Trip Report XC ski from Nordic Bowl to Langford Gap June 02 2020

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

June 2nd 2020.
Alpine N.P.
Yesterday I skied at Falls Ck from the Nordic Bowl to Watch bed Creek .Entry was free and no permit was required. I called the resort management on Monday from Myrtleford to check in advance. Fitting Chains were indicated for 2 WD.
There was just enough snow to XC ski from Nordic Bowl to Langford Gap today in the Falls Creek area.It was too warm in the afternoon.The Nordic bowl had 20 cms but much of the BHP rd out to Watchbed Ck. had about 10 cm.The resort management and PV staff were driving on the BHP road from Windy Corner to The Nordic Bowl so skiing along that segment was out.The dam wall section of the BHP rd. was not skiable after lunch.I observe that I saw no other chook footers anywhere during the day and the weather was sunny from 0930am until 1300 when it fogged over something rotten.

After Lunch at Watchbed Creek the snow on the BHP road to Langford gap was thin and I had to take the skis off to walk down to Langford Gap hut.
The last couple of kms out to Langford Gap were barely there and melting.I should have skied on my rockhoppers but I took my good skis which got scratched again :-0.
The skinny snow on the way back to Watch bed creek was melting in the sun and that is where I scratched my good skis. I should have taken the rock hoppers because there was no base on the BHP road.
Falls Creek resort Management vehicles were driving on the snow from Windy Corner to The Dam wall, so skiing was not possible along there . I skied along the aqueduct trail from Nordic bowl and there was just enough snow to ski over the dam wall on the way there but not on the way back. Parks Vic. and/or Management had driven over the dam wall after 12 noon and that had nuked what little cover was left.

The Nordic bowl had 20cms of fresh deep snow which was very slow to ski on. Any attempt at getting some speed from a small descent and doing a step turn or rehearsing big snow plough turn was not really happening.

I will be sore tomorrow after skiing over 12 kms for the first time in 7 months.
I will put some photos up tomorrow when I am back home.

 

[snowgum]

There was just enough snow to XC ski from Nordic Bowl to Langford Gap today in the Falls Creek area.It was too warm in the afternoon.The Nordic bowl had 20 cms but much of the BHP rd out to Watchbed Ck. had about 10 cm. The last couple of kms out to Langford Gap were barely there and melting.I should have skied on my rockhoppers but I took my good skis which got scratched again :-0.The resort management and PV staff were driving on the BHP road from Windy Corner to The Nordic Bowl so skiing along that segment was out.The dam wall section of the BHP rd. was not skiable after lunch.I observe that I saw no other chook footers anywhere during the day and the weather was sunny from 0930am until 1300 when it fogged over something rotten.
I will put some photos up tomorrow when I am back home.

Well done T - it’s still v early days - often it’s July before one can ski as you did. Perhaps a 4 - 4.5 month season for you?

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

Photos from what was overall a good day out. I could have been better off on my lighter and more beaten up classic PB rock hopper skis rather than scratching my good EPOCH BC XC skis :-(
but I enjoyed myself in the sunshine.

It was very icy underfoot at Howman's gap. Microspikes could have been handy .
The snowline on the drive up was at 1100 M. but receded to 1300 M. on the drive home to my friend's house in Myrtleford .

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

Windy corner to The Dam wall. June 2nd 2020.
Nice weather , not windy at all on arrival at about 9 .30 am.
No trouble with parking either. I had the car park to myself.
In ski season the ski up and down between Windy Corner and The Aqueduct trail is a nice little run but it was not skiable on this excursion because management vehicles had driven up and down it and trashed the snow cover.

Fresh tracks at The Nordic Bowl.

.

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

The Dam wall to Watch bed Creek.
Fresh tracks and nobody else around. Free entry too.

I began to get my rhythm and glide back in my classic diagonal stride and my ski fitness is not bad. It is the cycling and ocean swimming I have been doing during the lockdown that has helped keep me fit.
If the snow conditions permitted I could have skied to Wallace's hut and back no problem.
The vegetation and heath needs another 70 cm of snow cover to pack it down in order to make the back routes to Mt.Nelse skiable.
The Rocky Valley dam table o meter for snow depth was still working on solar power.

