 Poster: A snowHead
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I skied today on the Buchensteinwand, largely because I hadn't been there yet this season. I only made it just in time, for tomorrow is the last day of the lifts operating. The Buchensteinwand is a small hill near St. Jakob in Haus (in Tyrol - "in Haus", I believe, because in 1689 the church was destroyed by an avalanche and only the statue of St. Jakob survived, stored in a house until the church had been rebuilt). There are two chairlifts on the St. Jakob side (as well as an excellent beginners' area with tows, which was still skiable today), three pistes back down (blue, red and -just- black). On the "back" of the mountain two T-bars provide a link to Hochfilzen (which has also a smaller beginners' patch). Off-piste can be enjoyable when there is enough snow but not today.
Somewhat to my surprise today was a very enjoyable if not especially exciting ski day. I had the hill practically to myself which made it all very relaxing. Since there were so few skiers (although I did see snowshoe-walkers, hikers and pram-pushers on the slopes), the pistes held up very well, though softening considerably in the afternoon. The weather wasn't the sunshine we've had for most of the season, rather overcast with occasional glimpses of the sun. But it didn't rain 
The photo shows a view from near the top of the Buchensteinwand, looking south, with the Kitzbüheler Horn on the right and the Fieberbrunn pistes left-centre ...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Schladming : Yesterday was some wet fresh snow (powder) higher up first thing, was probably the warmest I've skied powder, was between +2 and +5 before we gave up. Until the surface got really wet it was very nice snow, was off piste with endless untracked, rather wet powder than no powder. Today was back to spring skiing,sunny, cool start warmed up pretty quick. Piste this morning in great condition, hard packed, softening up during the morning. Still skiable to valley at all locations.
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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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Been skiing in the Kitzbuhel/Kirchberg and beyond area for the past 2 days. Up high is great, even did the strief race piste (well, bits of) down to the town. Over towards Pass Thurn, Jochberg, Hollersbach etc the snow is good. A few slushy patches on the sunny spots but really in good condition despite the odd weather we've had recently.
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Well out of scope, but since its in this thread I asked questions....
Just a huge thanks to SamerbergerSue, heidiky and all you other great persons in here.  Had our week in Kitzbuhel with visits to Zell am See and Kaprun in beg of March. Snow was reasonably ok in Kitz and Zell. But I found Kaprun to bee really great and very nice runs. I will try to go Kitz/Kaprun again. I found Kitzbuhel even more pleasantly laidback than on my first visit some thirty years ago (when I found it a little snobbish). Great trip, sunny weather and we all enjoyed it so much......
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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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Skied "out of area" today with a friend in Ischgl. Last time I was there was on a short visit twenty years ago and I had sort of forgotten what a fine area it is. Comparing it to my "home stomping ground" in the Kitzbühel Alps, the runs tend to be longer and, in general, the slopes are at higher altitudes. So snow conditions are still great in most places, especially early on. By the afternoon many pistes were softening and I found the final descent from the Pardatschgrat hard work, with heavy snow and moguls. Weather was pretty good and not too many skiers on the slopes, making for a great day. We skied the whole area from the Gampen to the Grivalea. Here's a photo looking down on the many lifts around the Idalp ...
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Feeling guilty about abandoning my "home port" yesterday, I skied in Fieberbrunn today (really because I had to visit our Recyclinghof and have to drive past the lifts to go there - any excuse is better than none). As expected, the pistes lower down were well past their sell-by date but it was still possible to ski back to the car-park. Higher up conditions were better, though still heavy on the Hochhörndl run which is largely south-facing. Weather was mixed: cloudy, a little sun and then it rained for about a quarter of an hour after lunch. However, fortified by the excellent Schoko-Nuss-Torte and a celebratory end-of-season glass of wine for lunch at the Hochhörndlhütte, I skied in the afternoon too.
I quite enjoy the end-of-season atmosphere with few other skiers on the slopes. Very relaxing. Another reason for nostalgia today were my last runs on the Reckmoos-Nord chairlift which, after almost 30 years of service, will be replaced by a gondola (bubble lift) this summer. Faster and with heated seats that won't have quite the same atmosphere as the old lift! Here's a photo showing the lift's long, sometimes bone-chilling down and up track ...
As I suspected, the Fieberbrunn lifts will close down for the season after this weekend. That is also the case for the whole SkiWelt area. Other areas in the Kitzbühel Alps - Kitzbühel, Alpbach, Wildschönau (Schatzberg/Auffach), Leogang, Saalbach/Hinterglemm (north-facing slopes), and Zell am See - hope to keep some lifts running until Easter Monday, weather and snow conditions permitting. The Steinplatte lifts (Waidring) should run till 10th April. Some areas - St. Johann, Buchensteinwand, etc. - have alredy closed. The lifts on the Kaprun glacier are still working, of course. All dates from a paper produced by the Kitzbühel Alps area lift companies.
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Diverjan, No worries mate, glad you enjoyed your trip!
