Five Spring Days in Thredbo

With the resort now closed for skiing & boarding, the backcountry is the only way to get our fix on that white stuff. Last Tuesday we went to Mt Kosciuszko and then the weather changed.

On Thursday it started snowing and it snowed and it snowed. On Friday the weather started clearing but I figured that it was way too early to try the deep, wet, fresh snow.

Then it rained in the village on Saturday and quite heavily for a while last night, washing away most of the new snow that had settled in the village.

With a slightly strained back from moving furniture yesterday, I headed out this morning towards Sig Hill for a few turns. There had been an overnight freeze and it was a beautiful blue sky day, as forecast.

My first surprise was the wind gusting around 30kph when it was forecast as "light". Second surprise was how much snow was still on the Kosi walking track even after so much rain.

I walked out the first 2 km with skis on my back but then had to put on the skins once I left the path, as the base was quite soft and not frozen.

After climbing the back door of Sig Hill, I did my first run down the North Face, on soft snow that was sliding on a firmer base. My second run was on what we light-heartedly call "Everest" - the higher peak behind Sig hill. And, after my third climb up the back door, I finished up with the long run down the main face, where I found the shifting, brown snow was actually more difficult than the white snow.

It must have been the conditioning from going to Kosi last Tuesday, because I felt good after 3 runs and certainly could have gone for more but I had to think of my back. I was back at Eagles Nest before midday.

Left to right: Thursday morning, Thursday evening, Friday and then Sunday morning

Same time slots for Crackenback

Friday: Eagles Nest and Central Spur

Today: Great cover on Sponars & Antons
Work on Eagle Way to clear the summer road

Top of the back door behind Sig Hill, with 'Everest' top left

View from top of 'Everest' looking down at my boot pack

View from top of 'Everest' looking back to Eagles Nest

'Everest' after I'd skied it, on 'interesting' snow

Friday tracks at mid station (I hear the snow was very sticky and slow)
Today: my tracks on the main face of SH - neither sticky nor slow

That 'view' of Signature Hill from the bridge

There could be more snow this week. In any case, without a huge meltdown, there are still a lot of turns to be had out there.

Double Grump: Two things really got my goat today, coincidentally both about alcohol.

Firstly, it was finding 2 empty beer bottles on top of Sig Hill. I just can't understand the low life mentality of those who will carry full beer bottles out into the pristine wilderness and not bring them back. Can you imagine what sort of hovel these selfish idiots must live in?

May be they think of this as some sort of moronic "marking of territory", like a wombat crapping on a rock. Well, it would have been better if they had crapped on a rock instead of leaving empty stubbies - at least it's biodegradable - but then wombats care more for the environment around them than these two.

Secondly, the Federal Government is proposing to hit low income earners with a "proposed floor price" for wine to make it more expensive. Sure Gillard, one of the worlds' highest paid heads of state (even above Obama), can afford $40 a bottle for wine, along with her low-income-hating cronies. What do they care? They think the poor will vote for them regardless.

I buy "cheap" wine not because I'm a drunk, but because I can't afford "expensive" wine. I can hear the Federal Government now: "Let them drink metho". It will be interesting to see what other over-paid pollies in government support this proposal.

Read More (and vote) before writing to your Federal Member, unless of course you're a wine snob.