A One-Week Winter

The general consensus is that Spring Has Sprung in Thredbo and that last week was 'winter'. There had been those who said 'look at the 1992 chart' where the base didn't really get under way until August and then exploded through September to be the second deepest base of all recorded history (316cm). I'd like to still think that might still happen but ... it's looking more like the bad year that follows the really good year. The 1982 that followed 1981. Last year was considered by many of us to be one of the very best and this year we are paying the price.

So, after the best day of the season on Thursday and the worst (stickiest) snow quality of the season on Friday we have had two blue sky days for the weekend. We couldn't believe that the base could be so solid after Friday but it froze up each night and even with above zero temps overnight the base froze solid. The wind, contrary to forecasts, remained very strong. The sunshine and big crowds did eventually soften the groomers but the off piste was a horror.

Speaking of groomers, the boys and girls gave us some groomed runs that are rare in any season - no not FunnelWeb :-) Both yesterday and today we had a freshly groomed Hollywood. It's called this because when you ride this run that straight lines down beside the top of Kosi chair you're on show..

There has been a lot of other grooming/building going on as some of my photos will show..

Karels on Saturday - firm but smooth

Kim enjoying Hollywood

Snow Art outside Kareela Hutte beside Hollywood

Exit of Hollywood onto World Cup

Cornice on The Bluff

Cornices in Golf Course Bowl
And Central Spur

Building the One-Hit-Wonder jump
And jumps off Antons

Looking towards Signature Hill
I've never seen the wind drifts on The North Face looking like that

Looking up Supertrail to BunnyWalk
And down Hump Run to Tower 9

Haven't seen Sundance (Sun Greener) looking this way in August before

I'll pass on what the forecasters say for the next week. I really think they have lost the plot. After the bureau's forecast of snow showers today when we had near gale force winds under a totally blue sky I simply give up.