David is not an enthusiastic skier. He has only two topics of conversation while we are on the slopes - 'What time should we stop for lunch/morning tea/afternoon tea?' and 'How early should we call it a day and head back to the lodge?'. For us to go skiing twice in one season is almost unheard of. I don't know how it happened. I think it has something to do with the fact that No. 1 son bought a yearly lift ticket for at the end of last year. In between trips to the snow with his mates he needed some extra ski-buddies and we are at the age when we accept time with the boys whenever we can get it.
The last time we were here it was late July. Click here for the blog post. The snow cover was awful - until the night before we left and then it started dumping down. We spent the last couple of weeks in Sydney checking snow reports and web-cams convinced that one of the worst seasons on record had turned around and become one of the best. We were wrong. The web-cams and snow reports don't so much lie as paint a selective picture of the truth. The web-cams are strategically placed either on the highest slopes where the snow cover looks good even in the worst of seasons or right beneath the snow-making guns - and a quick translation of some of the more common phrases used in the snow reports reads something like this -
Description: Translation:
A light breeze. Gale force winds.
Fresh snow on the higher slopes. Great if you are skiing Everest.
A sunny blue sky day. No actual skiable snow on the ground.
High cloud Zero visibility.
Light snow falls. Blizzard with zero visibility.
Firm packed cover. Sheet ice - bring your skates.
Overnight cover freshened up by snow making. Sking on sand would be easier.
It is still not a great season, nor even a particularly good one but the snow cover is much better now than it was a few weeks ago. We had true spring skiing conditions yesterday. Sunshine, perfect visibility and very little wind. The snow was surprisingly icing on the early runs and soft and heavy in the afternoon. For a couple of hours around lunch time it would no doubt have been perfect. I can't be sure because we spent the middle of the day at Black Sallees Bistro, our favourite on snow lunch place. Black Sals is half-way up the mountain - a great place to sit in the sunshine and watch other people ski.
Our twitter friends will know that David can't resist a deal. With the main season finished, lift prices in Thredbo have been reduced - but only for skiers prepared to commit to a three day pass. Consequently we are the proud possessors of two three day passes. The plan is to hit the slopes again today and then again tomorrow. The last time we skied two or more days in a row we were in our twenties. Wish us luck!
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| A great place for lunch |
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| A view from the top. |
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