LOCALadk Magazine

46 Winter 2019 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Of course, not ever y key swap has been problem free. Leaders have had to deal with skiers of differing ability lev- els, changeable weather, and sometimes unexpectedly diffi- cult snow conditions. A pair of skins has occasionally solved the problem of a skier who turns out not to be all that handy when climbing either Avalanche Pass or the steeper sections on the Calamity Brook Trail. Likewise, several skiers whose downhill technique isn't quite up to the challenge have been directed to walk down the hiking trail from Avalanche Pass—a section of hiking trail usually packed well enough that post-holing is not an issue. Sometimes it wasn't skiing that was the issue but the driv- ing. Matching up vehicles with standard transmissions with drivers who can drive a standard can be a challenge. One time, a participant arrived at the south end with an older car that was having problems with its clutch. He said he would talk to the southbound skiers to be sure they could deal with the problem. Thus there was a discussion in the middle of Flowed Lands where the southbound skier recounted his ef- forts to keep an old Volkswagen with clutch problems going. Problem solved. Changeable weather can also be a problem. One year, warm temperatures during the day meant that by the time the northbound group got to Avalanche Lake there were long sections with 2 to 3 inches of water on top of the ice. Nothing to do but get wet feet and keep on skiing, but the view was still as spectacular as ever. C AUTIONS AND CONTINGENCIES While these organized trips have always managed to get ever yone safely back before dark, there have been a few years when the conditions on the planned day dictated a cancelation or a postponement. Anyone planning a key swap therefore needs to know the current snow and ice conditions. Specific issues include a thaw that would make the lakes un- safe, a thaw-freeze cycle that can create "boilerplate" ice, and heavy recent snow that would make trail breaking too slow to complete the trip before dark. A recent thaw could also open up the Opalescent River, which must be crossed in Flowed Lands. One can usually learn if there are any issues regarding ice conditions or icy surfaces by following the weather patterns or checking with someone local if one's group is coming from a distance. You can also check the ski report found on the Jackrabbit Trail website (http://www.jackrabbittrail.org/ ). Calling Adirondak Loj will provide information on the snow conditions, but the staff is usually hesitant to say if the lake ice is safe enough to cross— even if it is. That said, one must still make one's own judgement before venturing out onto the ice. As an old Norse proverb says, "Praise not the ice until it is crossed." If trail breaking or crossing the Opalescent River ends up being the problem, the group needs to have a contingency plan if the two groups don't manage to meet. That would usually mean setting a time when, if failing to meet up, each group would turn back to its starting point. Such a contingen- cy plan also deals with the event that an injur y or breaking a key piece of equipment causes one group to fail to proceed as planned. Another issue on the Avalanche Pass key swap is that the two groups will often meet somewhere between the Henderson Monument and Lake Colden. In between is the open expanse of the now-drained Flowed Lands. There can be multiple tracks that cross Flowed Lands, and there are now just enough trees in spots to block the view of a group on a different track. Thus, both groups should agree in ad- vance that they will follow whichever track is farthest west or east on that north-south expanse. There can also some- times be ski tracks down the Opalescent River between Lake Colden and Flowed Lands, and the groups must agree to ski the trail that goes past the lean-to. Nancie Battaglia

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