Ski the Paul Smiths VIC, a favorite spot of The Lake Clear Lodge residents and guests

Ski the Pauls Smiths VIC, not far from The Lake Clear Lodge

Map : Paul Smiths VIC

VIC website for trails and weekly activities

[Note:  We seem to be in a snow pocket out here in the Lake Clear/Pual Smiths area!  If other areas are letting you down with the snow - call for conditions "out here!"]

Clearly Bob - #21  Follow Bob and our Blog

Ski the “VIC”, not far from The Lake Clear Lodge

      Generally I am adverse to skiing at commercial areas when there are so many excellent back country options available.   There is one exception to this that I would highly recommend – the Visitor Interpretive Center run by Paul Smiths College.  It is not really a commercial business in the typical sense but you do have to pay $10 to ski (or snowshoe if that is your preference) there.  I'm sure they are not really making any profit with this fee and it goes toward maintaining the trails and facilities.  The college is providing a great resource to the public year round and everything else is free so I'd feel good about what is a fairly nominal charge to ski.  It's a good thing to support.  

     There are lots of trails at the VIC.  The trail surfaces are wide and smooth (actually baby stroller friendly smooth) so not much snow is needed.    I believe that some or  most of the trails are track set but, if that is important to you, ask about it in the large main building.  Pick up a trail map in the building too.  Some trails have ups and downs to add to the interest but there is nothing especially difficult.  Some of the trails extend far away from the start and connect with routes that can be accessed from other starting points.   Although the signage is improving, it seems like the further out you get the worse it is so pay attention to your map and the time.  Once, before the fee was instituted and the trails were less well marked, I was skiing at the VIC by myself one afternoon and past a couple of guys skiing the opposite direction near the beginning.  After exchanging a few comments about how good the skiing was I continued on,  following their tracks.  I kept this up as their route brought me into areas seemingly far away from the parking lot and very unfamiliar to me.  Still I figured they had skied a loop and I would eventually end up back at the beginning.  But I was getting less and less comfortable and it was late afternoon by then so I just turned around and retraced my (and their) tracks.  I didn't want to run out of daylight.  And maybe they used 2 cars and skied an “A” to “B” route and not a loop.  That could have been a big problem for me.  The point is, you can ski for a long, long time if you want.

     The VIC is about 10 minutes north on route 30 from the Lodge and  a mile or so beyond the college entrance.