Misty Mountains

This week has been somewhat different to previous weeks. There has been a lot of moisture and little wind, all without very low temperatures. There has been a little snow and a lot of mist and fog. This is mostly due the low pressure system sitting off the coast of NSW and delivering cool air from the south east.

Until today I had only had 2 runs in 4 days. Sunday I took out new foot beds and boot liners and after one agonising run I decided to hobble back to base. Then on Tuesday I went out enthusiastically only to find wet mist up top and really sticky goop on the bottom half of the mountain. Luckily today was a little improved. The visibility was still poor up top but not as much as those who told me they got lost in the Basin on Monday.

There had been a little snow before midnight, then some clear precipitation followed by a snap freeze so that the off piste up high had a nice breakable crust into goopy soft snow. The Supertrail was fine and the Basin good if you could see. I found some off piste on Merritts Falls was ok but didn't go looking much further than that.

Saturday: Bagjump is back with a Mother of a sponsor

The slow way up

The fast way down

Looking south east from the front of the Kosi queue this morning

Lower Supertrail

In the Basin today

Also somewhere in the Basin

Crackenback

High Noon and Lower Sundance

Below Black Sallees

I've almost given up on the forecasters. Their forecasts are so varied and shift by magnitudes from one day to the next. Consequently I'll make my own predictions. Snow tonight and some tomorrow with sunshine and clear weather on Sunday. Winds will shift to the south and then peter out completely by Sunday. Saturday will be transition day.

It is with sadness that I inform you of the recent passing of Robin Oaten due to an illness that struck him earlier in the year.

I will miss our banter about the old days of computers and new days of technology over coffee at Eagles Nest. Robin in his one piece red ski suit (tall with white hair but too thin to be Santa :-) was often on the early Kosi chairs.

Our condolences go out to Kay for her loss.