Wet November

I can't believe it has been 2 weeks since my last report. This probably means not much has changed but it could be that I've been working very long hours. Well, we have fully updated the VacantMoments.com web site with a whole new look, culminating in a rather late launch - and skiing did not get in the way of that :-( To be honest, I have not ridden Snowgums chair since it reopened during maintenance of Kosi chair.

With still four days to go we are currently only 12mm from a total rainfall for November in excess of 200mm. As you can imagine this has severely depleted the last of the snow drifts although some persist.

Even after the water release into the Snowy River (see last report), Lake Jindabyne has much more water than over the past years. Just look at the photos below showing trees that grew during the long drought and that have now become inundated by the high water level.

The start of the mountain biking season has been a somewhat muddy affair but at least some respite is coming in the form of the faster and higher lifting service when Kosi chair comes back online next weekend and Snowgums will shutdown for summer.

November is traditionally very quiet in Thredbo. In fact it is usually the quietest month of the year but with Snowy Ride, several weddings, conferences and early season mountain bikers it has been busier than in past years.

Many of you know of "Movember" where MOustaches are grown and shaved for charity. With all this rain, "Movember" has taken on a second meaning - mowing the lawn over and over, again and again ;-)

Bushwalkers had to go out prepared for anything

Upper Supertrail one week ago

Lake Jindabyne looking fabulous
You could walk to the island 12 months ago

The height of the trees indicates how many years the water level
has been lower than the bases of the trees

Tree tops sticking out of the water
Another water-skiing hazard

Downhill mountain biking a week ago when it was drier

Downhilling through today's mud and rain

Kosi chair and Snowgums chair in the mist and rain

The lush green of Lower Sundance and High Noon

It is still raining and according to MountainWatch there will be rain showers all week. If this keeps up, we may yet see more water released down the Snowy River - it's got to go somewhere and the dams are full and there are flood warnings for much of Victoria as I write this report.