Lake Mountain 2013 - Trip Reports, Pics & Conditions
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Join the conversation with a better online communityI think the tip to tele on skates is on your raised heel ski to keep your toes flat to the ski and bring your heel up instead of raising it at the binding bar. That way you mimicking the resistance you get with the duckbill boots and making use of the bellows. Thats one of the main problems, theres no resistance without cables.
Probably the best LM snow so far this season. The first sight of the day was witnessing the aftermath of a head on with a tree outside the Black Spur Inn, the second was snow only 3kms out of Marysville and cover before the toll booth. 2WDs had to fit chains, but since we were in an AWD there was no hassle, in fact the lady at the gate let us in 10 minutes before the mountain opened!
As we drove into Gerratys bang on 8am we were met by this crowd:
There had been light snowfall throughout the night and it was still drifting down until about 10am. This made for a nice powdery coating on top of the base left over from Monday night. The trails hadn't been groomed yet but that didn't fuss me, in fact I actually quite enjoyed it except for the longer downhill sections. The fresh untouched surface:
There was about 25cm on the lower trails and 35cm on the upper. Since we were the first visitors to head out one of the ski patrollers asked us to throw off any big sticks so they could groom. When we tossed them away the snow they landed in was so powdery they just disappeared, like dropping a marble into a pile of feathers. It's in there, somewhere:
Saw a couple of other skiers whilst going through Woolybutt, good to know there's at least two other people around the place.
Eventually the big Husky groomer started doing the rounds, the first time its been able to this season.
Panorama was in great nick. There wasn't much to see at the lookout, but it certainly makes a great lunch spot.
Ventured out to whats left of Boundary Hut. Had a hard time getting there due to the trail being overgrown with regrowth so had to stop at each marker post and scan for the next one. Certainly took a while. Anyone who heads out tomorrow will enjoy our freshly beaten tracks (including bashing the snow off obstructing branches to make the path more obvious).
I debated with myself about paying a visit to Keppels Hut, since we were already a fair way there and rarely does the snow level get down low enough to cover it. However I had to be home by late arvo for an orienteering event (that's gonna be interesting...) and the path was in poor condition as it had a bit of stream running down it so we thought we better not test our luck.
Got back to Panarama and just as we got to Triangle Junction the Husky popped out of Royston. Had an absolute dream run back to the car park being the first to use it freshly groomed. Couldn't have timed it better.
I'd say this is the best ski I've had since 2011, who cares if it's a weekday. The surface was definitely thawing as we headed home, so get in quick!
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Tossing up between LM and Gwinear this weekend. LM is pleasant undulating terrain but Gwinear for me has the edge of being slightly steeper and no bushfire damage to speak of.
I'll check the reports on Friday!
Now carrotdude, why didn't you call in on the way home?
Yup, everyone today described the conditions as 'perfect'. Someone even said it was 'too perfect'.Sunny for most of the day on fresh snow, then a big cloud came over and it started snowing again mid afternoon. One kid even commented that he fell into a big hole in the snow and was chest deep in it (he loved it - aged about 10). Other kids were deliberately face planting into it.
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25cm after grooming sounds about right.
I have a feeling it's currently pissing down r**n atm
Last edited by a moderator:Yes, I think it may be. I use Baw baw as an indicator because theres no weather station at LM. BB is around 1500m, LM is 1300m so I take a degree or so off. Buller is also close but elevation is too high and eildon fire station could also be used but elevation difference makes it hard to work out
On Baw baws obs it looked hopeful at 8:00 but now its warming.
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I use eildon fire tower cause it's geographically closer and subtract 5.4 degs (statistically obtained figure)
Interesting obs from customers today. Skiers reported snow on trails immediately above Gerartys but r**n in the car park. Snow players reported only snow - no rain. Don't quite know what to believe. How I wish the mountain could report weather on the mountain online. All the other mountains can.
I've spoken to the BOM about a weather station anywhere in this area. They're not interested - they say the population is too low. We have to rely for forecasting on Coldstream or Seymour - both of whom have weather vastly different to here.
Clearly, no one with any authority/seniority at the BOM goes to LM.
Like VicRoads. After the big storm in 2006, it took VicRoads about 4 days to get around to starting to clear the road. And then it took ministerial intervention. Had it been the road to Buller or Falls or Hotham, it would have been cleared within hours.
Are vicroads only responsible for clearing out of season? Or are the ploughs there now also operated by them?
Has Lake Mt RM got its own 4x4s with snow clearing blades....cos a couple of them would handle most snow clearing up there YWI.
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It's been drizzling all day at all the big resorts, so I'm sure any precipitation up at LM today will have been the clear stuff!
Still looking at skiing LM tomorrow, hopefuly not too much rain damage. but how the hell do you book online to save $10,
$51 is ridiculous!!
