 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The ptarmigan bowl looks like it's suffered horrendous damage in the past few days. There was more snow when we went up in May!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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i track various weather sites (netweather.tv, yr.no, snow-forecast, etc) but am no expert, so i was wondering if anyone with more knowledge and skill than me knew whether the weather we've got coming over the next week or so is likely to return our ski areas to skiable condition? looks cold enough but the amount of snow predicted is highly variable.
we skiied just about the last of it at the lecht on 2nd jan and my kids are wondering when we can go again. me too!
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nbt, the Ptarmigan Bowl was utterly destroyed overnight during the thaw, I've never seen it as bad at the same time as the lower runs were relatively okay.
The good news is that now we're back to cold the team at Cairngorm are doing an amazing job patching the runs up and have moved tonnes of snow in to the bowl to make a link over to the tow as well as taking two of the snow cannon up there. Was up for a look today and the bowl is looking considerably better with all the work done and the cannon have now been on for 24 hours so are patching up the areas in between the newly dozed links. There's another cannon blasting the link to the White Lady/Traverse at the top of the M1 tow and the White Lady is complete if narrow in places and very icy. Skied the Lady and the Cas this afternoon and although the Lady was as hard/icy as a Word Cup piste it was probably better than the Traverse/Cas/Zig Zags which are a mix of similarly hard packed areas as well as many areas of very heavy refrozen sugary snow/ice left over from the melt so at points similar to deep snow to turn in but far heavier and more treacherous so you have to be careful. The Cas is also very narrow and rocky at points so the lift uptrack is the better option for getting down much of it but again this is pretty solid and requires a lot of turning to stay in control. Zig Zags are full of sugary refrozen stuff but now complete to mid station. Didn't ski the Gunbarrel because I was told it was pretty treacherous down there and I'm recovering from a late night in the Doo so was staying relatively cautious today 
grazzenger, fingers crossed next week will bring in some decent accumulations of fresh so next weekend should be good, at least at Cairngorm. The other ski centres might need more to get going I guess.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Quick word of warning about those snow cannons... the tiny minute particles of snow like material that they produce does a very good job of instantly freezing on your goggles. If you try to wipe it off, all you'll do is scratch the feck out of your lens coating (if your lens has one). I have a Dragon lens that is now useless.
Other than that... bring on the snow 
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Aberdeen airport runway was closed for ~30 mins this morning, so I was sat circling a very white and pretty looking landscape enjoying my book (beats working eh). Looked like a couple of inches down when I was in the taxi into town.
Have the resorts seen any of this?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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bobmcstuff, Seems like the ski areas have seen some of it yes, judging by Facebook pics from Glenshee, Nevis and Glencoe which have had some and I've been on the Cairngorm slopes myself today where around 5cm has freshened the open runs and started filling in other areas. Very good skiing today on the whole with conditions improving although the Cas is still thin in areas - Gunbarrel and Lady are great!
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the snow man and baby on the Inverdruie green on the ski road are mine and my 3yr old's
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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^ Awesome I'll look out for them on the way up the hill tomorrow
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Wicked day at Cairngorm today, a decent overnight dump meant freshies on the hill along with temps well below freezing, sunshine and blue skies - awesome views and fantastic sliding!
Tomorrow promises similar weather so well worth getting up if you can 
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You know it makes sense.
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roga, lovely pics - looking more like it again. 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Aaaarrrgggggghhhh.
Some of us have to work for a living 
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Poster: A snowHead
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robapplegate, those are pics of my office 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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roga, any depth off piste yet?
Love the loch morlich reflection
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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roga, Is it that meant to make me feel any better?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Everyone must have been, didn't see anyone I knew today... however did speak to a guy from South Lake Tahoe on the train though who said he was having a fantastic day and was well impressed they had a snow cannon blowing snow practically in the door of the Ptarmigan Restaurant!
