Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-29-12

Went out riding last night and we headed to Beaver River for dinner. Parts of Trail 1 I'd give a fair and the rest was all good. For those of you that haven't tried the new trails from Big Moose towards Stillwater, should. We went on the one from trail 2 out to Stillwater Road and it's nice. I don't know about you, but I'm just shacking my head on how the forecasts can be so far apart from each other. Today we have had light snow in the air and got a dusting so far.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-28-12

I went out riding last night and plan on being out there tonight again. Take a look at today's video, it says it all....The trails are SWEET! But don't include trail 5 in that. For some reason Jamie went on that last night and it was like always..... trash. The road riding we had this past weekend was short lived, as the sun has been in and out the last few days and the roads are toast again. Looks like a storm coming in for Wednesday and Thursday, but till it's on the ground it's only a prediction.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-27-12

At 4pm the temp is in the mid 30's and it was snowing an hour ago, but that has stopped now. This week looks like it's going to be a replay of the last two weeks. Good temps and forecast for the week and then who knows for the weekend. Let's hope the end of the week turns out like the last two, with snow on Saturday and good conditions. But like always, only time will tell!

Wes....Thanks for the video you did for all of us to enjoy this season! He and Brenda spent 21 days in the north country this winter, got riding in on most of those days and took the camera out just about every day. A few days it was pretty ugly, but they made the best out of it and enjoyed what was given to them.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-26-12

Another great weekend here in the north! We had snow most of the day yesterday and it made conditions the best they have been all season. Heck you could even road ride this weekend. The snow at first was heavy wet stuff and it put a good base on the roads. It's hard to believe but SnoFest is only two weeks away.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-25-12

Old Man Winter rolled into town yesterday and hasn't left yet. It's been snowing all day and we've had spells of high wind to go with it. How much have we gotten? Hard to say, as the wind has it piled up in some places that there's a foot or more and others there is only a few inches. All I can say it sure looks like winter this weekend and the conditions are the best they've been all season!

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-24-12

This afternoon we had sleet, some R and at 5pm it's all snow and it's coming down hard. If it snows like this all night I'll be getting up extra early in the morning. This snow is the heavy wet stuff and it takes longer to clean up, than lake effect snow. Let's hope we can keep this trend going and we'll have riding well into March this year.

PS....We don't say that four letter R word on here in the winter.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-23-12

We had heavy wet snow yesterday afternoon and into the night. When I got up this morning I'd give it 2 to 3 inches when it was all said and done. We've also had snow on and off this morning, maybe another inch or so. At 1:45pm the sun is starting to show from time to time, but there are clouds off in the distance.

I'd like to thank everyone for posting and sharing their time spent in the area and what you did. It's interesting, it can also give others thoughts on things to do, trails to ride and so forth. Some guests think a 45 mile day of riding is a great day and others don't think they had a good day till they hit 250 miles. It's all in the eye of you know who.....you.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-22-12

This morning we woke up to 2" of new wet snow. I know big deal, but with the way this winter has gone, it is! At 3:30pm we have snow coming from the sky again. I would think that it's going to stay all snow into the night with it being this late in the day. But who knows for sure till it's all said and done. Things did get a little soft this afternoon as the sun was out for awhile, but we didn't really have much melting going on. Let's hope for a replay of last weekend, as that turned out to be a great weekend of riding. For any of you out there that has an interest in skiing. There is a big ski race at McCauley Mountain this weekend called the Kandahar.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-21-12

At 4:30pm the temp is back down to freezing and it got up to 35 this afternoon. This morning we dropped down to zero and it looks like we will be cold tonight again. I'm liking the NWS forecast the best as they are calling for snow tonight. What else can I say. Everyone is out having fun and making the best of this weird winter that we are having. They all are saying the same thing, roads are toast and trails are in pretty good shape, except for trail 5.

