Some Of The Lightest, Deepest …

No, it wasn’t. I’ve been told a lot of stories but yesterday was not one the best days. Yes, it is true that I didn’t venture out into the wind and rain. I apologise for using that word but sometimes you have to call a spade a spade.

It rained Monday night, it rained Tuesday, it stopped for a while overnight and drizzled again early this morning. There was a little snow in the formula right up high.

Suffering from cabin fever (after a day off the slopes) I braved the light drizzle for a seat on first chair. The snow report said 5cm overnight on top of the 10cms from the previous 24 hours. Alas, I must have been in a different Thredbo. Above middle station you could see some tracks from yesterday. The snow had been very wet and may be 5cm deep. It wasn’t until we got above Kareela Face that you could see a fresh dusting over the old tracks. Not 5cm but more like 0.5cm. The depth improved slightly as you got to the very top of the mountain. The untracked from the top of Karels was around 5cm deep. If that was the overnight 5cm then there was no sign of anything having fallen in the previous 24 hours.

Anyway enough of that. The snow quality at the top was silky and a little slow. Dropping over into the Basin the turns were still fun until … we hit the invisible sticky line. From half way down into the Basin the off piste snow was super sticky. The groomed runs were OK until they chewed up and then the on piste was also sticky until you dropped below Lovers Leap elevation, where Milk Run and Sundowner were OK.

Low cloud and dribbles continued until about midday and then blue sky began to dominate. In many places you can see the damage that too much rain has done. Holes, caused by under snow pack torrents, have opened in the Basin T-bar line and around the top of Gunbarrel. Surprisingly, the run outs at the bottom of the mountain are holding up. Meanwhile back in the village the river is running very high.

High Noon early this morning

Sundance - you can see the rain damage

Upper Super Trail

Karels in slightly flat and foggy light

Rosco carves up the deep and light

Jaxster pushes the powder

Pretty well says it all

Jaxster and Rosco on Sundowner

Friday Flat

And more of Friday Flat

Fine weather is predicted for tomorrow and hopefully the Ski Patrol race will go ahead. Carnival Week is on next week – for some stupid reason I thought it was this week – that explains why it has been so quiet in town.

A cold front is expected to precipitate quite a lot on Friday followed by a fine weekend.

Now something I have been passionate about in the past – Saving Snowy Hydro. Yesterday the NSW state Labor government’s report into the electricity industry suggested privatisation. The Iemma government will no doubt keep their decision to sell off the industry until after the federal election when it will be too late for the people of Australia to have any say. It might be NSW electricity that is up for sale or lease but Snowy Hydro is a major part of that and the thought of Australia’s main water catchment being under the control of profit-driven private business makes me want to vomit. We/you must make this a federal election issue now. Even another 3 years of Howard is better that an eternity of privatised electricity and water rights. Write to your federal member, the Prime Minister and Shadow Prime Minister. The federal government can, if it wants (eg: Franklin Dam) stop the sale of Snowy Hydro.