Snowy Ride 2011

The weather has been spectacular in Thredbo and so on Friday I was determined to have one last ski before the Kosi chair was closed for maintenance on the following Monday. Jane came along for her first time on Signature Hill. The snow had melted a lot more than I expected since my last ski on Tuesday and consequently I had to kick in the staircase once more. The snow was on the soft side and a little uneven but oh, so much fun.

Saturday was busy in the village. It was the annual Snowy Ride, where thousands of motor cycles and riders descend (shouldn't that be 'ascend') on Thredbo and the Snowy Mountains to raise money for the Steven Walter Foundation - a charity set up to fund the fight against children's cancer. I believe there were around 3500 entries this year.

With perfect weather again and the forecast for Sunday onwards looking particularly nasty, I climbed out alone to the hill for one more time. In just 20 hours between Friday's last run and my return on Saturday morning, the thaw continued at such an astounding pace that I had to again kick in my staircase. Looking back to my report on last year's Snowy Ride I was surprised to see how much less snow pack exists this year. Again the skiing was fun and after six climbs up the staircase I called it quits and returned to the village in time to watch the Grand Parade and prize giving. After a great dinner at the Chooks (who had generously spent their day working for Snowy Ride rather than skiing) we all enjoyed the free concert put on by The Brewster Brothers.

It is now Sunday afternoon and although the skies have been grey all day and the wind is picking up, there has not yet been any rain - giving the bikers good conditions to return to whence they came from.

As always, the atmosphere in and around the village has been great. Lynne summed it up best last night when she said; "the sad part is that we have to wait another 12 months for this weekend to return".

The snow pack is rapidly making way to the weather beaten rocks and alpine vegetation

Friday: Jane making her first climb to the top of Signature Hill

The reward was six runs on the wide open slopes

OK, so the last run was a little shorter than the upper ones.

Photo from the bridge on Friday afternoon

Saturday and it was hard to find a new line on the North Face

Left to my own devices on the Main face
You can just make out my staircase - right of centre

A Navy helicopter announced the arrival of the Snowy Ride Grand Parade

The tail end of the Grand Parade arrived quite some time after it began

The Brewster Brothers playing to an excited crowd in the Village Square

I believe Snowgums (aka slow bums) chairlift will be open tomorrow whilst the Kosciuszko Express has a month's annual maintenance. Last Thursday, at the Thredbo Chamber of Commerce AGM, we were told of some exciting new developments coming to Thredbo that will soon be disclosed on the Thredbo web site.

With my only means of skiing involving handfuls of painkillers, some have reminded me that "my body is a temple". Indeed this is true. My body is a temple - like a Greek Temple - it's in ruins and I call upon the Euro zone, the IMF, world bankers and government heads to send me funds to maintain my temple ;-)