wooded trails. I really enjoy riding those types of trails. It’s nice to have various loops with options for different routes to take. I am a weekend rider and mostly enjoy the twisty woods trails that are less traveled to avoid the crowds and beat up trails. I will admit that I also enjoy the wider “snow-paved” trails sometimes when I feel like riding to different areas or having a “destination” ride to have lunch at a different restaurant or just put on some higher mileage days.
I don’t know what the answer is to the riders that go too fast on the wrong side of the trail with loud pipes, who trespass and tear up trails. Unfortunately the market is driven by high power, turbo sleds with tons of expensive options. We are already seeing sled manufacturers leave the market and I think if they only sold lower powered, light backcountry sleds they would probably all be done. I think there is room for all types of (respectful and safe) riders and trails and would like to see all trails maintained or even expanded, but that is probably unrealistic.
Lakes were not slushy over the weekend. Some are rough from frozen ruts and drifts, but not too bad. Lake Pleasant was very smooth.
Trails were great over the weekend. Groomers really did their thing. Rode to Wells, Tree Farm, Perkins Clearing and Spy Lake/Powley/Piseco. Everything was good to great.
Not sure if the Griffin-Pine Orchard trail is broken. A couple of weeks ago I saw tracks at the entrance across from Teachout Rd and followed them in for a while then the tracks stopped and turned around. It was pretty rough and I was alone so I turned around as well. Maybe someone has broken the trail by now.
I’ve tried to take that trail a few times over recent years and never found it broken through enough to feel comfortable going alone. Unfortunately, I still work during the week and can only ride weekends but would love to ride some of those trails with someone who knows their way around.
Ron, I appreciate you and the few other people that post conditions and updates and will try to do the same when I am able to ride. I am not a facebook guy, and don’t plan to be, so I don’t have a good way of getting trail reports other than looking here and reading Darrin’s reports. I miss the old forum but I guess I am a bit of a dinosaur.
Looking for ice conditions on Lake Pleasant and Sagandaga with the recent cold. Any locals or ice fishermen with recent intel?
Yes, it seems the number of weekend reckless/high/drunk riders has been getting worse. I’d love to say I won’t ride on weekends, but for me as an out of state rider working full time if I didn’t ride weekends I wouldn’t ride at all. I usually try to ride where I think the crowds won’t be. Most of the time I avoid problem riders this way, but it seems once or twice a year I get run off the side of the trail to avoid someone coming at me on my side out of control.
In a few years I will retire and, if we still have winters with snow, and I’m still physically able to ride, I will become a weekday only rider.
I don’t like this bypass much either, but my bigger concern now is when will the season start and how short will it be this year? With the season not starting until the beginning of February and being over at the end of February lately it is getting tougher and tougher to justify owning snowmobiles. For a weekend rider like me, it can be a very short season.
I still love riding, so I’ll take what I can get, but sure long for the winters of the past sometimes…Seems like everyone comes out for the few good weekends we get in a year like last year and it can get crazy and trails are trash by noon. In past years when the season started in early January and often stayed until the end of March the weekends did not seem so crazy.
Thanks for the warning, Ron. Evergreen was about the only lake in the area that I didn’t ride over the weekend and looks like that was a good choice…
Rode pretty much everything in the Spec area over the weekend. On Saturday the lakes were slushy, but passable without much trouble. By Sunday the slush had frozen hard and a couple inches of fresh snow hid the frozen ruts and ridges somewhat. You wouldn’t want to hit some of them with any kind of speed. Trails were good overall, but definitely took a beating by the end of the day on Saturday.
The snowpack is thick in the woods, but I was surprised how thin some trails were in the sunny sections and by road crossings. Also, lots of places where running water cuts across the trail leaving ruts so be aware and ready for changing trail conditions. Hopefully things hold up a bit longer. I’d like to sneak one more ride in before it is over but I have a feeling it’s going to end quickly…
