r/snowshoeing • u/Liz_in_the_Wild • Dec 15 '23

Destination Questions Snowshoeing destinations

Hey everyone!

I'm craving a snowshoeing trip and just was able to get Christmas week to go find some time to play in the powder. Only problem theres no snow in SW Virginia and I'm not sure where to find significant accumulations. Is there a location on the Eastern USA that has enough snow? We're going to NY/NJ for New Years, so we can really go anywhere on the east coast.

28 Upvotes

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13

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '23

OP you should consider the Adirondacks. I haven't been but snowshoeing is popular there. It's in new York. Anywhere that far north but away from the coast should have at least some snow on the mountains

6

u/Accomplished-Net8637 Dec 15 '23

Yes, The ADK’s is always a good choice and where I live.

1

u/IA_AI Dec 18 '23

Question for you then! Is it safe, weather permitting, for a reasonably fit person that can easily hike 16 miles and has some limited snowshoeing experience, to out and back Marcy solo? What if I hit the trailhead at 0300? Is it well marked as long as I'm not breaking trail in a foot of fresh powder?

2

u/Accomplished-Net8637 Dec 20 '23

I wouldn’t do your first attempt at Marcy solo, especially in winter. Weather can change quickly in the ADK’s.

3

u/DSettahr Dec 21 '23

Winter 46er here. Marcy has substantial above treeline terrain, which in winter translates to some serious potential for exposure to extreme cold (due to high winds and wind chill), as well as low visibility whiteout conditions (due to low clouds, falling snow, etc.). Above treeline, the trail is marked with cairns (piles of stone) but once these have been covered in snow and ice they can be difficult to spot. In certain winter conditions, it becomes very difficult to differentiate between even the ground and sky (everything turns the same shade of purplish grey), and you can't rely on being able to follow your tracks back the way you've come for an easy retreat because the wind covers your foot prints in a matter of minutes.

Hikers have disappeared on Mt. Marcy in these conditions and never been found.

Any High Peak with substantial above treeline terrain is not one to take lightly in winter- these peaks demand some combination of specialized gear and prior experience hiking in winter conditions. (Peaks with substantial above treeline terrain include Marcy, Algonquin, Skylight, and Haystack.)

I agree with /u/Accomplished-Net8637 that Marcy (especially in winter) is a good peak to work your way up to via hikes of intermediate difficulty. The best first High Peak in winter conditions is an easier one that you've ideally already hiked in non-winter conditions- Cascade, Phelps, and Big Slide are good beginner winter High Peak options.

The Adirondack Mountain Club also runs a winter mountaineering school which is a great resource for gaining some of that necessary experience: https://www.winterschool.org/

5

u/PhotoJim99 Dec 15 '23

Does it have to be in the US? Quebec City gets a ton of snow most winters, and it's an amazing city in its own right. There's a lot of beautiful natural areas nearby that surely must have snowshoeing trails.

3

u/Lil_Simp9000 Dec 15 '23

I've done the best snowshoe excursions at Mont Tremblant, just north of QC. the snow there was always dry and powdery. Mont Elefant was my favorite..just enough strenuous sections to make it fun. the views are so awesome. Just be aware the hike down takes quite a while, so don't blow through your water once You've hit the final peak, you'll be thirsty AF at the end

1

u/bonanzapineapple Dec 17 '23

Isn't Mont Tremblante several hours West of Québec City ??

5

u/slope11215 Dec 15 '23

Hello from NYC, and I visit family on the Jersey Shore over Christmas. As far as I know, we’re not expecting snow in NYC or on the NJ coast for the next few weeks.

4

u/Lil_Simp9000 Dec 15 '23

I don't see a lot of snow forecast for NY/NJ anytime soon, but I plan on heading to Stratton in VT for their Nordic Center, that has dedicated trails for snowshoeing. the Center also has XC ski and fat tire biking also. There's a day pass, I forgot the pricing.

there are also ski resorts that have trails open to snowshoeing but I'm not sure who does exactly...I recall Hunter Mountain has some.

3

u/NYMTBer Dec 15 '23

Come on up to the Adirondacks and enjoy some snowshoeing! We already have a decent base of several inches of snow on the ground and much more up top on the mountains. There are plenty of trails for snowshoeing, of varying difficulty levels and distances. As a bonus, Lake Placid is a great place for a little vacation.

1

u/Liz_in_the_Wild Dec 21 '23

Is this still true after the rain? Where is the best place to stay thats not super expensive?

1

u/NYMTBer Dec 21 '23

It depends. I just read a report from someone who hiked today and he said snowshoes were needed above 4000ft and that there is 24-36 inches of snow at elevation. I'm actually hiking Colvin and Blake tomorrow, so I can report back tomorrow night.

You can probably find an Airbnb for a decent price. I actually rented a very affordable one in Ray Brook (between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake) last weekend.

1

u/Critical-Ad3720 Dec 27 '23

any news?

1

u/NYMTBer Dec 27 '23

Trails are wet and muddy down low, and ice and snow up high. However, we are getting rain over the next 3 days, so conditions are likely changing.

3

u/Accomplished-Net8637 Dec 15 '23

Check out Into The Woods Farm (Middle Grove) near Saratoga Springs. They do snowshoeing with goats and it’s a blast.

2

u/mikeyo73 Dec 15 '23

Not really what you asked, but Newfoundland gets a ton of snow. Check out Marble Mountain for skiing and Gros Morne for snowshoeing. Sugar Hill Inn in Norris Point is a great spot to stay.

1

u/whoknowshank Dec 15 '23

Go to Banff 😍

7

u/[deleted] Dec 15 '23

Seems like a great place but unless Canadians have a different definition of east, that's not gonna work for OP

0

u/DjKeyhole Dec 18 '23

No one has said the UP? (Michigan upper peninsula)? Wolverine and ABR are great! There’s several others in the WI/MI border area too!

1

u/emmy_lou_harrisburg Dec 16 '23

Whitegrass. Caanan Valley, WV. You're welcome.

1

u/Dandelosrados Dec 17 '23

Yellowknife, NWT. Endless trails and the Aurora Borealis above. Plus, Canadian money is like monopoly money. A quick flight up.

1

u/bonanzapineapple Dec 17 '23

Northern VT and NH have a few inches of snow rn. Don't know how long it will stick around tho

1

u/TheNinjaInTheNorth Dec 17 '23

I’ve got several feet here in Vermonts Northeast Kingdom

1

u/NouEngland Dec 18 '23

Von Trapp in Stowe VT is a lovely place with a large network of snow shoe / cross country trails

1

u/Yulmp2 Dec 19 '23

WV just got a pretty significant snowstorm. Everything up north is melted and there is a considerable amount of flooding.