hey everyone--wanted to take my son on his first snowshoe in the cats. anybody have any beta on snow conditions up there(recent). does any one area usually have better conditions than others? with the low snow year we've been having, do we need snowshoes? thanks

I doubt you need 'shoes anywhere in the Catskills right now. But from what I'm reading on Accuweather, that's all gonna change Monday!

This time of year, south-facing slopes catch a lot of sun, which can result in bare spots , crust . or flows of water ice . OK, enough with the smileys. Other than that (and I can't say I know of any trails that I'd avoid specifically for any of the above reaosns), just pick the trail you want and go. One of my son's first snowshoe trips was Windham High Peak from Rt 23. It's usually packed since it is quite popular. The area around North Lake has some short loop options.