Had a request:
hi!.....wondering if you can mention on your blog if anyone found a camera and zip lock bag of registrations on trail 5 or 9...heading towards Stillwater today. Fell out of my son’s sled this afternoon. If found...please drop off at Daikers or call 516-680-5436. Would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

Maureen

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-20-12

Well the big holiday weekend is coming to a close. Today and tomorrow I think there is going to be above normal snowmobile traffic in the area. Because allot of people have been watching the forecast and they are hoping to get in a few more miles before the next spike in temps. Let's hope it doesn't really happen or at least it's not as high as they are calling for with limited or no R. The feedback I have gotten today is the trails are in pretty good shape after the weekend.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-19-12

It's been a very busy weekend here in the north and if you've been watching the cams you know what I mean. The lake effect we got yesterday afternoon really helped with the conditions and it gave the groomers something more to work with. Traffic has been heavy this weekend with it being a holiday, but everyone seems to be having fun. Except maybe the guys that lost their keys and had to get a set cut so they could go home. The only problem is, the closest place to get them is in Utica.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-18-12

For those that rolled the dice and made the choice to come up this weekend, hit the lottery! We had lake effect move in this afternoon and we have gotten 4 to 6 inches of new snow so far. I'm not sure how far south the band is going. It would be nice if we got snow south of us, so people would be able to make it over to the Brantingham area.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-17-12

You can tell it's Pres. weekend, because the people starting coming into town early this morning. The parking lot at Stillwater Hotel was as full as some Saturday's at lunch time today. Everybody took off this morning and I've only seen one group come back yet. They came in and told me they did 105 miles. Sorry everything is so late today, it's been a crazy day with everyone coming and going. Hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend!

Here's Today's Video......

I enjoy it too!

There's nothing better than blasting into a corner and crossing the sled up as you go around it.  But try to keep in the back of your mind, that this is going to be a long holiday weekend and if all the snow gets blasted into the woods the groomers can't bring it back.  I'm sure some may say, I'm going to do what I want.  But remember this....You'll only have yourself to blame the next time you come down that trail and the corner is bare.

Hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend!

Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-16-12

At 3:00pm we have light snow coming down here in Old Forge and the temp is 33, for those of you that are wondering. (See pic below) What are we going to wind up with? Your guess is as good as any ones. Like always, it's going to be a matter of wait and see. So keep your fingers crossed and dance like no one is watching. Same thing this morning as yesterday morning. Some of the guests went out for a ride before checking out and everyone else left this morning for a day of riding and haven't returned yet.

I linked in the second webcam on top of McCauley last night at
http://www.oldforge.net/mccauleytop/cam2.html.
This new cam moves every five minutes to give you a different shot from the top of the mountain. One of the shots zooms in on North Street and on a clear day you can see people riding their sleds.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-15-12

We woke up this morning to an inch or so of new snow and we've had snow in the air all morning. One of those snows, that at the end of the day you'll have another inch or two. I'll take what ever Old Man Winter wants to send our way, as long at it's FROZEN! Everybody came back with a smile on their face last night and they all headed back out this morning again. Even the guests that where scheduled to check out this morning, took a short ride before checking out. They said yes there is some ugly out there, but they don't regret coming up. Like I've been saying, there's riding to be had, it just may not all be picture perfect, like most of us are accustomed to seeing in Old Forge.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-14-12

First thing I'd like to talk about is the Anonymous posts. I set this blog up so it would be easy for everyone to post and give their thoughts about the conditions, by using the Anonymous post settings. The next level of settings would require you to set up an account and then post, which would be a pain and I don't think as many people would take the time or effort to post. There's nothing wrong with having some fun, but please no attacks and remember not every ones eyes are old.

I saw the Highway Dept. hauling snow to North Street, my guess is they are starting to build the snow pile for the jumpers at SnoFest. The conditions overall are about the same. Trails are fair to good and the roads are toast. Everyone came back yesterday with a smile on their face and couldn't believe how good the trails are for the limited snow. Chris has some thoughts about the trail conditions and you can hear them in the video. But the end of his comment fades out for some reason. Must have something to do with the editing I did.


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Old Forge, NY SnowmobileTrail Report 2-13-12

It's 4pm and I haven't had any of the groups come back yet, that I'm able to find out how things are. So I'm guessing things can't be all that bad or they would on been back by now. I do know they headed for two different areas today. We picked up about two inches of new snow in the last 24 hours and it looks like snow on and off all week. Maybe Old Man Winter has a grip on us that is going to last more than a day or two. Sorry the report is so late. I got tied up with doing motel stuff.

Update: Just talked to the first group and they headed up to Moose River Plains. They said Moose River Plains was good and guess what....trail 5 wasn't anything to talk about.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-12-12

Had a few different groups head North to Raquette Lake yesterday and they all said the same thing. First part of trail 5 past the sand pit is ugly. They dropped down onto 4th lake at Daikers and bypassed 5 all together. By the end of the day yesterday I was getting reports that the trails where showing signs of wear and tare, but that is to be excepted on a Saturday. I saw on the trail cam that the groomers headed out this morning to do their thing. Yesterday Mike B. had the high mileage for the day at 170 miles and I think he also headed north for the day.


