Poster: A snowHead
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How does this season rank so far compared to around the 60 years or so? Is it one of the best ever?
Any guesses on how next year will turn out?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Went to obertauern last week and there was 250cm on the mountain and it’s still bucketing it down so I guess that would probably constitute a good season. For my part though, I hate skiing in snow and as fast as the pistes were groomed they were covered over again so for me it was t good. We had about 80cm of snow in Norway last year and although it got a bit patchier in places, I preferred it. It’s all subjective I guess.
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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.
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There won't be any snow next year.
signed for and on behalf of
@Whitegold
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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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5 trips so far, 4 to go.
Every one of them has been epic and some have been curtailed because of too much snow!!
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Pretty damn good I'd say!
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@südtirolistdeutsch,
Stonking
Good days in CH - wall to wall Canadian-style fluff but lots of lift closures
Bad days - whole sodding mountain shut due to avi 5 (unheard of since system began) - rockfall city closed roads to Chamonix and drops huge blocks all over the road to vercorin - scary drives up
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Not so much in Colorado....Crested Butte was disappointing.....and my Bro had business in Aspen a little while after, and he reported, that if anything, it was worse.
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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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...grin factor 10.1 (on 11 pt scale) this year
Fewer divots out of bases
Less handtuning since less boiler plate
Fewer waxing sessions
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For California, pretty terrible when asking locals. From my experience last week, given it is being reported as the lowest snowfall to date ever, the skiing available at Heavenly and Kirkwood was surprisingly good, mostly in part due to epic snowmaking (at Heavenly at least). I actually rather enjoyed sticking to the groomers in the sun, my second preferred skiing if it’s not a powder day.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Quote: |
5 trips so far, 4 to go.
Every one of them has been epic and some have been curtailed because of too much snow!! |
I'm confused. The trips which were curtailed were good (epic)?
doesn't compute
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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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Andorra as usual. Snow levels higher than usual, though they were higher in our first year there (maybe 5 years ago). I didn't take any lessons so confidence was lower at start of week - but I hit a few moguls and found I didn't fall off any more, so confidence started to build. Still some icy sections.
Trying to get to Canada for Easter, haven't booked tickets yet. Lake Louise snow reports seem quite good. Depending on snow conditions, I'll get special training for either deep snow (I can't handle over 3 inches!!) or park, to get confidence in any jumps I might need to do in future.
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Is there anywhere where one can find some snow stats for all the previous years? Conversly, what's a better season than this one? '08/9?
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You know it makes sense.
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Here in Austria snow depths are very good - no stones turned up on even the lowest runs, however since mid January new snowfall has been quite small, and with cold weather some of the lower pistes in busy resorts are scraped and icy. In quieter places conditions are still excellent on piste, but we haven't had a major powder dump for several weeks now. So, good conditions, but not fantastic for us.
Worth bearing in mind that however deep the snow, you only ski on top bit - so the condition of that is what matters.
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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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Austria & SwitzerlNd have plenty enough snow since Xmas for the whole seaspm.
The problem will be in the melt off in the Spring Germany and other Rhine?Danube rivers rise again !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Banff and Lake Louise are ok now, but locals said it had been very dry up until the end of January.
Have the Alpes really been that good this year? They were great in Dec when I was there. How has the rain on top of the snow affected things? Does the season look good from the viewpoint of the lower resorts?
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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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TheGeneralist wrote: |
Quote: |
5 trips so far, 4 to go.
Every one of them has been epic and some have been curtailed because of too much snow!! |
I'm confused. The trips which were curtailed were good (epic)?
doesn't compute |
If you enjoy skiing in deep fresh snow you have to expect to lose a few days because the mountain is storm bound/lifts buried/avalanche risk etc. I'd count a trip as epic if I had 3 or 4 days skiing in deep fresh snow and lost 2 or 3 days to the weather. A week of skiing on hard snow that hasn't been freshened up for ages is no where near as much fun. But each to their own.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Best I've had on Hokkaido in 11 years.
