Mt. Colden: Skiing the Trap Dike & Cruciflyer in a Whiteout

North Elba, New York

Trip Report 2/22/26

Like so many other Adirondack days most of this ski was spent with low visibility. I was fortunate to have been on the summit during the summer and was given the green light from other skiers that the choke points were navigable without a rope. Without those pieces I would not have had the confidence to drop off the summit in a white out. What lacked in visibility was made up for with great snow, classic ADK lines and an exciting crux in the Trap Dike.

Departing from the Adirondack Loj, I reluctantly paid my non-resident parking dues and headed to Marcy Dam. I summited Mt. Colden via the Lake Arnold Trail. The trail was challenging given the deep snow pack. I was ducking under trees most of the way, but never lost the route.

Skiing off the summit was straight forward staying to the skiers left on the roll over from the summit slide into the actual Trap Dike. It was about here I dropped out of the clouds in time for the two lower choke points. The first was an easy straight line, but the second seemed a bit too spicy to jump. I opted for an ugly side step over rock while hanging onto some limbs to get a little lower before schussing down to avalanche lake.

On the way back over Avalanche Pass I added on the Cruciflyer. The adjacent and brand new Jackson slide had a great skin track which I used until about 1/3 of the way up before crossing into the Cruciflyer. The snow was significantly deeper after crossing over and felt less stable then the Trap Dike. Nonetheless, I was able to skin and boot to the top of the couloir. The ski down was great with some of the deepest snow of the season.

The finish to the day was skiing out the Avalanche Pass ski trail to the Loj. I had managed to forget my water bottle on this day, but survived on my fitness, stoke for good snow and the excitement of two new classic ski lines. I swiftly drank a coconut water in the beverage aisle of the price chopper.

Beta: Parking is at the Adirondack Loj, but can also be done from the South Meadows Trailhead adding a couple of miles to the day.

The Approach: Adirondack Loj ➔ Van Hoevenberg Trail ➔ Marcy Dam.
The Climb: Avalanche Pass Trail ➔ Lake Arnold Trail ➔ L. Porter Trail to Mt. Colden Summit.
The Descent: Summit Slide ➔ Trap Dike ➔ Avalanche Lake.
The Add-on: Cross Avalanche Lake ➔ Jackson Slide skin track ➔ Cruciflyer Couloir.
The Exit: Avalanche Pass ski trail ➔ Marcy Dam ➔ Adirondack Loj.

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