Snow Report Mt Baw Baw 2021 - Trip Reports, Pics & Conditions.
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Mount Baw Baw Forecast (bom.gov.au)
Rock hopper skiing this weekend? Maybe?. We shall watch the snow cameras.
We have been advised by the AAWT track clearing organizers from Bush Walking Victoria that due to the wintery weather that is coming very little work will be possible on Sat . or Sunday. In addition to this the organizers have advised those of us who do not live locally in the Latrobe valley to stay at home. I have accepted this advice. @Ramshead is still going because he booked his plane ticket from Sydney. The planned camp site is at Stronarch's camp which is below 1100 M. ASL.
The Sunday forecast for Baw Baw looks like a dawn start on Monday could be XC skiable!.
Mt Baw Baw snow forecast by Meteorologist Jane Bunn
@beefa skiing and I are watching this weather system . I may even camp at East Tyers campsite on Sunday and drive up to Baw Baw early on Monday with ski gear if the snow cameras on Sunday at noon look promising.
Surprisingly good conditions at bb. No chains needed. Drizzle at car park vanished and I headed up under summit t-bar. 20 cm in gauge. Matt had made tracks in front on armadas/skins with shift but his first day on this gear. Jordan joined us on tele gear. Matt was trying to find his friends on Champagne run but had no map (or idea?). We scooted around left (1.5 k ?) and there they were. A run down champagne in softening snow found me out while Jordan showed the resilience and skills that come from having been snowed in (locked down) at Hotham for months (last year). After lunch a run down Tank, another climb up hut and we skied la descent and back down summit. Found a way back to car park despite road clearing and tired legs. April ski. See you again, Jordan.Last edited:
Friday , very early on 23/4/21 could be another BB snow day. I am watching with interest.
Mt Baw Baw snow forecast by Meteorologist Jane Bunn
Last I heard, resort management had reclaimed it. But it may have been leased out if that's what you mean by 'bought'. Hope they can do better than the last lot.
The same mob who are in charge of managing Lake Mtn. are in charge of running Baw Baw. Snow conditions allowing , It does not inspire confidence in great things taking place for XC skiers.
Unlike Lake Mtn - where a significant minority xc ski and hence receive a passing thought from management, occasionally, XC at BB is an afterthought, an obscure footnote in an annual report?
If BB really cared they would spend some on the trails, especially drainage on the boggy bits, and arrange at a minimum weekend patrols to keep walkers and general tourists off the trails.
If someone broke a leg or anything major, it would be totally up to one’s companions to summon help on the trails. On one hand I believe in self responsibility but on the other, the resort implies some basic services. In these way BB management are a bit cute and certainly stingy.
This is a bit sad - I mean all our snowy mountains started off as touring destinations and only morphed into alpine resorts and runs decades into their development. The roots don’t matter (much) anymore. No bucks in it!
Unlike Lake Mtn - where a significant minority xc ski and hence receive a passing thought from management, occasionally, XC at BB is an afterthought, an obscure footnote in an annual report?
If BB really cared they would spend some on the trails, especially drainage on the boggy bits, and arrange at a minimum weekend patrols to keep walkers and general tourists off the trails.
If someone broke a leg or anything major, it would be totally up to one’s companions to summon help on the trails. On one hand I believe in self responsibility but on the other, the resort implies some basic services. In these way BB management are a bit cute and certainly stingy.
This is a bit sad - I mean all our snowy mountains started off as touring destinations and only morphed into alpine resorts and runs decades into their development. The roots don’t matter (much) anymore. No bucks in it!
I agree with your comments.
I have skied Baw Baw's XC trails a number of times. They make a good 10 km morning work out. There are a couple of slightly tricky bits where I test my skills and nerve !.I have never XC skied these trails during the declared ski season. XC skiing from MSG car park to BB village and back is still in my TO DO list .
Hope you get to do it this year- totally doable on a good day. Lunch at Kelly's used to be the go, home made soup, etc. But I fear those days are gone. A sneaky ride on the Maltese t-bar could save a climb from the village!
Most are cakewalk with heavy duty 75 mm placcy boots and bindings and decent width skis and groomed snow. I even skied around the summit loop once or twice with then young son of 6 / 18 months in MacPac possum.
But remove some these elements, it’s harder - and I don’t ski on NNN stuff!
You’re probably aware, once leaving the wider resort trails, they soon gain difficulty and much better with 75mm cable bindings and big boots and the ability to almost jump turn going down from the Tors. Etc...