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

The picnic table snow gauge to lunch at Watch bed Creek.
I should have taken some pictures of the snow cover from Watch bed creek to Langford Gap but the animal tracks in the snow along the BHP road were intriguing me and so no photos resulted in being captured along that segment of the XC ski day tour.
The Paralyser track leading up from Watch bed creek junction did not have enough deep cover to descend along it safely at any speed in order to stop and turn well.

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

Langford Gap and back to the Tee mobile
It became foggy on the way back and the limited snow cover was melting which was not ideal. There were a couple of big drifts already forming out there on the aqueduct track cum AAWT but overall this area was a skis off kind of hut visit.
The wood burner which the Team Leader @Ubiquitous Steve installed in 2019 is still located inside the hut .
When the snow cover is better this season I will take @beefa skiing out to Wallace's hut, Fitzgerald's hut and Pretty valley hut and back , for various day tours of the BHP on planks.

My outward bound ski tracks are on the left. My homeward bound ski tracks are visible on the right .
How is the serenity?

 

[beefa skiing]

What's not to like about what looks like a great day out

 

[Timmossy]

Great effort.

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

What's not to like about what looks like a great day out

@beefa skiing :I am recruiting you for the next BHP ski trip. My friend in Myrtleford will accept another XC skier under her roof if I ask her nicely.

 

[Ubiquitous Steve]

Oh ...I love your pics...the glass in wood stove is just dirty I hope not fractured?The weather wall western facing looks intact....so this is good!Wearherboards still look reasonable!Poor little hutOh I see a little wood by stove too...it’s good to see this again.Some poor soul will be able to hold up there and thaw out if needed!

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

Oh ...I love your pics...the glass in wood stove is just dirty I hope not fractured?The weather wall western facing looks intact....so this is good!Wearherboards still look reasonable!Poor little hutOh I see a little wood by stove too...it’s good to see this again.Some poor soul will be able to hold up there and thaw out if needed!

I did not examine the glass in the hut stove carefully. I will ski out to Wallace's hut as day tour when conditions permit. The aqueduct from Langford Gap often holds snow better than the BHP road does for the last 3-4 kms from Langford Gap to Wallace's Hut. So that is a possible alternative route to reach Wallace's hut for a XC ski tour. The aqueduct is more sheltered than the pole line is which is situated on the BHP road. That area gets hammered by the wind , esp. near the quarry.

 

[snowgum]

The picnic table snow gauge to lunch at Watch bed Creek.
I should have taken some pictures of the snow cover from Watch bed creek to Langford Gap but the animal tracks in the snow along the BHP road were intriguing me and so no photos resulted in being captured along that segment of the XC ski day tour.
The Paralyser track leading up from Watch bed creek junction did not have enough deep cover to descend along it safely at any speed in order to stop and turn well.

You did well - she’s pretty marginal out there at Watcho’ ? The roads / main tracks need another 20-30 cents which won’t arrive for at least a week or two?

Good to have some site seeing snow for QB though!

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

You did well - she’s pretty marginal out there at Watcho’ ? The roads / main tracks need another 20-30 cents which won’t arrive for at least a week or two?

Good to have some site seeing snow for QB though!

Why oh why did I ski on the EPOCHS? The rock hoppers were in the car and would have been lighter and quicker too.

 

[snowgum]

Why oh why did I ski on the EPOCHS? The rock hoppers were in the car and would have been lighter and quicker too.

bad? Not so?

 

[Mister Tee on XC Skis]

bad? Not so?

My Epoch BC skis got rather scratched. I should know better than pull out the good skis in early June!. I saw fresh snow and went snow mad and pulled out the big guns when the classic PB rock hoppers would have been lighter, faster and less of a concern if they become scratched or hacked up by stones .

 

[snowgum]

My Epoch BC skis got rather scratched. I should know better than pull out the good skis in early June!. I saw fresh snow and went snow mad and pulled out the big guns when the classic PB rock hoppers would have been lighter, faster and less of a concern if they become scratched or hacked up by stones .

Sorry to heat it. V easy to happy. You won’t want to hear it but in a future ski sale these could? Eventually Become Your Rockies! They’ll still work pretty well - takes a lot of scrapes to lose much grip.

Some friends say their became faster after losing some grip? Just saying - half full glass?

 

[chriscross]

Big day out, T. Well done. A shame about scratching the Epochs but these things happen, especially at the beginning and end of the season. Wax them and they will reward you after the next big dump.