Return To Winter

On my return to Thredbo late yesterday it was snowing as far down as Crackenback Cottage and snow was settling on the side of the road as far down as Lake Crackenback. I followed a tour bus into the village as it worked well as a snowplough. All cars coming out of Thredbo had snow on them. I was told that it had started snowing around 11am. Like so many snowfalls this year, the snow backed off as night fell. Not much fell overnight but there was a lift line on Kosi chair well before the 8:30am start.

The radio report claimed around 25cm in the 24 hours and up top this was probably close to accurate. On the lower slopes the snow fell on bare ground except for the manmade areas. Still, many were tempted to test the off piste. I wasn’t one of them. It was obvious from the start that the snow wasn’t exactly what we had expected. A mix of warmer temps and cloud had loaded the already wet snow to capacity dampness. My first run down the Supertrail had me on wet untracked snow which became distinctly exciting around Bunny Walk station when I decided that skiing on the back 20cms of my skis, whilst trying to keep on my edges to minimise the suction effect was the best call.

Bodies were going down all over the place. The Supertrail had a layer of Superglue. The Basin was open when I got back to the top. Another exciting run into mist and just a thin groomed track about one cat wide down to the lift. A few runs here and coffee seemed a good idea. As more people dispersed the glue on the Supertrail, it became easier to ski and more enjoyable.

Lift line on Kosi chair before opening

Many ventured onto an ungroomed World Cup

None came through unscathed

Lovers Leap Bypass and High Noon

Front face of Crackenback

There's always one - this time on Lovers Leap Bypass

Steep section of High Noon

It has been lightly snowing up top all day and it has been light drizzle to snow in the village. The sun has made the occasional appearance while the top of the mountain is covered in fog. There is a breeze from the south and the snow is forecast to persist for the next 3 days, increasing on Saturday.

By the end of this system the off piste should again be nice and the backcountry topped up well. There are lots of vacancies next week before the school holidays kick in.


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