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packed and ready to leave for a week in Obertauern. All lifts still open, and all runs well covered if the webcams are correct and 100 cms depths - snow is forecast during the week but rained yesterday. Looks like we will be arriving in +11 degrees at resort level but Skibobs love spring snow anyway 
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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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espri, Thanks for update, had hoped to get another week in before the end but that can't happen anyway. Not just as disappointed as I would have been give the state of the snow in general.
Might start another thread on this but what's everyone thoughts on Austrian snow conditions this season?
I'm not quite sure, but I feel it is definitely not a classic and maybe not even a 'good' snow year?
As with recent years we had a very good pre Christmas which held up well over the festivities and then, a couple of storms apart, it all went to pot? When I arrived in Saalbach on 15th January we had two days skiing in 12C temps? Thankfully it was followed by just about a week of snowfall, but, if it hadn't been for that storm, the season might have been over by now?
Looking on 'another place" at the historical snow records for Zell am See it has had its worst year in terms of actual snow depth since the second half of the 90s and even those seasons seem to have been prolonged by some massive spring snowfall. In more recent times whilst the beginning of 06/07 was a horror story it actually ended much better than this year
Whilst I understand the reasons for them I'm not sure the new laws on stopping snowmaking on 1st March regardless have helped the skiing. Was there was so much of it being made when it wasn't needed it just spoiled the natural snow? I don't know about others but, a couple of powder days apart, I found the pistes very hard and bumpy and covered in those sugar granules of artificial snow that just wont take an edge!
I suppose we should not complain, AFAIK no one has come on to say the snow affected their holiday, so far anyway! But watch this space when you see places like Espri has listed planning to go on for three more weeks. Actually when I was there in January, ZamS was advertising its closing date as 1st May, which everyone felt was wishful thinking even then.
It would be interesting to hear some opinions, especially the Alpine residents with their thoughts and of course those of the locals!
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^ Most of the European Alps, including Austria, have had a shocker.
Below-average snow and above-average daytime temps.
Only the cold latenite temps, a puke in Nov / Dec, fake snow and regular trailbashing have saved their seasons.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Big and fast change in weather this morning. Only a slight freeze overnight but through the morning could see the storm coming in from the north west. Wind got up, first few drops of rain and temps falling. Currently -3 at Dachstein and looking up that way looks like snow is coming down. Forecast snow line to drop to 1400m, fingers crossed there'll be some powder higher up tomorrow.
Some bright colours currently on radar
http://www.wetter.at/wetter/wetterradar
Rather annoyingly a few lifts have closed today, I think more due to lack of customers rather than snow conditions, though still plenty of skiing to be had. It is deadly quiet around here, so I guess lift company looking to save some pennies. Piste were great early morning and empty. Took out GS skis and turned on my GPS tracker software on the phone. That combinations makes one go faster than strictly required, clocked a max of 89.51km, in slightly soft conditions.
Cheers to flangesax for the "happy birthday" from the chair behind.
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You know it makes sense.
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waynos, for you... anything!... you need to tell your profile your birfday so you can have the pretty scrolling birfday massage!
and as far as conditions go.... what he said!
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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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flangesax, so where are we all headed tomorrow???Reiteralm and Zauch look fine
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Poster: A snowHead
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Well we got back from Saalback in one peice after a good but different week. The hotel Kristianna that we stayed in was very nice but we were the only 4 guests for the week making the mornings and eves a bit uninteresting.As for the skiing well the start of the week was just fine with the snow on sunday night making the munday some of the best snow i have skied on but the tuesday and following days were a different story with the afternoons being a slush fest.Leogang definately had the best of the conditions and i really enjoyed the nice long red down to the town and passing the mad looking bike track.
Even the iglu was a sight to see and the restaurant opposite did a lovely goulash.Thursday was our trip to Kaprun and was probably the best day for it with clear skies it made for a good days skiing on excellent snow and we managed to cover just about all the runs available.
The iglu there was amazing too with the volvo s60 inside and bar area etc, the only down side to kaprun was after being spoilt by the lack of people on the slopes in Saalbach everyone and his brother had gone to the glacier.
Back to Saalback for friday and our last day unfortunatley it was raining and if the slope were not in bad enough condition the rain was there to finish off most of the remaining lower slopes.So we headed up to leogang and was surprised the slopes were holding up well all be it a bit slushy and the rain had gone.We tried the run into town but gave up halfway due to the heavy wet snow and headed for some lunch and another plate of goulash.The runs back to Saalbach were in a bad way with some closed off and the rain was back making for a damp end to our hol.
My conclusion was i loved the look of the town and the ski area would of been amazing in better conditions and i hope to return again in the future.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Continuing my week of wandering, I met a friend in the Zillertal on Saturday. We skied the pistes of the Zillertal Arena, from Zell am Ziller to the new Königsleiten Dorfbahn (gondola) and back again. It was super day, blue skies and warm. Runs were largely soft in the afternoon, of course. Very few skiers on the slopes. The first photo shows the other new gondola near Königsleiten, the Falschbachbahn ...
