I went and XC skied at Falls Creek from Windy Corner and almost made it to Maddison Huts near the Quarry in the Langford Gap vicinity , but I hit turn around o clock at 1300 and skied back. I also hit a rock on the management track that leads to Maddison Huts, which scratched my BC skis.
:-(
I was the only person out there , again and I got fresh tracks immediately the day after the July 3 and 4 th snow fall.
.It was very slow going in deep fresh dry uncompacted powder snow.
My plan was originally to ski out to Wallace's hut and back but the conditions were very unconsolidated and slow going with deep drifts, hidden hazards and sections of shallow cover along the pole line past the bridge at Langford Gap as well as short daylight hours being a factor for safety .Moreover my XC ski fitness is not that good early in the season.
It is the back country on the magnificent Bogong High Plains( my favourite place to XC ski) and you take what you get .That said, skiing out towards Wallace's hut either via the aqueduct at Langford Gap or via the pole line will become easier once we get more snow, it becomes packed down and covers the rocks and vegetation better and when some grooming for skaters is done.
I observed that there was no grooming anywhere other than a skidoo groomer for skating from Windy corner almost to The Dam wall.
That grooming was totally stuffed up very soon by very many snow walkers/numpties in boots.
:-0.
Some wind driven drifts on the BHP road were 50 cms deep or more. Some sections were
5 cms deep ,and in others my skis were totally buried.
Skiing on wide long Madshus Epoch BC skis was slow going. The POWDER snow balled up under my skis, despite waxing twice on location in the field. I got very little glide even on a short descent along the Paralyser.
I practised skiing on each leg and almost gliding, just getting my ski legs back.
I ate lunch at Watchbed creek.
It started to snow very lightly near Langford Gap and then the sun came out . The wind was VERY COLD.I was wearing two pairs of gloves and a balaclava and I could not feel my hands or face. I must have skied 14 kms or so all up cutting fresh trails the whole way.
The Nordic Bowl was a sinking festival, with turns and glide not possible.
The ski from the Nordic bowl to Windy corner can be quick but it was slow and double poling did not generate much speed.My legs were running out of juice anyway.
On arrival back at the car I was spent and happy with the day tour.
The BHP needs another 40 cm to be properly all systems go for ski touring , so that all rocks, bushes etc. are properly buried and compacted. I saw no one else out there other than the snow plough man in the caterpillar tread snow ploughing truck after lunch , flattening out the BHP road cover for possible grooming for skaters.
I observed the snow line at 900 M at 9 am.Chains were being fitted for all 2WD. Having an AWD car with All Terrain tyres is handy and being able to drive it safely in such conditions is very useful.
.I observed the road was a bit icy in the morning but it was not too bad on the way back to Mt.Beauty and Myrtleford .
Indeed it had snowed a lot below Howman's Gap.
Falls Ck., was quiet except for groups of snow ball throwers , snow pedestrians :-0 and hardly any skiers.
Shostakovich's string quartet's alternating with 50's and 60' Miles Davis
(croaky Miles Davis voice " Steve Miller is a sorry white as*ed honky M*ther F*cker!) and Melody Gardot 's "My one and only thrill" CD made up my playlist for the drive up and back from Myrtleford
Photos are coming soon.
:-(
I was the only person out there , again and I got fresh tracks immediately the day after the July 3 and 4 th snow fall.
.It was very slow going in deep fresh dry uncompacted powder snow.
My plan was originally to ski out to Wallace's hut and back but the conditions were very unconsolidated and slow going with deep drifts, hidden hazards and sections of shallow cover along the pole line past the bridge at Langford Gap as well as short daylight hours being a factor for safety .Moreover my XC ski fitness is not that good early in the season.
It is the back country on the magnificent Bogong High Plains( my favourite place to XC ski) and you take what you get .That said, skiing out towards Wallace's hut either via the aqueduct at Langford Gap or via the pole line will become easier once we get more snow, it becomes packed down and covers the rocks and vegetation better and when some grooming for skaters is done.
I observed that there was no grooming anywhere other than a skidoo groomer for skating from Windy corner almost to The Dam wall.
That grooming was totally stuffed up very soon by very many snow walkers/numpties in boots.
:-0.
Some wind driven drifts on the BHP road were 50 cms deep or more. Some sections were
5 cms deep ,and in others my skis were totally buried.
Skiing on wide long Madshus Epoch BC skis was slow going. The POWDER snow balled up under my skis, despite waxing twice on location in the field. I got very little glide even on a short descent along the Paralyser.
I practised skiing on each leg and almost gliding, just getting my ski legs back.
I ate lunch at Watchbed creek.
It started to snow very lightly near Langford Gap and then the sun came out . The wind was VERY COLD.I was wearing two pairs of gloves and a balaclava and I could not feel my hands or face. I must have skied 14 kms or so all up cutting fresh trails the whole way.
The Nordic Bowl was a sinking festival, with turns and glide not possible.
The ski from the Nordic bowl to Windy corner can be quick but it was slow and double poling did not generate much speed.My legs were running out of juice anyway.
On arrival back at the car I was spent and happy with the day tour.
The BHP needs another 40 cm to be properly all systems go for ski touring , so that all rocks, bushes etc. are properly buried and compacted. I saw no one else out there other than the snow plough man in the caterpillar tread snow ploughing truck after lunch , flattening out the BHP road cover for possible grooming for skaters.
I observed the snow line at 900 M at 9 am.Chains were being fitted for all 2WD. Having an AWD car with All Terrain tyres is handy and being able to drive it safely in such conditions is very useful.
.I observed the road was a bit icy in the morning but it was not too bad on the way back to Mt.Beauty and Myrtleford .
Indeed it had snowed a lot below Howman's Gap.
Falls Ck., was quiet except for groups of snow ball throwers , snow pedestrians :-0 and hardly any skiers.
Shostakovich's string quartet's alternating with 50's and 60' Miles Davis
(croaky Miles Davis voice " Steve Miller is a sorry white as*ed honky M*ther F*cker!) and Melody Gardot 's "My one and only thrill" CD made up my playlist for the drive up and back from Myrtleford
Photos are coming soon.
