Ups and Downs

The river is up. The temperature is up. The wind is on the way up. The number of runs being groomed is down. The number of lifts operating is down and the snow base is on the way down.

Although I don’t like to admit it, this will probably be the fastest thaw I have seen. I went out for a good look around today. I climbed Karels for a quiet ski and then went up to the Ramsheads plateau and onto the top of Signature Hill.

The red dust has permeated deeper into the snow pack. Skiing the brown snow left less of a white trail than yesterday. Some one else got to Signature Hill yesterday afternoon and did some very nice turns. My turns were hard to distinguish today. I skied Crackenback, Antons, Sponars (lift is closed) and over to Merritts. Without an overnight freeze it was soft to slush from whoa to go. Lower World Cup is no longer being groomed and the lower runs are showing severe thinning. There is a nice swimming pool opening up at the bottom of Antons and gravel coming through on upper Cat Walk while the last half of Cat Walk has almost a metre of base.

I did like Davo’s idea of introducing a “brown eights” competition. It would certainly be something new but finding an untracked slope of brown snow is getting more difficult each day.

Wednesday: The Bluff and bottom of True Blue and Little Beauty

Zipper lines on Sponars - yesterday and today

The thaw is coming early on the main range

It was crowded out there today

Some one beat me to Signature Hill and got the prime line

Standard angle of Signature Hill from the bridge - note surface dirt

Bizarre scenes on the main range

A reminder of before the mud rain - Matt on white stuff (photo by the other Richard)

There is a cold front on the way but nothing good seems to be coming from it. Fishing season starts in 8 days. May be the increase in wind will change things a little (other than acting as the big hair dryer).

Despite the derision of some of my fellow skiers, I have resurrected my old rock hoppers (destined for the tip) from the store room. There is no need for edges and no need to sandblast my regular skis whilst spending time off piste.

Grumpy Report: I’m saving it up for Telstra. More later on my 52+ day saga. Interesting: my spell checker thinks "Telstra" should be "Maelstrom". It think that might be appropriate.