Northville-Placid Trail in Winter:

With Regard to Winter Conditions: 

• Snowshoes, Skis Strongly Recommended For All Trails

• Visitors to the back-country of the Adirondack Mountains should be prepared for snow, ice and cold, and use proper equipment, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation advised today. Winter is an opportune time to take advantage of all that the Adirondack Park has to offer, however, the season can also present troublesome -- even perilous -- conditions to the unprepared.

• Snow cover in the Adirondacks is a few feet deep in the higher elevations. Visitors to the Eastern High Peaks are required to use snowshoes or cross-country skis for safety. It is strongly recommend that visitors to other parts of the Adirondacks do the same.

• Snowshoes or skis prevent sudden falls or “post-holing,” avoids injuries and eases travel on snow. Ice crampons should be carried for use on icy mountaintops and other exposed areas.

• In addition, back-country visitors should follow these safety guidelines:

1. Dress properly with layers of wool and fleece (NOT COTTON!) clothing: a wool or fleece hat, gloves or mittens, wind/rain resistant outer wear, and winter boots.
2. Carry a day pack complete with: An ice axe, plenty of food and water, extra clothing, a map and compass, a first-aid kit, a flashlight/headlamp, sun glasses, sun-block protection, ensolite pads, a stove and extra fuel, and bivy sack or space blankets.
3. Drink plenty of water -- dehydration can lead to hypothermia.
4. Eat plenty of food to maintain energy levels and warmth.
5. Check weather before entering the woods -- if the weather is poor, postpone the trip. The mountains will always be there.
6. Be aware of weather conditions at all times -- if weather worsens, head out of the woods.
7. Contact the DEC at (518) 897-1200 to determine trail conditions in the area you plan to visit.
8. Visitors should also be aware that waters have begun freezing over, but are not safe to access. Ice that holds snow may not hold the weight of a person.

Winter Trip Reports:

With that said, here is a link to a hiking journal from Brendan Wiltse that will give you an idea of what to expect hiking the NPT in Winter.  "A group of friends and I hiked the NPT over the course of three winter trips in January 2006, January 2007, and February 2007.  Spending over a week at a time in remote wilderness areas in the dead of winter proved both challenging and fun.  Although, I would like to hike the trail in the summer or fall without worry about freezing to death in subzero temperatures." 

Another Brendan, Brendan Jackson, also offers winter hiking tips in a post on the Adirondack Forum.  Excellent tips, Brendan J.  "So, with all of the winter hiking I've been getting done this season in between semesters, I've found myself thinking back upon my experiences on the Northville-Placid Trail and having completed the entire trail in the winter via a series of section hikes. Occasionally, I receive requests for information or ideas from people interested in attempting this themselves, and so I thought it might be beneficial to compile some of my thoughts about how we did it, and what I would do differently if I were to do it again."

Here is another journal from Jeff Cole who attempted a solo section hike from Lake Durant to Lake Placid in January, 2011.  "Wow...all I can say is wow. Terrible and beautiful and COLD!!! Obviously I did not make the trip I had planned, but I DID make it out OK, and that was Plan A, so...on the basis of all my fingers and toes, I am counting it as a success, of sorts. I will be back, maybe after a year of training harder, planning longer, and giving myself more time, but I will be back. I learned SO much through this little failure, it can hardly be considered a failure at all, except that I did not do what I had in my mind to do...but that happens quite frequently, and I still refuse to believe I am anything but a smashing success! :)

Tom, you were certainly right about the trail from Tirrell Pond over the Sabbatis range(Blue Mt. Rise)...a bit messy, and waking up under a foot of new snow Wednesday made following the NPT off the hill a frustrating and time/energy consuming hunt. I heard your advice to "start at Long Lake" many, many times in my head over the next few days. Upon reaching Caitlin Bay lean-to, I realized it would be foolish to head into the Cold River valley when all the hard miles up until had proved I was not making that kind of time. This was the low point of my 5 days to be sure, but it was brief. I gathered wood, made an igloo, hiked about, took pictures and generally made the most of my remaining couple of days.

