Eastern pennsylvania xcd spots?

[lowangle al]

The snow is phenomenal in the Poconos. That last storm was the icing on the cake and it skis like butter. The cover is so good, if you can see it, you can ski it.

[fisheater]

Al, you have more coming! I am happy, it’s getting close to lines in the woods, and the trail skiing is good. However pattern after pattern slides south of me and straight to eastern PA.

Must be all that clean living in your youth!

Keep posting photos!

[oldschool]

Replying for the original poster (and others on this too), from where he is I would look carefully at some options around the Adirondacks too - I live in Syracuse NY which is about 4 hours or so from Philly. My winter goes something like this:

-- Lots of trips to Gore for resort tele skiing - if you skied any of the Tahoe resorts, this will be the closest spot to you for anything resembling serious terrain and long, decent runs. Views of the Adks and Vt from the chair lifts. You can find some decent spots that are not that expensive to stay nearby.

--Adk trailheads - I've not backcountry skied these but I drive past plenty of them on the way to Gore off of Rt. 8. Yeah, there's some snowmobiling in some spots but there are trails around here and unlike southern PA, the snow up here is consistently there most of the time

--for XC - there are loads of spots around Syracuse to ski in county parks, some with trails dedicated to skiing to keep the walkers and snowshoers elsewhere - there's about 4 or 5 options right around Syracuse. Some spots are good for night skiing with a headlamp or by moonlight too, although the county parks close at dusk. One hour or so north of here there are two excellent spots - Winona State Forest - look online for a map - it has a 12.5km loop that was laid out for skiing plus several additional trails for backcountry skiing - there's a website and the loop gets groomed. There are a few events in the area and at least once each winter I think there is a dog sled race - not an ideal weekend to be there but there are the side trails still. Another excellent spot is Osceola XC Ski Center - nice touring center, groomed tracks, conditions on their website. For Winona and Osceola they are in the Tug Hill so they get quite a lot of snow, therefore it persists later into the spring - I've skied there very late when all the snow was gone everywhere along I-81 on the way there and from the road in until just before reaching the parking lot when the magic white carpet appeared.

Have fun.
I've also skied a bit in the area north of Williamsport, PA near Hillsgrove, many years ago. There are some XC ski trails in that area plus Old Loggers Path is a hiking trail that has some sections that ski well. For me though, snow is way more consistently here, especially in South Central Adks -

[fisheater]

@oldschool what about Marcy or the Wright Peak Ski Trail? Both seem like a great adventure. At least for this getting older guy.

[oldschool]

So for me, Lake Placid and the High Peaks area is a 4 hour drive each way - my regular program for the winter is several shots at Gore for day trips and then a trip to Gore, drive 1.33 hr to Placid, hang out and XC for a day and shop a bit - Cascade XC Ski Center has nice trails and fantastic shop that does excellent mounting work, etc. - then a day at Whiteface and home. The past few years I've been a slug about getting out much backcountry and have lollygagged at the resort.

Whale's Tail and Marcy - so my only experiences with that - never been on Whale's tail. There is a video someplace on the web of some dudes hiking it up and then skiing down on AT gear - it looks challenging and they are making first tracks so not skied out yet. I think if it would be tracked up at all much it would be above my level on touring stuff. I have been thinking to put together a combo of my old Kondors, Voile detachable heel loop 3 pins and a beefy enough boot. I have Alpina 675s or something like that - basically the pre-Alaskas that were black. They are ok but a bit snug for me. I am contemplating getting Scarpa T4s for this set up to do Adk trails. I do have E99s with a 3 pin and a pair of skins which with the Alpina or a Fischer BCX 675 would work too. Not touring in the T2s or the Merrell Comps. I skied Marcy in to Avalance Pass just after New Years - 35 years ago when I was in college. Camped with some buddies - I had the best gear for it but was still too light - Asolo Glissades, Asnes Telemark skis (black). A tour that is supposed to be great is to do the Adk Loj to Avalance Lake to Colden to Flowed Lands and have another group come the other way and do a key swap in the middle. On the trip with my pals Marcy was our objective but we did not have gear really to do that. So I'm not sure how Marcy goes on skis except if there is a good amount of cover. This year we happened to be up there on a calm day to climb Phelps (my kids are both adults now and chipping off the 46 bit by bit) - we rented spikes and snowshoes from the Loj place - never used the snow shoes but the spikes were indispensible for climbing and hiking the packed down trails at any speed.

Another ski trail near Gore/North Creek is an original ski trail in that area - Raymond Brook Ski Trail - never skied it but it is supposed to be good. It's right outside of North Creek.

Lots of snow up here right now - need to get out more!

[lowangle al]

Thanks for that info Oldschool, when I don't have snow here I will be looking North. First to the Catskills then the High Peaks. Syracuse is three hours from me and it is about the limit for me for a daytrip, from Philly probably almost two hours more.

Right now with the snow we have there is no need to take the long drive. I've skied a lot of powder in Ak. for almost thirty years, and what we have now on the ground now skis almost as good as it gets.

As far as the T4s go, IME it's the perfect boot. Light enough to cover miles and stiff enough so that your safety is determined by your skill level rather than the limitations of the gear, and that's comparing them to a heavy leather telemark boot. Being an old guy with lots of pre-existing injuries I make it a point not to crash.

[jhubrides]

Responding to the original post. The Jim Thorpe area has a lot of decent options for what you are looking to do. Broad Mtn State Gamelands SGL 141 just outside off of Rt 93 has ample single & dual track to ski most of the year when snow fall is regular or the snow pack stays consistent. This year has been outstanding for touring around with fish scale skis or kick waxing/skinning with bigger skis.

[lowangle al]

Responding to the original post. The Jim Thorpe area has a lot of decent options for what you are looking to do. Broad Mtn State Gamelands SGL 141 just outside off of Rt 93 has ample single & dual track to ski most of the year when snow fall is regular or the snow pack stays consistent. This year has been outstanding for touring around with fish scale skis or kick waxing/skinning with bigger skis.

There sure is a lot of places to ski here and that area along rt 93 is as nice as it gets. You probably have more vertical relief down there but I have more elevation on the Pocono plateau. Most of my tours in sgl 91 and the Thornhurst tract of Pinchot State Forest are between 1950' and 2150'. This area is a snow magnet, I got in 30 days last year and that was a crappy year. The thing that saves me is the grassy logging roads that ski well with only 5 inches. Feel free to hit me up for a snow report when your looking for snow.

[jhubrides]

Sounds good! I have some friends in the White Haven/Mountain Top area. That area is one of those snow magnet areas as well

[lowangle al]

I was over that way two weeks ago, had a great day. I used to live in Mt Top 30 years ago and have some good hills in mind to check out.