News Falls Creek news and chat

[Chaeron]

A lovely day in Sun Valley. Hoping to catch @Goski later today.

Straightlining Father Fosters all morning on the 15 year old K2 Apache Recons - long heavyish ski good for hardpack.

Son 2 (15) has been playing around in the Maze.

Switching to the shorter, wider Bonafides after lunch.

The mountain’s quieter than anticipated.

 

[Snowy Joey]

A lovely day in Sun Valley. Hoping to catch @Goski later today.

Straightlining Father Fosters all morning on the 15 year old K2 Apache Recons - long heavyish ski good for hardpack.

Son 2 (15) has been playing around in the Maze.

Switching to the shorter, wider Bonafides after lunch.

The mountain’s quieter than anticipated.

That looks lovely!

 

[Goski]

A lovely day in Sun Valley. Hoping to catch @Goski later today.

Straightlining Father Fosters all morning on the 15 year old K2 Apache Recons - long heavyish ski good for hardpack.

Son 2 (15) has been playing around in the Maze.

Switching to the shorter, wider Bonafides after lunch.

The mountain’s quieter than anticipated.

Good to catch up with @Chaeron yesterday afternoon and for evening beer tasting. Same again today I think. Weather also looking clear and sunny again today.

 

[Goski]

The fog has finally lifted!
Fourm BB Code

How's the skiing today @Goski ?

It was much better than yesterday's wet and windy afternoon! Mostly hardpack, the 90mm lighting Nordicas I'm using are chattering. Definitely not Telemarking conditions. Today is warmer and sunny, less wind. Will be fun.

 

[almontyrat]

It was much better than yesterday's wet and windy afternoon! Mostly hardpack, the 90mm lighting Nordicas I'm using are chattering. Definitely not Telemarking conditions. Today is warmer and sunny, less wind. Will be fun.

What is this "not telemark conditions" of which you speak??? never heard of such a thing. Surely its just "more difficult telemark conditions" than a still bluebird day with hero snow...

 

[Goski]

That's the way to commute to a ski resort.

 

[Goski]

What is this "not telemark conditions" of which you speak??? never heard of such a thing. Surely its just "more difficult telemark conditions" than a still bluebird day with hero snow...

Yes, not "ideal" Telemark conditions though NTN does help with some Alpine turns when the thighs get weary on the ice. I'm going skiing now!

 

[currawong]

That's the way to commute to a ski resort.

most flights out of that pad are not ones you want to be on

 

[Goski]

most flights out of that pad are not ones you want to be on

Ah yes. My first chopper ride was one of those and at night. Dum da da dum dum......

 

[snowgum]

Yes, not "ideal" Telemark conditions though NTN does help with some Alpine turns when the thighs get weary on the ice. I'm going skiing now!

Practice grasshopper, practice?

Have to say, in firm, boiler plate and crowded, narrow runs and cat tracks, or if just knackered by the arvo, I usually revert to alpine-ish turns. Much more efficient in the said terrain/conditions. (;-)

 

[Chaeron]

The end of another lovely day at Falls. Skied a bit with @Goski and his family around Ruined Castle. Followed my son down a couple more challenging runs, but generally stayed to the groomed bits of Sun Valley.

Firm conditions, but a sunny day.

Pick of the day was the Y’s - a challenging moguly run at the moment, and then the more forgiving South Face.


Father Fosters, Big Dipper, Ruined Castle and Scottys were also pleasant to ski.

With only about 73 cm of cover we need the next front which seems quite a while away - cold enough for snowmaking, fortunately - some patches appearing.

Grooming has been really good.

Nice vibe on the mountain, lots of beginners and group lessons on the go.

 

[Xplora]

The end of another lovely day at Falls. Skied a bit with @Goski and his family around Ruined Castle. Followed my son down a couple more challenging runs, but generally stayed to the groomed bits of Sun Valley.

Firm conditions, but a sunny day.

Pick of the day was the Y’s - a challenging moguly run at the moment, and then the more forgiving South Face.