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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-11-12

I had Brad drop me an email and here is what he had to say about the plains:

We are up from rochester and rode the plains on Thursday. Getting up there on trail 5 was a task and they were hauling snow into the fx matts trail behind the ole barn. Once we got up into the plains it was pretty good. We rode all the way to the ranger station and then turned around. The indian lake side of the plains was smother than the inlet side but it all had good coverage and was in good shape with a few bare spots closer to the inlet side.

Everyone took off this morning and only two rooms have come back. I think they only came back to grab some lunch, as they headed back out again. There is snow in the forecast over the next few days. But like always who knows for sure what we'll get till it's on the ground, last night we got a dusting.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report 2-10-12

At 1:45pm it's starting to cloud over. I just looked at the radar and it looks like something is starting to form north of here. All depends on which forecast you look at, they all are calling for snow, it's just a matter of how much. I included the video from Tuesday, that I forgot to download, in today's video. Some guests headed towards Brantingham yesterday to see how far they could make it. They ran out of snow just after the turn off you would take to go through confusion flats. As I've been saying, it is what it is, roads are toast, but there is trail riding to be had. They might not be perfect, but it's better than what most areas have to offer, nothing. If anyone has an update on Moose River Plains please post it or drop me an email so I can.

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DMV offers online registration

In an effort to make it easier for snowmobile riders from other states to operate their sleds in New York, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has developed a new online transaction that will allow out-of-state snowmobilers to print temporary New York State registrations for snowmobiles that are currently registered in their home states.

I put a link on the Snow Cam page to the online site and
you can read all about it here
Read Press Release Here

Old Forge, NY Trail Report

Went out riding last night and we went to Stillwater for dinner, put on 45 miles. Went up trail one to the new trail, then Stillwater road. One was fair , new trail was good and Stillwater road wasn't anything to take about and if it was day time we would of went up the flow. On the way back we took 1 to 2 to 29 to 3 back to 1 and they where all fair to good. The best way to explain the conditions is spring like riding conditions. Roads that are paved are toast, trails for the most part are in fair to good shape, with a bare spot here and there, with a solid ice base. It all depends on what you are looking to do. If you plan on doing a destination ride, you will be limited on where you can go. If your happy going to Stillwater or Beaver River and riding the Old Forge system you'll be able to put on a hundred miles. If you're up here riding now and have info on going other directions please post it or drop me an email so I can. What else can I say, it all depends on how bad you want to ride. Looks like snow the next few days and best I can tell it'll be off the lakes.

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Old Forge, NY Trail Report

I have video of the trails from yesterday, but some fool forgot to download it off of the camera before he sent it back out today. So I have something different for you to look at today. The reports I am getting from guests, is the same as it has been the last few days. Black top roads are toast and the trails are in fair to good shape, except trail 5, like always. Everyone has been getting out of the motel by doing the snow bank bounce, as I call it. I'm headed out for a ride tonight and I'll be able to give you a first hand report tomorrow. Like I said yesterday spring time conditions in February...go figure.

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Old Forge, Ny Snowmobile Trail Report

What a winter!! I don't want to sound like doom and gloom with my report. I just want everyone to understand that you are locked into trail riding and if you are planning on road riding, don't. I have had two different groups just come in and tell me the trails are good. Well let me take part of that back, they said trail 5 isn't good, go figure. Both groups also told me they say the groomers out.

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Old Forge and Snowmobiling

I'd like to address a subject that keeps coming up here ~ Old Forge and snowmobiling.

I too, at one time thought that the area existed just for snowmobiling, until I returned during the other seasons of the year. The Old Forge area has been a vacation destination for over one hundred years, long before snowmobiling.

Old Forge has seasonal businesses like The Enchanted Forest/Water Safari, Old Forge Lake Cruises, cabin colonies or the gift shops on Main Street, that close for the winter.

Will Old Forge fall off the face of the earth without snowmobiling? No. Will some businesses? Maybe. If you're a snowmobile dealer or parts store, you'd better believe you're going out of business without snowmobilers. Places like Stillwater Hotel, the Stillwater Shop or Norridgewock in Beaver River which was established in 1911, all riding destinations, would most likely feel the impact more so than say, a restaurant here in Old Forge. Snowmobile patrons are a big part of their business base. Would they go out of business? I don't know, I can't speak for them, but I'm sure they'd feel the impact. I can speak for Christy's Motel, would I go out of business without snowmobiling? No. Would I notice a difference in the bottom line? All depends on the year, this winter I'll be happy to break even and other winters I've made a few bucks after all the bills where paid. Summer is the strongest season for me, but that doesn't mean winter isn't an important part of the puzzle.

