Mars 2 - Earth 1

I don’t know if this will be the final score but barring another miracle I would say the season is over but for the shouting, due to the amount of red dust deposited across the snow.

Saturday’s gale force winds and rain did not put in an appearance. Instead the mountain was welcoming. There was a strong breeze that kept the wind chill below zero and stopped the soft snow pack from getting too sticky. After a couple of fun runs top to bottom we headed up into the Basin and Karels. Although the off piste was soft and a little gluey it was still good fun and a good work out.

Sunday awoke with a freeze. After 6 hours below zero overnight, the groomers were fast and firm for the first couple of runs then you could pick and choose the level of "soft" that you wanted by skiing in or out of the shadows. The only "slow" snow was at the very bottom of the runs, from Ski-in Ski-out and on the flat run to the bottom of Gunbarrel. We did have to wait a couple of hours before the off-piste softened enough to be carvable and non-teeth shuddering. I stayed out past midday both days wondering how many more days I would be able to continue to ski all runs and top to bottom.

Unfortunately the snow cats dug up skiers right of the steep section of Sundance (aka Lovers Leap Bypass) effectively closing it for the season, despite the still good cover on much of the run. On Sunday night a groomer stripped skiers left of High Noon. I assume this was “farming” but it has also destroyed skiers' left.

I was in Canberra yesterday when the sky in Thredbo turned dark red and it rained mud across the Snowy Mountains. Locals said that it looked like the bush fires were back. It kept raining after I got home and when I awoke there was no fresh layer of snow over the devastated slopes. Strangely enough it is not the 97mm of torrential rain that fell in less than 24 hours but the deep layer of dust left behind that will bring the season to a premature end within days rather than months. It is the thickest dust layer I have ever seen but Jhaney says it has been worse - before my time.

To top it all off there was a snap freeze before dawn and the resort was a mess. Everything started late. The groomers had to winch the major slopes this morning to break up the frozen brown into something rideable. Skiing the brown is like running your skis over low-grade sandpaper - base and edges are quickly cut back in all the places you don’t want.

Sponars, Karels and Snowgums are closed – for the season, I believe.

Waz and Jax riding Karels T-bar on Saturday

Jax above the Basin on the weekend

High Noon and Sundance on Sunday arvo and Tuesday morning

Sundance almost finished and farming High Noon Sunday night

Friday Flat this morning

Looking down from the Cruiser onto Powder Bowl

Looking south from Ballroom

Above Conrod - Merritts Falls - below BunnyWalk station

Little Merritts - looking back up True Blue and Little Beauty

Below Tower 10 - more 'top' soil than snow

Being completely politically incorrect, as I am, I ask “Has the fat lady got out the wax for her skis or her legs, armpits of other regions?” No matter, the end is nigh, not just within the resorts but also on the main range. Only a decent snowfall will save us now but there's nothing in the forecasts.

Grumpy: Skiers left of High Noon was possibly the best run on the mountain on Sunday afternoon - we won't be having that again this season.