Join The Dots

It has been an interesting few days. Friday was windy but enjoyable until the slush bump level raised itself too high up the slopes. Saturday I didn’t like much at all. I found the bottom of Milk Run and the off piste particularly sticky and I left the mountain before lunch, contrary to those who told me DHG was great after 2pm in the afternoon.

Sunday came with its long heralded storm. Predictions earlier in the week made it sound like a season-ending storm of cataclysmic strength. It looked quite threatening as I trundled off down to the lift.

Kosciuszko Express has opened early for the past several mornings but as the queues have been relatively short I have managed first chair on a few occasions.

The most notable was Sunday morning ahead of the forecast gale force winds and 50mm of predicted rainfall. I was alone on first chair (true – and it was a Sunday) when, as I approached mid station, the PA announced that the chair was going on wind-hold and please would I enjoy the rest of my slow ride to the top. Just past Kareela Hutte the wind really kicked in. I stood on the foot rests to hold the safety bar down and to stop my skis being swept up over my head and hung on tightly as the empty chairs in front of me swung wildly from side to side. As the chair crept ever slower toward Eagles Nest, the wind was so strong that it was closing the safety bars on the downward travelling chairs. At the top I was met by lift manager Pete and I explained it was my second wildest chair ride ever. I’ll tell you about the wildest some other time (no, it was not in Thredbo, not even in Australia).

Today with a fresh dusting of snow in the village I was on first chair with Wendy a little apprehensive about what I was about the find. Emma from lift services told us that the Basin area looked like a coral sea. We could see patches of thick clear ice and patches of thin fresh snow. My first turns off Eagle Way were very tentative but with each turn I realised that the “ice patches” were indeed carvable and the dusting was a lot of fun. After Supertrail, World Cup and True Blue we noticed the Basin was finally open (having been groomed very late). The fresh snow wind drifts off Karels and the Basin were light and very dry. It was another case of “Join The Dots” skiing from freshie patch to freshie patch. This wasn’t at all difficult as there was much more fresh windblown than the small exposed carvable ice patches.

All the top T-bars were good fun and I extended my day out until lunchtime as the increasing wind strength kept the punters away and helped to improve every run.

Signature Hill and the bridge - Friday

Eagles Nest from above The Basin

The storm cometh - Sunday morning

Exhibition Cat - 'tween Sponars and Antons

High Noon & Sundance yesterday and this morning

Ski Patrol training on that Coral Sea snow

Rinda leads the way in ski class

3 days in the life of a ski jump

High Noon bumps late this afternoon

Update: Tuesday
If you look hard you can see my first 3 runs on Sig Hill this morning

I thought about the amazing photos that I could have tried to take from the chair on Sunday morning but I’m no hero photographer and I decided to hang on rather than take picies. Thinking back, I’m a bit sorry I didn’t try to capture the scene in front of me.

The forecasters are talking about next Thursday. Probably not much in any of the forecasts to really get excited about but if the temps stay low and the winds keep up then wind drift skiing will be great fun.