Back country skiing in the Adirondacks

Today is December 7, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. At dawn on Sunday, December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in an attempt to cripple the fleet and hinder U.S. intervention in other Japanese actions in the South Pacific. The attack mobilized the United States and initiated its entry into World War II. Pearl Harbor Day was always noted when I was growing up, so I'll do it here. My dad served in the army, and it was one of the few times he mentioned the war.

Purely as a service to the readers of this blog, I did some reconnaissance yesterday to determine early season back country ski conditions in the Adirondacks. Conditions were remarkably good for this time of year.

I skied from the Adirondack Loj parking lot on the skiers trail to Marcy Dam, on to Avalanche Camps.
That trail was great skiing, especially if you know what to expect this time of year. That is, it was a little 'boney' in the steps section. It was really fun if you ski it like an eight year-old; bend your knees and pretend you still have cartilage in them, and use every barely covered rock and log as a chance to get air. Or you could just ski around them. I broke my promise to stop at the camp and went to the first high point on misery mile. I was doing research, after all. I am pleased to report it was awesome; the ride out was particularly enjoyable. It was great to run into some local regulars doing the same.