Welcome To Spring

Since Monday we have had hot sunny days. The lower half of the mountain has been turning to slush before 11:00am.

Tuesday: With the snow softening right from the beginning, I got out of the resort as soon as Karels T-bar was open. I had 3 glorious runs on Signature Hill and then came back to Eagles Nest for coffee. Not content with my morning’s exercise I went back for a 4th run but the snow was softening too much even on Signature Hill.

Wednesday and the breeze was up. I finally got out the kite and headed west. Skinning up onto the Ramsheads plateau above Karels I noticed the wind had dropped. I skated some distance over the frozen plateau base and then skinned up onto Ramshead ridge. On skiing down partially into Cootapatamba bowl I found some breeze and so set up the kite. After a while I found the strengthening breeze could power me out of the plateau and up onto the ridge west of Kosciuszko Lookout. Surprisingly, I came across Jax out skiing around. After some high-speed fun tacking back and forth on that ridge on a frozen base, I followed Jax down below Kosi Lookout. From here I was blown up the slope to Kosi Lookout past another kiter who seemed to be having troubles, and then into the next bowl closer to Thredbo. Up the next ridge and then into a field of rocks. Just not enough snow cover to keep going, so I aborted my flight, packed the kite and skied down Summer Drift back into the resort. Summer Drift looks like it normally does in October – not good.

Thursday – today: I only really went out for a short ski to try and loosen up all the tight muscles after yesterday’s activities. So many parts of my body ached after my first big kite-ski in years. I went in for coffee early and ended up going to Dead Horse Gap with Marion and Eve, only to be met with supplies by Marion’s sister, Charlotte. The snow was softening quickly and getting a little sticky on the lower run outs.

You will notice the discolouration of the snow in some of the following photos. We obviously got a dust storm with Sunday’s rain. Although not as bad as last year, it is not helping to maintain the thin cover.

First 3 runs on Signature Hill on Tuesday morning

Three aspects of Sig Hill
The snow was sliding on steeper parts

Discoloured main range

Wednesday's sheen above Karels

Mt Feathertop, Victoria

Kosi cornice and south ridge

Yours truly kiting - photo by Jax

Hump Run and upper World Cup this morning before 9am

DHG stump and no snow out to Cascades

There's always something different on route to Dead Horse Gap

The forecasts do not look good but it’s not over till the ….

Condolences to George who started the week so well and now has 2 broken ribs and more possibly cracked. When in your mid eighties the breaks come harder. Get well soon.

Grump: Has anyone else noticed the irony of yesterday’s back-to-back leading news stories?
$50 billion gas sale and the renewable energy bill. When most politicians are rushing to tax us for carbon emissions, the same pollies are trying to take the credit for selling non-renewable, carbon-emitting gas to China.

Meanwhile, here's an interesting read: http://ffggippsland.blogspot.com/2009/08/seaweed-cure-for-coal-fired-power.html