The fact is, snowmobiling and all tourism has an impact on everyone that lives, owns property or runs a business in the Town of Webb. Every cent that is spent here helps support our local economy and the sales tax money that is returned to the town helps by reducing property taxes. It AFFECTS ALL OF US, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, some more than others and if you think any differently you are a fool.

Please no personal attacks on people/businesses or I'll delete the post.
Can we all play nicely on the snow pile now?

Old Forge, Ny Trail Report

You'll hear in the video that the temp is 38 degrees at 3:45 in the afternoon and that's better than it's been the last few weeks, before we would of had R with it. Looks like some snow over the next few days, so keep your fingers crossed and dance faster. The temps are sure going to be cold enough for snow, let's just hope there is some moisture to go with it.

Today's Video......

Old Forge, Ny Snowmobile Trail Report

We dropped down to four below this morning at 6:30am. As I'm typing the sun is out, with a passing cloud that is dropping light snow and it's a beautiful winter day. I don't think anyone was sorry they came up this weekend. Traffic was light by what I was seeing on the cams around town and up at Stillwater. Conditions aren't great, but your able to ride.

Today's Video......

Old Forge, Ny Snowmobile Trail Report

About 10 pm last night the forecast was changed from flurries to 1 to 3 inches. We got and inch for sure, maybe two. Not allot, but enough to keep your sled running cool and lube the slides. I had to walk out to the trail cam last night and the trails are in better shape than you may think. No it isn't up to the standards you would think of for Old Forge. Almost everywhere has an ice base, from the R we have had over the course of the weird winter. After this last round of melt and freeze people have been out riding and breaking it up some, that there is ice pellets on the trails. The people that did come up this weekend, hoping that we did get some snow, lucked out. They all left this morning and not one of them have returned yet. I sent the camera out with one of the groups and I should have video for you tomorrow.

On another note: Joe O, you called the other day and wanted me to return your call. But you never left a number for me to call you back at.

Here's Today's Video......

Old Forge, Ny Snow Report

Trail conditions are just like beauty, it's all in the eye of the beholder. Had two different groups in yesterday morning. One group sent out a rider to check on the trail conditions. The verdict was a no go and they went home. The other group went out and one person in that group returned. He rides a 4 stroke and there wasn't enough loose snow to keep it cooled down. But the rest of that group stayed out and put on 65 miles. No that isn't big miles by no means, but they had fun and got to go to Big Moose Station for lunch.

A few inches will give us enough to get out there riding again. No it won't be great, but at least we'll be riding. Cross your fingers and hope for one of those weather man mistakes of "Sorry we didn't see that one coming" lake effect events.

It looks like I'm going for a walk. The trail cam went off line this morning and I'm guessing the system shut itself down. Cross your fingers for me that's all it is.

Here's Today's Video.......

Old Forge, Ny Trail Report

The warmth of yesterday is gone, everything is freezing back down and all we need now is a little snow on top of the ice base.  Yes a foot would be nice, but with the way this winter has gone so far a few inches will do.  Would a few inches make it perfect...no.  But at least we'll be able to ride again.

Today's Video..........

Old Forge, Ny Snow Report

Jamie and I went out riding last night and we had good conditions. Today it can't even be called poor, in my book.  Is it over for the season, as some people have talked?  I would say no,  we have a long time before Old Man Winter gives up his hold on the north country.  I just wish he would drink some Ensure and get some mussel back in his grip.  These roller coaster weather patterns are getting to everyone. Forecast is calling for temps to drop and all we will need is a little snow on top after everything is frozen back down.

Update: 5:30pm Temp has dropped to 32. Let the freezing begin.

 Let me clear up some misunderstandings about my report for today.  We did not lose the base on the trails.  The base we have is solid ice from all of the freeze and thaws that we have had this winter.  The snow on top of the base took a beating from the R last night.  Things are starting to freeze back down at 6pm as the temp has dropped below freezing and all we'll need is some snow on top of the base to be able to ride again. Will it be perfect conditions?  Who knows, but at least it will be something to ride on, most areas have nothing.

Here's Today's Video......