Although the bright March sun is waking up the trees and sucking up the backcountry snow, there is still plenty of winter in the mountains.

Unfortunately, work and weather has kept me pinned down in Plattsburgh. Yeah, it’s not much of an excuse. I’m sure my bias against spring snow is part of it. You see, I’m a waxer who hates the challenge of the crazy snow conditions this time of year brings.

One of these years I’m going to get a pair of waxless backcountry skis.

In the meantime, I thought I’d pass on an armchair backcountry idea and a great trail-condition resource.

BRIAN MANN’S ADIRONDACK OUTINGS

We can all be jealous of Brian Mann, who reports for North Country Public Radio.

Mann’s job gets him outside through the Adirondacks where he often engages in and reports on wilderness journeys in a series of Adirondack Post Cards.

Find his most recent trip, a ski into the Boreas Ponds tract, a newly acquired state wilderness area, in this beautifully illustrated article. Audio and video are included.

Or sit back and peruse years of outdoor meanderings on Mann’s Adirondack Outings page.

‘THIS WEEKEND IN ADIRONDACKS’

John Warren’s “This Weekend in the Adirondacks,” which is also broadcast on NCPR, is an authoritative review of trail conditions in the park, regardless of season.

Warren is a highly experienced Adirondack journalist, founder of the Adirondack Almanack and co-founder of the Adirondack Atlas. He also writes and edits at the New York History Blog.

Every week Warren puts out his weekend trail conditions. Here is this weekend’s edition.

And for a different take, check out a similar feature at the Adirondack Almanack.

Hopefully now you are inspired to get out and enjoy the winter that remains.