Colvin and Blake via Lower Ausable Lake (copied from TCs)

[Tom Rankin]

To answer your questions:

- Anyone know if the road in to the Lake is covered and skiable?
- And if the Lake is frozen and skiable?
- And if the route from the Lake to the col is broken?

1) The lake road is just a frozen sheet of ice. Good luck with skis!

2) The Lake is certainly frozen and largely free of snow. But technically it is NOT crossable unless you are a member of the club. This has been discussed many times over the years. If you ask the caretaker, he will probably forbid you to use the lake. There used to be a large sign at the gate, but I did not see any this year. There was a long discussion about this on http://ADKHighPeaks.com a few years ago, but it was taken down.

3) I do not know if the trail is broken, maybe someone who went to Blake on Saturday (from http://ADKHighPeaks.com ) could tell you.

 

[BlackSpruce]

It may have changed but I have been told recently (Friday 10) that due to the unusally warm days and nights of late the south end of the Lower Lake is not safe everywhere, furthermore I understood the Carry Trail is not broken.

 

[Tom Rankin]

It may have changed but I have been told recently (Friday 10) that due to the unusally warm days and nights of late the south end of the Lower Lake is not safe everywhere, furthermore I understood the Carry Trail is not broken.

There was 18 inches of ice on Mirror Lake Sunday (similar elevations), that was what I based my comment on, not direct knowledge.

 

[BlackSpruce]

The Ausable River flows from the Upper Lake into the Lower Lake (one mile), then there are several springs and drainages flowing along the shore of the Lower Lake from the slopes of Colvin and Sawteeth. This February as I could see on my way to Allen Mt this past Wednesday rivers, brooks and springs are still running: we had to wear garbage bags to wade the thankfully low Hudson, over Lake Jimmy the planks were ok but there was a few water holes showing rather thin ice cover, further the Opalescent was frozen over but only at the crossing (before and after was showing knee deep water), Skylight Brook was easy to cross but open and up Allen Brook the first .5-mile of the herdpath was crossed by gently running rivulets... all in all not exactly the usual February expected trail conditions!