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^ lol, South Lake Tahoe - word must be spreading about the wonders of Scottish skiing
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I'd hazard a guess that Cairngorm are pleased with the results of the snow guns?? Have they managed to open or keep open areas purely down to the guns?
cheers,
Greg
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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kitenski, the Ptarmigan Bowl from the trainer tow down to the foot of the T-bar is almost entirely a machine made snow base over what was bare ground when snow making was started last Thursday evening. One gun outside the Top Station also put down the snow that enabled the normal route around the top of the M1 get off to the Traverse to be brought back in use.
A combination of snow farming from drifts behind the new fences and snow made from 1 T40 plugged the 50-70m gap in the bottom leg of the Zig Zags between the Fiacaill Pumphouse and the mid-station. More significant though is that the Zig Zags remained fully complete through 6 days of hairdryer thaw before the bottom leg finally succumbed and the 2nd, 3rd and most of the 4th leg still had a decent base when cold weather returned a couple of days later. As regulars know the 3rd and 4th leg of the Zig Zags are usually amongst the first things to go in a thaw, with the 2nd leg often not that far behind. However the more robust and deeper base that was put down by the T40 guns earlier in the season made the difference and within a couple of days of colder weather returning the short break was fixed up and the Zig Zags were fully complete to the mid-station again.
CairnGorm was able to offer top to mid-station riding via the Zig Zags on opening weekend which wouldn't have happened but for the snow guns and more terrain and lifts were offered last weekend and there was complete runs with a good base to give good sport with this weeks natural top up. The snow making in the Ptarmigan Bowl also allowed the Ski School to offer it's full range of classes last weekend. So as well as more skiing and more skiers and thus more revenue for CML, there are also lift staff that got work, ski instructors who got classes and guest houses and B&Bs who had guests they all otherwise would not have had.
It's when you start to consider the potential multiplier effects beyond just the lift operating company you begin to realise the potential significance!
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In other news I seem to have put a curse on the day's weather, either that or someone forgot to let the bluebird out of the cage this morning !
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| robapplegate wrote: |
| roga, Is it that meant to make me feel any better? |
Nope but it makes me feel good
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Very excited, planning a trip to Cairngorm on Tuesday/Wednesday next week, after the snow which is meant to be coming over the weekend it should be great!
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You know it makes sense.
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We are heading off to Aviemore Youth Hostel on Monday for three days mid-week ski-ing Tues/Wed/Thurs - and with a new dump this Friday, the forecast is looking really exciting, blue sky days. Cant wait - see you all there! 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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barry, that'll be where I'm going wrong then, I tend to start downstairs and stay there ... for far too long
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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A fine day at Cairngorm today, but for the ferocious wind !
Came down in the funicular with three Disability Scotland teachers, one of whom had put her tackle on the window ledge. As she was walking out the door at the bottom, forgetting it, I asked (rather louder than was really necessary) "Are you leaving your bra then ?" Quizzical looks from some of the other punters and a slightly red faced lady goes back for it !
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Great day training yesterday, some fantastic stashes of snow down the Gunbarrel, bit icier on The Lady but again some lovely stuff down the sides of the run, spent much of the morning looping The Lady and M1 tow. Quite windy at times, particularly up the lifts, and very cold indeed - took a glove off for about a minute down the Cas to video the training we were doing and had to stop the camera and get the glove back on because the pain in my hand was too much!!
Here we are top of the M1 tow (my back's to the camera, sneaky shot that one!):
Hill shut at the moment with high winds and drifting, have had some snow overnight in Aviemore, more I guess up the hill, and flurries are coming in every so often (light snow right now). Main event should be later tonight and into Saturday and then Monday, with quite a lot forecast then. As luck would have it I'm away Monday to Friday next week (no doubt set to get stuck in southern traffic not coping with snow lol), so will miss the freshies but here's to loads more from Friday onwards
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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roga, are you instructing up there at the moment??
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kitenski, I am yes
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Here's a shot of The White Lady today:
Top to bottom riding now and some serious dumpage forecast early next week.
Tomorrow is World Snow Day (rather apt given current weather) so lots of events happening on the hill, including a girl's Roxy shred day - should be a good day but busy!
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