A Great Day For A Snowy Ride

Yes, it was Snowy Ride weekend again. A wonderful fund raiser to fight Children’s Cancer where thousands upon thousands of motorcyclists come to the Snowy Mountains for a couple of days of fun and good cheer. http://www.snowyride.com.au

The weather was about as perfect as it could get. Not too cold or too hot under a clear blue sky. After the riding and the presentations and later in the cool of night, we were presented with a free concert from the Hoodoo Gurus. Now that took me (and no doubt most of the audience) back a few decades.

On top of all this was a last chance to ride Kosi chair until Xmas as it was closing Sunday (today) afternoon for annual maintenance. This meant a ski was on the cards and so several of us headed out around 9:30 for Signature Hill, some with skis and some without but with enough champers for all. My first run was on the North Face beside Wednesday’s first run. The second was figure 8'ing my second run from Wednesday. My third was similar and so it went until champers time. Then one last run to photograph Marion below the waterfall again.

I got an early phone call this morning asking if I was up to another ski this time on Summer Drift but I declined. Later Annie and I met Rosco, Ray & Marion with skis and Jax without, at Eagles Nest for a cool drink. Yes, Rosco is back in town for a brief interlude.

Last Wednesday's tracks before we started on Saturday

Looking southeast with Ray & Lynne on the way up Sig Hill

Snow pack over 1m deep at the top of the North Face

2nd run was 8s over last Wednesday's tracks - before Ray trashed it

Main face, Marion on white, Lynne on the red and the North Face

Bubbles to spare - I just hate the contrast in photos of snow and faces

Marion back at that waterfall

The standard bridge shot after the event

Snowy Ride Grand Parade

It's all about the kids - young and not as young

Tomorrow (Monday) Snowgums is open for access to the very bottom of the patchy snowline. Making for a long and arduous climb to get back to Signature Hill.

The weather forecast looks scary with maximums (up top) around 20C for the next 3 days. The flies are back, although not in plague proportions yet, and as the last of the motorcycles leave the village is going into quiet mode. Quiet only in the numbers of people as the sound of annual maintenance throughout the village will no doubt be intensifying between now and Xmas.

Grump: Yes indeed a reoccurring grump – I got stuck at the park gates around 1:30pm on Friday. Stuck in a long queue with only 1 lane open at the gates. Hello! It was Snowy Ride weekend with an estimated 2500 extra motorcycles and other assorted weekenders.
I remember so clearly one of the prime excuses for that massive increase in pass prices was that we would get extra lanes at the park entrance. What good are extra lanes if they are not open? I heard from others later that evening that eventually the pass holder lane was opened but I’ll bet it’s closed again before I next go to Jindabyne.
If you feel ripped off or conned then you are not alone. Another state government tax grab under false pretences.