Hey, Ziggy, that fresh stuff sounds sweet. Enjoy. But where is Corkscrew? Can't recall or see it on map.

 

You bet CC.
If you ski down the line of Monkey Bar poma (platen really) and keep going, you go down Corkscrew Gully. It narrows and veers to the right joining Scotty's.

 

From the Falls app

 

Exhibition groomed for that person that asked a few weeks back

First time I have seen it done this year

 

Summit masters is next week IIRC. I didn't know if they would be old school and use natural bumps. They must be making bumps instead and needing an even surface to start with

 

Does anyone know how difficult the runs in the middle of the maze (Jigsaw, Roller Coaster, Black & Blue) are?

 

It depends. If they have been groomed on the day, or one before, they are not really much harder than shadow ridge. As they get cut up they get much harder. How do you go on the Ys when they are bumped up? The maze runs are similar but longer and more chance of bare patches

 

From the Falls app

 

they are fun

 

Not super easy to be honest

They were groomed earlier this week but by now I'd say a few bare patches down lower IMO

 

I don’t think they are as steep as the Y’s or as narrow and I think the only problems are lower down. You tend to find buried VW Beetles on occasions.
I tend to avoid Black and Blue as I find that’s the one that gets the most bumps. Although, I found myself down there by accident last year and it wasn’t as bad as I remember it

 

I spent the majority of the last 3 days around the summit and the maze area.

The maze was fantastic - the snow was in good condition, however it was getting very bumpy yesterday, combined with patchy cover I was having to pick my lines down quite carefully.

Did one run down the Y’s and left it at that - very large bumps and lots of exposed rocks and shrubs.

 

Yes from my limited experience you need 1.3m or more for good coverage

Last time.they closed some.of the far runs when the average was below 1.1m

 

My ROT was 1.5m, but 1.3 is close enough.

 

You are thinking of Jigsaw @Sadie not black and blue.

Y's are definitely steeper than maze area, I think the pitch is not the issue, it's more the width of the Y's that can catch you out . Steepest run in maze area I think is chainsaw for sure.

 

I think a certain Z man took me down Corkscrew as access to the bottom of Ruined Castle a few years back. I said, "But it's a Black run" and he said "no, it's really more of a blue!" I made it down on touring skis with no style at all and swore I would never tackle it again.

 

Isn't it funny. I find all of the maze great although narrow .Rarely if if ever come unstuck.
Every time I take short and curly back to the car for a a break it does my head in and and I always go arse up. Hate that bloody 50 metres

 

sounds more like shadow ridge. corkscrew is easy, moderate blue, easier than ruined. shadow ridge used to be graded black but these days is graded blue. one of the harder blues at falls, but only because it is narrower than most blues and can be icy.

 

i love short & curly. I haven't been able to ski the maze for several years, but really enjoyed short & curly this year. it's often groomed, it's not that narrow. Only problem is that can be icy, and it means skiing down gully afterwards unless you exit hard right with speed

 

Last week, when all groomed skyline - short n curly - final muster was a great combo to lap from international poma.
Bit of tree shade and lack of traffic made it a great afternoon option.

 

What a wonderful day of spring skiing! Firm / icy in the morning but softening nicely during the day but without any of that wet, sticky, slow snow

Still a fantastic cover

 

Yep. Surprisingly good after the rain last night. The south side stayed firm.
I had a hoot using the Nastar berms as jumps and bumps. And hit a life-long ambition to telemark off the BHP road right down to the creek just past the first turn out of Windy. The snow was packed sugar and very forgiving.

 

how was the climb out?

 

Slow!
The snow was soft enough to boot pack straight up.

 

Exhibition groomed again..

All runs still open just need to get through this heat til Friday then a nice top up

20 to 45cms over the weekend

 

Currently 7 deg at 1130. Bluebird day with nice soft snow

 

Spending 4 days on the hill with friends from Sydney. Nice to enjoy the village and not have to drive down home everyday. Lunch time drinks in frying pan going down a treat.
Not a bad view from the digs either

As for the snow, its been crazy hot and humid. Bottom of maze and last hoot are done and dusted and not much grooming action on summit.
Sun Valley and Lakeside are excellent even in the little bit of rain we had today. The terrain parks are in tip top shape if thats your thing and as its September your straight onto the lifts without any waiting. Perfect spring conditions.

 

https://www.fallscreek.com.au/xcreport
I am coming up to XC Ski out to a hut of some sort ( Edmondson' s/Johnston's/ Fitzgerald's) via The Heathy spur loop route , this Tuesday. I look forward to skiing down the Paralyser !

 

Snow clouds hovering this morning then after an hour or so of heavy rain it puked all afternoon

 

Looks epic up there
19cm overnight
Another 15 to 30cm to come by Monday night

Base back to 128cm

May hit 1.5m again

Perfect for my arrival

 

Conditions are epic today. Coming down pretty nicely at the moment and outside of the green runs, there is only a handful of people on the slopes.

 

4cms overnight
Cams look amaze

International and lakeside POMA

On Standby

 

Once again, awesome conditions today. Pick of the runs would have been the skiers left side of the maze. Still plenty of areas there that weren't tracked out when we went through there after lunch.

Highlights of the day, seeing one of my mates stack and end up riding upside down on his helmet about 6 metres down the hill. Also, same mates getting lost in the maze and having to walk out under trees and across a stream to find the way out.

 

Awesome day on the groomed - fast and easy skiing all over the pistes to complement the fresh untracked snow.

Really enjoyed South Face, Big Dipper, St Elmos, Father Fosters, Racecourse, Corkscrew, Nastar and Exhibition.

Treat of the day was sharing lifts with instructors doing their top level APSI exam on Race-course - wonderful elegance and skill on display. Inspirational to watch!

 

Epic morning
Firm and fast
Softening about now

The 4 year old having a blast in her lesson

 

Oh and it's a ghost town

 

After the Wanaka + Queenstown resorts I rather like ghost towns.

 

Firm til 9am now soft

 

Still excellent skiing on a firm base around Scott and Ruined

Summit is slush

Snow holding up amazingly well elsewhere

Oh and it's so quiet

 

Sun Valley groomers are good. Off piste is a pesky mix of consolidated wet old snow and wind-sculpted dry new.

 

Wish I knew about the elk breakfast toastie deal before last week.

Beautiful day on a almost empty mountain.

 

I
Shoulda listened to @Sadie

 

Where is elk and what’s the deal with this toastier .. will need some fuel to get to McKay

 

Best thing ever

 

elk is near on slalom st, near The Man. not sure of the price but I think it's coffee and toastie for not too much

 

Despite the ugly forecast for today there was a slight freeze overnight

 

Firm this morning
Summit beautiful spring slush
Rest of mountian softening up

There is no one up here

 

Google says more than half the trails are closed, is this accurate? I couldn't find information on open trails on the website and a rough count of the trail map seems to suggest falls only has about 50 runs, not 92. If this is wrong do you know what trails google is referring to? If it's accurate why is so much of falls creek closed? Interested for future reference.