Who skis cross-country with a shovel Around ten years ago I was skiing at Minnewaska State Park and Preserve when I saw Mark Ruoff on the Upper Awosting trail near the powerline. He was shoveling snow to restore cover on a bare spot. There was not a vehicle in sight of course. I guess a …
Forgivable forecasting errors: conditions for the week of Jan. 19 2026
Enough snow has fallen that areas close to NYC have been able to open! The NOAA was wrong about chances for downstate snow, but we prefer errors in the direction of more snow. Here's what's available close by: [Updates for Jan. 19] Little has changed in the far north, but there have been updates across …
Continue reading Forgivable forecasting errors: conditions for the week of Jan. 19 2026
When snow is low, we go high: forecast for MLK weekend Jan. 17-19 2026
[Update Friday Jan. 16]: Chances for accumulating snow over the MLK weekend have increased for downstate NY and southern New England. See Forecast for details. Olaf is disappointed! No real base within a couple fo hours of the NYC metro. Although cooler weather is entering the region, upcoming snowfall is expected to be scant and …
Continue reading When snow is low, we go high: forecast for MLK weekend Jan. 17-19 2026
XC skiing without a car?
Maybe you're not so fond of spending hours driving, have issues that make driving riskier than you'd like, or want to extend the life of a fifteen-year old minivan or compact car by driving it less. And perhaps you've wondered, as I have: can I go skiing without a car? The best outdoors is the …
Variable: conditions for the week of Jan. 12 2026
Last time Minnewaska Park updated conditions was Jan. 8 and conditions were poor. After the rain and warm temps it's reptty doubtful skiing will resume unless there''s a few inches of snow. Closest skiable trails are at Prospect Mountain. This post is about conditions for Jan. 11 and forecast for the next few days. See …
Continue reading Variable: conditions for the week of Jan. 12 2026
Across the Snow Line 