If You Could See What I Can See

Three days of extremely low visibility has accompanied the strong winds and snow along with rain and sago. Although the sun is trying to put in an appearance it is still snowing. There hasn't been a lot of new snow, just constant light falls and the wind has helped to fill in the gaps and build some very interesting wind drifts.

I must admit I have found skiing in the poor vis very tiring as I'm tensing up all my core muscles and lower back in anticipation of a sudden stop or drop. Truly, skiing the upper T-bars has been a case of not being able to see your ski tips at times. Why do it? Firstly, the new snow "felt" great under foot when you found it. Secondly the challenge of skiing in zero vis is quite thrilling and thirdly, when you could see it was great.

The best of it was today and the freshies through or close to the trees on the upper mountain were great fun.

I saw one of the funniest things ever this morning. As I approached the top of The Basin T-bar I could see what looked like a skier walking on the clouds several metres above the unloading area. As I got close to the large wall of snow at the end of the unloading area I saw a ski pointing skyward and then realised that the cloud walker was a skier at the top of the wall of snow. Obviously he didn't see it and ... well, it was a bit like a Wile E. Coyote moment ;-) He thought it funny as well.

Sorry guys but we weren't impressed with the attempt to put in a terrain park above the Rim Run below Karels last night but I was very impressed with Ski Patrol flagging the most severe wind drifts on Conrod over the weekend.

Unfortunately I have very few/no photos of the nice turns due to the fact that the visibility made it impossible. Instead I have added a montage from the Eagles Nest morning coffee club with contributions from Richard and Lucky Phil.

Friday Flay from Gunbarrel
Kosi chair started very late due to wind on Saturday

Serious FIS races on World Cup today - not that you could see much

A clearer moment at the top of Karels T-bar this morning

Dry snow on the bridge at midday today

Crackenback yesterday

Crackenback today

Sundance yesterday

Sundance today

Some of Kate's work this winter at Eagles Nest

Including birthday specials, hot chocs and coffees of all sorts

This morning, the snow in the village, although not deep was squeaky dry - a rare thing. I couldn't find the 15cms reported but may be much of the new snow was wind packed. I did find about 10cms above the Basin in the deepest wind drifts.

The charts look good for a heap more snow later this week.

Happy Birthday to Rosco today (Thredbo's not the same without you) and on Thursday it's a BIG one for Outback Phil (our resident plumber). I wonder if Phil knows we call him "Outback Phil" so as not to confuse him with "Lucky Phil" and some other "Phil"s.

Grumpy or just a failure of the Carbon Tax? Now I know why I'm so 'grumpy' - according to the SMH it's Mental illness rise linked to climate ;-)