Father Fosters, Big Dipper, Ruined Castle and Scottys were also pleasant to ski.

With only about 73 cm of cover we need the next front which seems quite a while away - cold enough for snowmaking, fortunately - some patches appearing.

Grooming has been really good.

Nice vibe on the mountain, lots of beginners and group lessons on the go.

It was one of those sunsets tonight. I should have taken a photo. Maybe 5 minutes after your shot it all turn orange and a few minutes later gone.

 

[Chaeron]

It was one of those sunsets tonight. I should have taken a photo. Maybe 5 minutes after your shot it all turn orange and a few minutes later gone.

The orange dappled clouds were astonishingly beautiful.

I was tempted to take my hands off the wheel at Turnback Creek to take a photo, but common sense prevailed. Photos don’t do such a sunset justice either.

 

[Goski]

It was a beautiful sunset indeed after a sunny day with no wind. Another snowfall will be needed soon to keep the bulk of the terrain open.

Back up tomorrow. My wife will be reverting to her tele gear. The Alpine bindings on the skis she has been enjoying this week have a spacing issue that I'll need my workbench and tools to home to fix via a remount. It became apparent when one of her heelpieces fell off at the bottom of Gully Chair at the end of the last run of the day. Hopefully my son's sore throat has improved enough for him to join us for his second day of skiing this year.

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

I had Good fun skiing the easy green runs on the lifts yesterday plus a ski lesson using the run down Drover’s dream .
Cross country skiing today on the McKay loop in perfect sunshine and no wind was a delight.
A full trip report with photos is coming soon.

 

[snowgum]

It was a beautiful sunset indeed after a sunny day with no wind. Another snowfall will be needed soon to keep the bulk of the terrain open.

Back up tomorrow. My wife will be reverting to her tele gear. The Alpine bindings on the skis she has been enjoying this week have a spacing issue that I'll need my workbench and tools to home to fix via a remount. It became apparent when one of her heelpieces fell off at the bottom of Gully Chair at the end of the last run of the day. Hopefully my son's sore throat has improved enough for him to join us for his second day of skiing this year.

Bit of a bugger that! I hope the boots hung in there? Only as good as the weakest point?

 

[Goski]

Bit of a bugger that! I hope the boots hung in there? Only as good as the weakest point?

The boots are intact
After inspecting the problem ski's heel-piece it looks like it was at its maximum extension, or just beyond that, with the likelihood that the pressure and vibrations from skiing on hardpack have pushed it off.

I'll remount the toe-piece forward of where it is, given it's being used now by a petite lady skier. That is a "do it at home" job with sharp drill bits and careful measuring.

 

[Chaeron]

The boots are intact
After inspecting the problem ski's heel-piece it looks like it was at its maximum extension, or just beyond that, with the likelihood that the pressure and vibrations from skiing on hardpack have pushed it off.

I'll remount the toe-piece forward where it is, given it's being used now by a petite lady skier. That is a "do it at home" job with sharp drill bits and careful measuring.

The Gods of Telemark have spoken! It’s a sign… Soon all the Alpine heel bindings will be exploding all over the piste and we will get back to the core foundations of the true religion. You WILL bend the knee!

 

[Chaeron]

Mt Bogong from the Kiewa River.

Another day at Falls beckons.

 

[snowgum]

The Gods of Telemark have spoken! It’s a sign… Soon all the Alpine heel bindings will be exploding all over the piste and we will get back to the core foundations of the true religion. You WILL bend the knee!

‘Thou shall bend the knee’

 

[Goski]

Mt Bogong from the Kiewa River.

Another day at Falls beckons.

Another lovely photo @Chaeron .
See you again next time and maybe go on a side country jolly?

 

[Goski]

The wind has picked up, the vis is poor now and it's pretty cold. The family and I are on couches at Dicky Knees after doing plenty of runs. The view back up Ruined Castle is misty. I fell on my head doing an unexpected somersault before lunch when I dropped into some gluggy snow at the bottom of Last Hoot and came to an abrupt stop. Otherwise it's been a good day.

