Chasing Snow: A Powder Day at the New Land Trust

We'd been watching the weather reports for days, waiting for the northern Adirondacks to get a proper dump. When the forecast finally showed fresh overnight accumulation in the region, we didn't overthink it — we loaded up and made the long drive north.

My wife Hilary, our dog Lucy, and I had one destination in mind: the New Land Trust in Saranac, NY. It's the kind of place that doesn't show up in tourism roundups or ski resort guides. No grooming machine, no lodge, no lift tickets. Just a 287-acre community preserve with 31 trails, a trailhead kiosk, and a clubhouse that's been quietly welcoming skiers since 1977.

We signed in at the kiosk as required, clicked Lucy into her skijoring harness, and headed out into the trees. The fresh snow had settled perfectly over the tracked trails — soft enough underfoot but with just enough base to glide. Lucy took to it immediately, pulling ahead through the open stretches and nosing into every snowbank she could find. Skijoring with a dog who actually wants to run is one of the better things winter has to offer.

Midway through we pulled off at one of the lean-tos for a snack break. It's the kind of pause that only makes sense on a day like that — cold air, quiet woods, a dog flopped in the snow next to you. No rush to be anywhere.

We wrapped up the ski and made one more stop before heading home: Jay, NY, where my grandmother was celebrating her 90th birthday. We hadn't told her we were coming. Walking through the door after a powder day in the woods, skis in the car and Lucy still trailing snow from her paws — it turned into exactly the kind of day you don't plan but end up remembering.

The New Land Trust was founded in 1977 by SUNY Plattsburgh students and friends who pooled their money to buy an old farm as a community experiment. It's now a 501(c)(3) non-profit spanning 287 acres with 31 trails. No membership required, no admission fee — just donations to keep it running. The land is open dawn to dusk year-round.

The trail network is well-suited to XC skiing and skijoring. Wide tracks, manageable grades, and enough variety to put together a solid half-day. There's a clubhouse at the trailhead, lean-tos scattered through the property, and three composting privies. It's small, it's free, and it's almost entirely under the radar — which is to say it's exactly the kind of ADK gem worth knowing about.