What an extra-ordinary place our Adirondack mountains, and what an adventure to be out there this time of year! I saw deer, otter, chick-a-dees, crows...and I heard the coyotes...as well as something I will not soon forget. On the North side of the Sabbatis ridge, having settled in for the night, with the forest silent, the snow falling...out of the dark came clear and bright and LOUD: one single bleat of a Bull Moose!!! I froze, still and silent and in total awe, waiting for another, but that was it, though it echoed in my mind for hours. Quite an experience, and I felt utterly blessed to be there to hear it and to feel it. A couple of bachelors, all alone in the wilderness...one wishing the other a pleasant night...I have to work on my Moose call!"

And, another from Adam Laats and friends from January, 2011, who originally planned a Piseco to Wakely Dam snowshoe.  "Thanks again for your help as we planned our snowshoe trip last weekend on the NPT. We had planned to do two or three nights covering the Piseco/Wakely Dam segment. The weather forecast called for plummeting temperatures, so we shortened our hike to a one nighter. We hiked into Silver Lake from Upper Benson. We had a car at Piseco in case we could make it all the way across that segment in two days, but the going was slow enough that we decided to just return.

The trail was in very good condition. The bridge over Stony Creek was in very good shape. The lean-to at Silver Lake was also in excellent condition. There were two tree blowdowns that lay across the trail. With the snow cover I couldn’t tell for sure how long they had been there but they did require very minor detours.  The snow was 18-24” without any crust. There were no problems with stream crossings. All were solidly iced and snowed over. In a couple places we could still see water across the trail but there was never any difficulty avoiding it.

I can see why you’re such a fan of the trail. This was my first overnight on the NPT but it certainly won’t be my last. The rest of the group had all spent their share of time on the Appalachian Trail and they all loved this trail. Yet none of them had heard of the NPT before this!"

And, this from Bob K. from a ski trip from Upper Benson to Silver Lake lean-to on January 29, 2011 as reported on the Adirondack Forum.  "There was sunshine to start the 7.5 mile trip to Silver Lake. Some sustained early up-hills to warm up were rewarding later. Snow all day was dry powder with no sign of melting/refreezing. The path (far more skiers then shoe’rs) was nicely packed the 4+ miles to Rock pond where the traffic noticeably decreased. I wish I had used my poles with the oversized baskets due to the 18” of soft powder anywhere off the packed path. It felt like more than the 2 miles further to finally get to Silver Lake and then across the lake to the lean-to. Skiing on Meco Lake along the way helped. Steady light snow had taken over by now, but it was a beautiful day.

The three of us used BC skis though we met a couple at the Silver Lake lean-to that had skied with classic old touring skis and the wire bail 3-pin bindings. Met a group on the way in from Schenectady Chapter of ADK and few others. The powder made the descent enjoyable with only a few mild spills. It was a long, tiring, trip out with the whole journey taking just over 6 hours."

Here is a link to a trip report from a ski-in on February 12, 2011 into Stephens and Cascade Ponds from Lake Durant as reported by Roy Keats, Trip Leader - This trip was by the Schenectady Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club.  We parked in a wide shoulder area along Rt. 28 adjacent to the Northville Lake Placid Trail sign. This was a little past the Lake Durant Campground entrance. We started on the trail about 9:30 AM. The snow was beautiful.  Read more....

From Harold Sperazza:  XC skied NPT from Rt 28/30 to Tirrell Pond on 2/20/11.  Conditions were generally good.  3-4 inches of fresh snow over hard pack. Crossed ONeill Flow, no problems with ice conditions.  Reached lean-to and southern end of Tirrell Pond, lean-o in good condition.  Strong winds on Tirrell Pond, ice was fine.

From Harold Pier:  Blue Mountain trailhead, Route 30 to Durant Lake trailhead, Route 28/30 -Ski and Snowshoe Adventure -February 26, 2011 - On a snowy February 26th, nine members of the Utica Tramp and Trail Club left cars at the Durant Lake Campsite parking lot on Route 28 and returned to the Blue Mountain trailhead. At 10:30 am, five skiers, led by Harold Pier, and four snowshoers, led by Deb Roberts, set out on the trail to Terrill Pond.  Read more...