 

[snowgum]

The wind has picked up, the vis is poor now and it's pretty cold. The family and I are on couches at Dicky Knees after doing plenty of runs. The view back up Ruined Castle is misty. I fell on my head doing an unexpected somersault before lunch when I dropped into some gluggy snow at the bottom of Last Hoot and came to an abrupt stop. Otherwise it's been a good day.

At least something soft n spongy broke your fall Goski? (;-)
(Nothing critical, like snapping of ankle plates or screws?)

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

June 28th 2022.XC Skiing the summit area at Falls Creek. Life is good.

Trip Report - Falls Creek. June 27th and 28th 2022. Mr. Tee tries the lifts and XC skis the Mckay summit loop!

Your correspondent in the field booked a Falls Creek lift ticket and some ski tuition and picked up Ms. A. and Ms. M. and off we went to Myrtleford. We rose before dawn in Myrtleford on Monday June 27th . The Table o meter at Falls Creek 's snow cameras showed a couple...

www.ski.com.au

 

[Goski]

At least something soft n spongy broke your fall Goski? (;-)
(Nothing critical, like snapping of ankle plates or screws?)

There was a destruction of dignity for a few minutes.

 

[skimax]

June 28th 2022.XC Skiing the summit area at Falls Creek. Life is good.

Trip Report - Falls Creek. June 27th and 28th 2022. Mr. Tee tries the lifts and XC skis the Mckay summit loop!

Your correspondent in the field booked a Falls Creek lift ticket and some ski tuition and picked up Ms. A. and Ms. M. and off we went to Myrtleford. We rose before dawn in Myrtleford on Monday June 27th . The Table o meter at Falls Creek 's snow cameras showed a couple...

www.ski.com.au

Nice skis Mr T

 

[hongomania]

Why wasn't the all resorts car pass not available in 2022? What a fkn stitch up. Cutting out the backcountry access folk. Looks like I'll spend less money in the valley and possibly in the resort heading through, and hike in from trapyard gap or whatever

 

[Rick Ross Da Boss]

Why wasn't the all resorts car pass not available in 2022? What a fkn stitch up. Cutting out the backcountry access folk. Looks like I'll spend less money in the valley and possibly in the resort heading through, and hike in from trapyard gap or whatever

It really is a pain in the…

 

[snowgum]

Greed and

Why wasn't the all resorts car pass not available in 2022? What a fkn stitch up. Cutting out the backcountry access folk. Looks like I'll spend less money in the valley and possibly in the resort heading through, and hike in from trapyard gap or whatever

Government/ Resort lethargy.

Next winter, when it’s one big happy family (6 resorts?) - they’ll surely have to offer an all resorts pass.

Those Smug NSW folks will laughing the proverbials at us for needing **** different pass, every time we take a scratch. Nuts!

Idiots can’t actually work out they are DIS-couraging Mtn visitation, not En-couraging!
And after bushfires and two ski-free Covid winters!

Yes Minister, And ‘The Empty Hospital’, all over again!

Oops! Now I’ve done it:

 

[currawong]

Next winter, when it’s one big happy family (6 resorts?) - they’ll surely have to offer an all resorts pass.

maybe, hopefully

RMBs focus on promoting their own resorts. The new structure would make it easier to mandate an all resorts pass but I'm not convinced that it will necessarily happen. Depends on how much autonomy the individual resorts retain and whether anyone at the top thinks the issue is important

or maybe I'm just too cynical

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

Greed and

Government/ Resort lethargy.

Next winter, when it’s one big happy family (6 resorts?) - they’ll surely have to offer an all resorts pass.

Those Smug NSW folks will laughing the proverbials at us for needing **** different pass, every time we take a scratch. Nuts!

Idiots can’t actually work out they are DIS-couraging Mtn visitation, not En-couraging!
And after bushfires and two ski-free Covid winters!

Yes Minister, And ‘The Empty Hospital’, all over again!

