Guaranteed Every Time

Close the resort for skiing and boarding and down comes the snow, but first a little about yesterday. The winds were up and so was the air temperature but the combination was a –20C wind-chill. Merritts was the last remaining ski area open. Friday Flat and the Supertrail had simply succumbed to the intense weather conditions.

Instead of Merritts, four of us walked into the 60kph+ headwind and out to Signature Hill. Once there, we were in the shadow of the wind and enjoyed some nice runs on a surface of soft snow. Before heading back to Eagles Nest restaurant for lunch I took a look out towards the Ramsheads and was surprised to see a reasonably good cover of white.

The winds continued to build last night and reached 142kph around midday today. The temperature at the top of the resort, which reached a high of +8C last night, started to fall today and rain turned to blizzard. The upper slopes are white once more. It was as though Mother Nature was simply waiting for the official word on the end of the ski season in Thredbo for 2006 (this was announced this morning on the radio and web site). Snow is now beginning to settle in the village. Ironically this is all happening against the backdrop of bushfires across NSW.

Thanks to Manuela Berchtold and all involved in putting on a great Thredbo Historical Society dinner last night at the Denman. Farewell and thanks to Rob (Berty to many) who, after many years, is leaving Eagles Nest and the Snowy Mountains and heading to much warmer climes.

A special thanks to all the mountain staff, who will now be moving on, for turning the worst ever recorded season into a something much better than that.

Ray enjoying the steeper face of Signature Hill

Looking west towards the Ramsheads

Richard, Marion, Lynne and Ray

But there’s more …

Zipper line – one of three boot packs up the hill before 16 turns back down

Signature Hill from the bridge

This morning and this evening

Update: Monday morning with -30C wind chill

Amongst those remaining inThredbo there is much talk of mountain biking and golf, however, even though the main range looked like November yesterday, I think there could still be some nice back country skiing for a while yet.

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