I'll add this advice as well.  If you are traveling solo or with only two people you run the risk of getting into trouble and not being able to contact anyone for help placing you into a dangerous situation that could threaten your life.  This is especially true in the winter.  Not many people are traveling on the NPTrail in the winter time.  In the summer other hikers will likely come upon you within 24 hours.  Winter travel puts you at a much higher risk of serious injury or death.

If you are traveling in a group of three or more you have a better chance of being able to have one person head out for help while another stays behind with an injured party.  If you are going solo or in a group of two people, make sure you leave your itinerary with family members or friends with a specific time frame for your being out of the woods and checking in with them that you are OK.  You should also provide them with the DEC Emergency Dispatch phone number - 518-891-0235 - and consider some sort of emergency communication method (see below).

Communication in Emergencies:

How your cell phone calls for help even when you don't have service by: Jason Stevenson, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Backpacking and Hiking - You’re lost, stuck in a ravine miles from the nearest road. Hoping for a quick rescue, you power up your cell phone. Dang. No signal. Discouraged, you turn it off.  Wait. Did you just make a huge mistake?  Even if your phone has no service, attempting to dial 911 or leaving the phone turned on intermittently could transmit an electronic lifeline that lets rescuers know you’re alive.  Read more from this Backpacker article....
 

You also may want to consider a GPS device that can send a message that you need help and your location.  Cell phone coverage is minimal and non-existent for most of the NPT.   Jeff Cole, see above journal, snowshoed solo in January, 2011, but carried a SPOT GPS unit.  He was able to contact friends and family via satellite and email his exact location and that he was OK.  I'll let Jeff describe this below.  Click on the image to be taken to REI's website and further descriptions of how it works.  I highly recommend buying and using this if you tend to hike or snowshoe solo or in small groups. 


The Spot GPS - Back Country Communication - Review By Jeff Cole:   "I did research different emergency beacons, and initially shied away from SPOT because of several negative reviews written by Search and Rescue/Military Personnel.  They were making the important distinction between GPS reliance and the more independent Radio transmissive types.  Also, the original SPOT, F1 generation, seems to have had its share of glitches and/or problems, but the new SPOT 2(nd generation) and the company's own retooling has addressed these concerns.  They have introduced several new products that show great promise for the outdoor enthusiast.  My own experience with the SPOT.2 has been very positive.
  
The reviews concerned me, but what's more, the price of those Radio type beacons were absolutely prohibitive, especially for the newest 400+(Hertz?) models, used globally by military and what-not.  As it turned out, my father was simultaneously doing the same research 3000 miles away, in Washington state, and while I hemmed and hawed over how to proceed, a SPOT 2 showed up at my door.  I registered the piece, opting for the basic package, which includes all the benefits it offers (OK check in, Custom message, emergency contact message, and of course, the 911 feature) in a strictly manual/DIY sense. I declined the "Tracking" feature which is a hands-free/automatic, interval check in...which costs an additional $50 or so, on top of the $100 annual fee.  They also offer replacement  and rescue insurance.
  
My first Check-In/OK message (upon registration) placed me dead on, within a few feet, of the parking space I was standing in when I sent it. Similar accuracy has been shown in a several other messages sent from local/known points.  I have no reason to believe that my locations taken from trail are not also as accurate.  It showed lat/long changes with movements of less than 30 feet.  After working out a personal misunderstanding with operation, the link up/send message procedure takes place within a minute or two at most.  Having said that, the "Tracking" option would be a good idea for those who are looking to come home to an extremely detailed history of course, because taking out/turning on/linking up/sending/putting away becomes tedious.  I'll be adding the Track feature myself before my next trip out.
  
The ability to send pre-written emails to concerned and interested parties is great, as well as the HELP feature.  This allowed me to develop a Plan B with my trail support, and a way to tell them I was falling back to it.  I did not use the Custom message feature, but I suppose you could use it to send a love note to your honey, if you're lucky like that.  Obviously, these are pre-written messages, so planning-communication is key.  SPOT offers technology to turn your cell phone into a SAT-phone, if you can't imagine not texting for an extended period."