Oops! Now I’ve done it:

I bought a weekday resort entry pass for Lake Mountain and a separate Falls Creek entry pass. I need four more ski days at LM to get in front of that fiscal outlay and 5 more ski days at Falls Creek to recoup my investment there.
I would prefer the season all resorts entry pass. Many of us would have obtained such a thing if it was available.
However it is not and it discourages visiting a range of resorts plus the rising cost of petrol is also a factor in the scheme of things.
Banding together with other people I know who enjoy the snow and travelling to these places as A
Troop / group allows sharing of the said costs.

 

[Goski]

Even if an all resort pass is offered again, it might be more than a grand. Hotham's early bird entry pass was $560-odd, needs 10 days usage just to break even. Makes the Falls $400 early bird look relatively good. It starts saving on day 8, though that is still more than double a NSW All Parks pass at just $165 per annum if a two year pass s purchased. Vic resort entry fees are so expensive!! A friend went up to Lake Mt for a morning skate recently. $54 entry plus diesel from Melbourne and back is a pricey proposition for a couple of hours on the LM trails.

 

[GobrinIce]

Yeah, I like coming down to Victoria but resort entry throws my limited budget a bit. I also like supporting national parks and am happy to accept the NSW one is too cheap, but would like something in between those two.

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

Even if an all resort pass is offered again, it might be more than a grand. Hotham's early bird entry pass was $560-odd, needs 10 days usage just to break even. Makes the Falls $400 early bird look relatively good. It starts saving on day 8, though that is still more than double a NSW All Parks pass at just $165 per annum if a two year pass s purchased. Vic resort entry fees are so expensive!! A friend went up to Lake Mt for a morning skate recently. $54 entry plus diesel from Melbourne and back is a pricey proposition for a couple of hours on the LM trails.

It is cheaper for me ,a concessionaire, to camp out in the KNP and Nordic ski in NSW than to ski in Victoria.However the cost of petrol is very high for the drive to Jindabyne and Island bend.

 

[rowdyflat]

I dont think they will .
Prices are ridiculous though considering Aus is one of the few countries to charge for entry ,skiing is an activity that depts like to gouge from.
Too parochial and disorganised for that.

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

The Early Bird Pass for Falls Creek for 2022 season entry @$400 is affordable for someone of modest means such as I who has been struck with SDS for two winters due to lockdowns.
Plus since Falls Creek and the BHP are my favourite places to ski and in green season to bushwalk, I am easily convinced about incurring the expenditure.
If the early bird price for season entry increases in 2023 then I will be doing the treks in from Big Hill to the Fainters, Trapyard Gap to Faithful's hut and Roper's hut from The Falls Creek road via the Tramway/ Aqueduct and Bogong Creek saddle / Timm's spur etc. etc..

 

[lsm87]

Why wasn't the all resorts car pass not available in 2022? What a fkn stitch up. Cutting out the backcountry access folk. Looks like I'll spend less money in the valley and possibly in the resort heading through, and hike in from trapyard gap or whatever

Yep - pretty ordinary. I asked the ARCC why not and their response was simply that they have stopped offering it. ARCC suggested I ask the resorts directly for a discount if I've bought a season resort entry pass at another resort (when asked, the other resort declined to offer a discount - no surprises there).

People invest heavily in a snow season, especially when multi-resort passes are on offer. It does smack of gouging to pull a previously available way to reward the loyalty of the people spending the most money on this hobby.

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

Yep - pretty ordinary. I asked the ARCC why not and their response was simply that they have stopped offering it. ARCC suggested I ask the resorts directly for a discount if I've bought a season resort entry pass at another resort (when asked, the other resort declined to offer a discount - no surprises there).

People invest heavily in a snow season, especially when multi-resort passes are on offer. It does smack of gouging to pull a previously available way to reward the loyalty of the people spending the most money on this hobby.

Longer planned trips to Nordic ski in the K.N.P. In NSW beckon In 2023 and 2024 if this price gouging continues unabated.In fact Skiing abroad is cheaper in many ways.I need to scout out some more back country terrain in the KNP this coming green season including access to Cesjacks hut and Mawson’s Hut.