All good fun though! ❄️⛷
Jump turns on those narrow tracks have me a bit concerned. I start side stepping then. I will get some more lessons early in this season and hope to progress somewhat at plank activities.
Good to see that the Mid Summit cam has finally been de-fogged but it is still at a funny angle. The summit T tower visible in the pic doesn't lean like it does in the pic! Good to see that they have cranked up the "slushie machine" with some piles visible on Hut Roll.
yes, ‘slowly, slowly catchy monkey’!
Looks nice, wish I could have got there. Was locked in to planned lunch appointment. Next time...
LM was totally ski able too. I could not summon the motivation to drive 3 hours one way to BB when LM is 1 hour and 45 min.s from my house. The snow was dry and fresh.
Mount Baw Baw Forecast (bom.gov.au)
Keep an eye on the weather. BOM are saying snow down to 1300 M. in Victoria on Wed. and snow showers continuing until Sat. May 29th.68cm in the forecast!
Jealous of the regional Victorians able to take advantage of this - please take pics!!
Baw Baw essentially closed for QBW - no lifts running due to the amount of snow.
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Looks like SF Rd is open to the bb turn-off, but not sure why you'd bother. A bummer for the little mountain.
Bb & LM have had some shocking weather/fire-related events issues the last decade or so. Both terribly unlucky although big resorts have had their share too! Then there’s Covid...
But snow-related smalls are terribly unlucky/frustrating- it seems each time they get half decent dump or snow base - a major rain event KOs what’s there.
Sorry to sound negative - I am watching the forecast for the next major complex low & cold front, due about next Thursday (17/6) - Sunday (20/6). It ‘could’ turn into another ECL & rain, it could stay cold and give a modest top up? Watch the FCs through the weak and think positive thoughts.
There’s absolutely no snow except for the slushy piles, so they’re in a difficult spot!
I can’t leave Melbourne but I understand the resort was shut due to the storm - mostly trees down, possibly water issues too? But there’s almost no snow post 300mm dumpage. A few swales? Sad!
There’s some snow forecast for Wed-Sat this week. I reckon Bb needs ~ two good weeks of snow without major (~ 50mm) rain - maybe 50cm to get the bigger lifts close to running (Summit/Maltese)
X fingers this week goes half way - maybe to get carpets and Hut or Tank going?
It was all looking so so good, had me keen to get up there and theeeeeen..... gone.
Yes I know, sadly I think for the next 3-4 weeks, Hotham & Falls XC will be far superior to anything close to Melbourne. Even Buller/Stirling can’t escape these rain events.
Sometimes 1 or 2 decent (longer Dist) weekends are more satisfying than weekly jaunts to ski 10-20 cms of mush/chop?
I have some free accommodation set up via an old friend in Myrtleford
for the first 4-5 -6 days in July. We need fresh snow at Dinner Plain, Falls Creek , Mt. Buffalo and Mt. Stirling so I can day trip to all of them for ski action from Myrtleford.
and Let us OUT of Melb. FFS!Last edited:
Thank you all for the thoughts we have been boiling water since i think before Easter, was meant to be fixed but hey welcome to Baw Baw. Still Boiling
Who in the resort is claiming to have a repair timeline? This delay should embarrass resort managers and the board? Is this caveat even on the shiny web site?
just noting the State has previously spent millions on dams, water and sewerage works at Hotham an Buller. It must be time for Dan & Lily share some love with Bawbs.
You know how it is, SG. Hotham and Buller attract big crowds of cashed up alpine skiers, make money. BB is, unfortunately, a drain on state resources. A few heavily subsidised jobs and training for South Gippsland. Resort still running on dirty diesel genny, I believe. Don't hold breath for investment in bb. In fact, fingers crossed it survives at all after recent Alpine management reshuffle.
But do they get money for the really big Capital items?
Clearly, LM has had some big money spent post bushfires.
But BB’s big items - the car parks, sealed road, the ‘new hotel’ are all 1-2 decades old now.
There’s the new ice-making system and small ‘real’ SM system - they’re not cheap but I’m not sure they equate to say a $5 million dam, for instance?
there’s also the obvious fact that the two smalls are totally Government owned and run - unlike the big 3 - so should receive more help.
I do know BB’s power system is expensive (gas turbine?), old fashioned and needs to be modernised. Maybe that’s the next big item for Vic Govt. to tackle after fixing the water supply?