On the website, click on the green "buy tickets" icon on the home page, and then the car entry option. Or go to Teckel's shop, which you drive past anyway.
No, I was talking about the Marysville-Woods Point road before the turnoff to LM. That road is the responsibility of VicRoads. Actually the mass of trees down was on the outskirts of Marysville, so no resort responsibility.carrotdude said:Last edited by a moderator:
I had a pretty good day at LM yesterday. The good cover was spoiled by lots of rain so it was very wet and slow, water running everywhere down the sides of the tracks. Cover was pretty good higher up esp on Panorama with grass and rocks showing lower down.
I popped into Teckel's to buy a gate pass and picked up a nice Vango storm shelter too. Nice to meet you Teckel and your friendly team of helpers. I was a bit embarrassed later on when I decided to test out the Vango shelter just off the Panorama track. I was by myself but when i emerged from the plastic bivi, I had about five strangers looking curiously at me! I explained that i was just testing!
I was really struggling with form yesterday, couldn't ski straight and had trouble with balance. It turned out to be a combo of leather boots and fischer rebound skis, too much sidecut. I went back to the car, pulled out the old Karhu XCDs and had a great time, no probs skiing straight or climbing hills!My experience was very simmialr to yours weerab. I went up today for a skate, the snow during the begining of the day was surprisingly dry (excluding the wet areas) considering the rain damage over the past days but yes there were lots of little bogs forming everywhere where the water wouldn't drain. Lake mountain has made an effort to put in drainage but it isn't perfect. I came in with my dad to get a day pass from you Teckel, I don't think you recognised me this time? oh well I'll probably come up again sometime any way if we get some september snow.
Temps were 5-6 degrees today, very overcast and cloudy. As weerab said I found the pick was panaroma, good cover as maybe when temps were borderline this week it snowed there? Theres a good 100m of walking at the long downhill trail so be prepared to walk in the mud. Today was probably one of the last days with manageable cover, Many people were walking on the ski trails with boots despite the signs so that doesn't help at all.
By afternoon the temps made for a very slow ski. I was exhausted from skating so I went out with my tele skis in pursuit of turns, not many steep bits at lake mountain but I still had fun.
Might upload some photos later. Get up and enjoy it while it lasts, it will not last quick with these hot temps all week forecast!Last edited by a moderator:
Lovely to meet you weerabHappy with the storm shelter? Does it work well for 1?
Sorry TeleXC. I suffer from prosopagnosia or face blindness, and don't recognise people until I know them fairly well. A very embarrassing condition. Next time, introduce yourself again.
Full on weekend in the hire though. Most skiers said they had the best time on Panorama and Jubilee, and surprisingly Woollybutt was apparently pretty good too.Last edited by a moderator:
I was going to ski jubilee but I thought it might be a bit boggy as a bit low. I think the storm shelter will be fine for one, although it is designed for one person to sit on each end of it. I thought you could stand up in it but it is designed for two people sitting down.A few pics from Lake Mountain on Sunday, not sure if much would be left after today but gives an Idea, basically theres some good snow in between patches and bogs
Mini telemark on echo flat I think
This is the bottom of the long downhill track, you have to take your skis off to get back to the village \
Same track very ugly
More tele on a little descent I found near helicopter flat
The ugly bit of jubilee trail, past this it is good skiing
Alpine shrubbery, no idea what this plant is
Quite fast skiing apart from the odd wet patch that made the snow look like one of those ice drinks at seven-eleven
A river or creek at Maryville that was going very fast
A cherry blossom I think? very prettyLast edited by a moderator:
That stream is the Stevenson River from memory, snapped at the park in town. She's fairly flowing!
All of last weeks snow!
At least you got to go up. It's a shame that Friday mornings system was too warm, it probably would have been the biggest dump of the season otherwise.Last edited by a moderator:Thanks ziggy, The pictures I took while i was skiing was on my iphone 5, they take pretty good pictures compared to the old flip phone cameras we used to have. My XC jacket only has 1 pocket the size of an iphone so it is the only thing i bring with me. One Way don't build pockets into their race suits. The pictures in marysville I took with my entry level Cannon dslr. Yes! I am sick of bases never being formed at lake mountain! I guess we just have to put up with it and consider LM a gem being so close to Melbourne
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About two minutes I think, was one of the major attractions before the fires. I thought Marysville was looking quite good last weekend, still a lot of empty space but some solid buildings going up.
the drive from healesville to narbethong over Black's Spur still has to be one of my favourite drives regardless of any snow at LM, a must see for any o/s visitors!
It dumped (somewhat)
aannndddd I would of had a day off tomorrow but I have a job interview instead.. out of all the days
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