 

[john_k]

Just a question - has anything changed with skiing with a back pack at Falls? Gather you dont need to take it off and carry it?

 

[Goski]

Just a question - has anything changed with skiing with a back pack at Falls? Gather you dont need to take it off and carry it?

You do have to take it off on every chairlift and carry it and the lifties will ask you to do so. I tried a slim "Skins" water carrier last week with no waist belt and no additional steps side from the shoulder straps, which had no excess length. I was still asked to remove it.

If you feign hearing loss or lack of comprehension you can get away with it for a few runs. Persist and you may get stopped at the gate.

 

[rowdyflat]

Just a question - has anything changed with skiing with a back pack at Falls? Gather you dont need to take it off and carry it?

been asked before .
If you look like you are in charge and know what you are doing OK ,otherwise faggetaboudit.

 

[snowgum]

been asked before .
If you look like you are in charge and know what you are doing OK ,otherwise faggetaboudit.

Fwiw, last Saturday, I was asked by one lifty on Buller to take my slimish Osprey Kode off (sure diff mtn - similar issue).

But of course, they asked at the last minute, 5 secs from being scooped up, so that was never going to happen. I think I only did the particular lift twice and the second time there was no such request.

How the lift companies think you easily hold a pack plus a double pole onto lift, they’re kidding themselves.
20 plus years of slim packs on a lift, with no snagging issues, ever.

It’s the loose straps and buckles that will snag. But I guess lifties would rather skiers were detached from bags, JIC? A symptom of lawyers not speaking to enough skiers and studying the evidence, imo.

 

[snowgum]

Fwiw, last Saturday, I was asked by one lifty on Buller to take my slimish Osprey Kode off (sure diff mtn - similar issue).

But of course, they asked at the last minute, 5 secs from being scooped up, so that was never going to happen. I think I only did the particular lift twice and the second time there was no such request.

How the lift companies think you easily hold a pack plus a double pole onto lift, they’re kidding themselves.
20 plus years of slim packs on a lift, with no snagging issues, ever.

It’s the loose straps and buckles that will snag. But I guess lifties would rather skiers were detached from bags, JIC? A symptom of lawyers not speaking to enough skiers and studying the evidence, imo.

Oh yes, if you’ve maxed the capacity on the lift (with broad guys) and you keep a pack on your side, you run the real risk of pushing the pack or people outside the width of the safety bar. It’s not rocket science. But it ‘is physics Jim’.

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

Oh yes, if you’ve maxed the capacity on the lift (with broad guys) and you keep a pack on your side, you run the real risk of pushing the pack or people outside the width of the safety bar. It’s not rocket science. But it ‘is physics Jim’.

Plenty of people these days are well overweight. Which of these individuals would not fit within the quad chair safety bar confines , without a back pack?.Is there is weight limit per chair ? Where are the ambulance chasing lawyers obessesing about these questions?

 

[emkae]

Is it really this warm at Falls this morning? Or has the BOM gone bonkers?

 

[currawong]

could be an inversion. not uncommon in June

it's fucking freezing in the valley. still frosty in shaded areas at 10:30

 

[PeterJN]

Those inversions have ruined a few trips for us.
Will be there in 3 weeks so hopefully a big dump before then. Am doing the epic pass road trip over 2 weeks.

 

[rowdyflat]

Yeah inversion typical of still frosty high pressure weather, about minus 3 down here.

 

[Goski]

On one hand the higher temperature is good to soften the hardpack. On the other hand there is the melting of the cover. Next Monday and Tuesday are looking like the days for a top-up, temperature permitting.

 

[Snowy Joey]

You do have to take it off on every chairlift and carry it and the lifties will ask you to do so. I tried a slim "Skins" water carrier last week with no waist belt and no additional steps side from the shoulder straps, which had no excess length. I was still asked to remove it.

If you feign hearing loss or lack of comprehension you can get away with it for a few runs. Persist and you may get stopped at the gate.

I have got away with saying thanks for caring to the persistent lifties. Seemed to work better than ignoring them.