The other photo is of the piste down from the (appropriately named) Übergangsjoch, beside the Krimml-X-Press chairlift, a very attractive run.
With regard to robboj's question about the season's snow, it was reported that this has been the driest February since 29 years in Tyrol. There was a good start to the season (when I was busy doing other things) but then, after the beginning of January, there were few heavy snowfalls. With little new snow in February and March, lower slopes lost their cover quite early. However, to compensate for the lack of new snow, the weather was mostly great, so that most of my skiing has been with blue skies and sun. Even in the lower areas round here, in the Kitzbühel Alps, most runs have been skiable up till the last week or so, though lately the valley runs have tended to be a strip of snow through green fields. The lift companies kept the pistes in pretty good condition right up till the end of the season (especially early on in the day). Higher up skiing is still possible.
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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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kooky... we'll chase the pow!... but it looks like Zauchensee is the answer... will confirm in the morning!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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flangesax, thanks for digging me out today.....note to self, never EVER go off piste with this man again, he is crazy 
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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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| kooky wrote: |
| flangesax, thanks for digging me out today.....note to self, never EVER go off piste with this man again, he is crazy |
flangesax What you been up to? Frustrated I couldn't make it, a little man playing up going to kindergarten, rrraahhhh. Sure there'll be more snow before season is out.
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This is what we got today, nice dump but it really needs to get cold for this to last,
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flangesax, You mean you didn't even spend 10 minutes pelting her with snowballs... what a wasted opportunity fella 
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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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Arrived in Obertauern on Saturday to glorious sunshine and blue skies. Sunday was unbearable it was so hot, 65 degrees in the sunshine! Monday it rained, which actually improved the early morning ice. Then the rain turned to snow and it snowed all Monday night. The morning brought mixed conditions of fresh snow laying ontop of frozen slush, then the wind blew the snow about which made for icy pistes and mounds of soft snow! In the afternoon conditions improved as the new and old snow mixed, but it was heavy going in the afternoon as tempertures rose.
Today (Wed) the reamining patches of new snow slowed you down in your tracks like a brake, but all the pistes are covered in snow and open.
It's slush on the lower slopes as the lifts close and walking is difficult as sink so deep! It's a credit to the piste bashers and early preperation that the
runs are all covered with snow and still open, and only the odd brown patch is just now appearing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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robboj, This time 2 seasons ago Obertauern had it's biggest dumping on top of already great depths, this year has been very different, although still open in November, to what looks like maybe be late April, the snow gods have not been as kind and temperatures remained too high to maintain good conditions later in the season. One of the warmest I can remember for a few years now!
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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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You know it makes sense.
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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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Had a play at Wagrain today.
I am really enjoying my K2 Rictor skis at th emo... they love the slushy stuff!
Lucky really.... the main area of Wagrain to Alpendorf was very heavy although not wet slush yet... well having said that later this afternoon the water started pouring down the piste and creating small streams.
The ski down to valley was fantastic as there were hardly any lumps and bumps (but a few bare patches). Suprised me how good it was compared to the higher, well-used areas.
The general ambiance up there is amazing. The lifties are sitting out in deckchairs hoping that nobody will fall off... the bar staff and waiters are sitting at the end of a nursery slope watching everyone get caugt our by the wet bits!
All in all fantastic day!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Tom W, just the flat bit.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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waynos, nice photos. Hope all is well with you.
Cheers
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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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| Quote: |
Die Lifte in Saalbach Hinterglemm sind noch bis 10. April in Betrieb. Das ursprünglich mit 25. April geplante Saisonende lässt sich leider aufgrund der warmen Temperaturen nicht halten. Der Bereich Asitz in Leogang bleibt bis auf Weiteres in Betrieb!
Due to the warm temperatures, the lifts in Saalbach Hinterglemm will only be operating until April 10th. The Asitz area in Leogang will be opened until further notice. |
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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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Zauchansee and Haus in Ski Amade have made statements on websites that they will stay open til 25 April. Flachau Winkl will close 10 April. Planai was closed today in Schladming but this was down to strong winds, nearby Hochwurzen was open though limited and the remaining piste are all but gone. We walked up Hochwurzen this morning via the winterwanderweg, easy going until we hit the snowline, then got a little slippery. Planai still saying open til 1 May, though the last open valley slopes will close for sure any day now. Some hope for snow next Tues/Wed, fingers crossed.
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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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Tom W, Getting thinner by the day. There's not been a good overnight freeze for a few days, plus yesterdays 20+ degrees and windy overnight.
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Recevied an email from the Dorfgastein Lift Company to say they're closing from today due to the strong Foehn wind and high temps. According to the Gasteinertal Facebook page, the Stubnerkogel in Bad Gastein is also finishing tomorrow for the same reasons. Bad Hofgastein and Sportgastein are staying open.
Kersh
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Kersh, I think the closing it's probably partly conditions related and partly as it's so quiet everywhere, lift companies looking to save money whilst so few skiers out. Only 6 months till next season
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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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FAQ
. Best to Mrs F and offspring 
no snow in sight either.