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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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The most snow Ive seen here in all my 17 years of living here. Up on the Dachstein there is still 5 meters
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@südtirolistdeutsch,
Best snow season ever for me in over 30 years skiing. 1st week Dec - Tignes. 3rd week Dec - Arabba. 3rd week Jan - Arabba. 1st week Feb - La Tania. Every single day wonderful conditions.
Next year....???
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On piste this season has been very good or excellent. Terrific snow depth, so no stones or bare patches, and reasonably frequent top-ups to keep things fresh. Right from the beginning of December there has been complete piste coverage to all levels including lowest runs / villages where I've skied. Difficult to imagine on-piste snow being much better than it has been, and that's from the start of December not just the main part of the season. It would be great if this continues through until the end of April.
Off piste I've had some of the best ever days in Europe, with snow (in the first half of December in particular) that was equal in quality to anything I've skied in Japan. Cold, light, deep, with face shots on every turn. Since the very cold start to the season it's warmed to more typical temperatures, perhaps slightly warmer, so although the snow has been plentiful, especially at altitude, it has not been as orgasmically awesome as it was before Christmas. In any other European season those conditions would be epic, but I think I was a little spoiled by how good things were in December.
Weather-wise, if you want a lot of snow you have to accept a lot of weather. So I've lost a few days to high wind and/or high avalanche risk, although not quite as many lost days as in some other resorts. Fortunately Arc 1800 has a few lifts which serve great terrain below the treeline, so when other places have been completely shut down I've had excellent days tree skiing. I've been lucky to have avoided the two or three warm episodes when the rain fell to high altitudes, so no miserable days getting very wet, although those conditions have somewhat killed the off-piste until the next snowfall resets things. I've also avoided the 'snowmageddon' travel days, so no problems on that front. In a typical season I count the number of days with fresh snow - this season I've been counting the number of sunny days! It's not been a high number, and my winter suntan is at a record level of paleness. If skiing under a blue sky is your priority, or good visibility is a necessity I can see that this winter's conditions might not have been good for you.
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It's my first season of living in Austria, although I go to work more often than I ski. Where I live it has been 'white over' since early November. Many of the ski areas opened early and conditions have generally been fabulous. In fairness my favorite conditions are hard and smooth (no giggling at the back of the class) and it's often been a lot bumpier than that, but snow is snow, as long as it is white and plentiful, what's not to like.
In terms of weather, it's often been colder than I could ever have imagined. A train platform at -18 is a whole new experience. I've never minded driving in snow, but this first winter in Austria has been a bit of a baptism of fire on that front! And like rob@rar, I definitely do not have a goggle tan. Maybe March can deliver that nice round yellow thing in the sky...
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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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Epic between the storms and the rain.
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Measure it by the significantly fewer spats in the weather threads.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Personally, Rubbish.....
Was in Sauze D'Oux just after NY and it rained to the top. Piste skiing was okish, but offpiste was shot. It started snowing as we left and didn't stop for 2 days and a metre or more....
Then I went to Colorado and went catskiing on windblown crud. Some of the toughest skiing I've ever done.
1 trip to go to save the season...
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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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TheGeneralist wrote: |
Quote: |
5 trips so far, 4 to go.
Every one of them has been epic and some have been curtailed because of too much snow!! |
I'm confused. The trips which were curtailed were good (epic)?
doesn't compute |
By curtailed, I mean we lost some time because of too much snow. This normally meant the next day was thigh deep powder.
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You know it makes sense.
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Seen a lot of snow but also a lot of rain , I have seen three very decent snowfalls wiped out next day by heavy rainfall to a high altitude , two at New Year and one mid Jan . At half term great cold ski conditions followed by two rain days at the end of the week . So far it’s been a real rollercoaster with very high peaks but also some very depressing lows .
But with the deep snow depths , the season will last and I feel the best is yet to come this Spring .
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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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Very good season so far. Two weeks at Christmas; two long week-ends and half term in the Southern Alps. Predominately off-piste which has been very good. Pistes have been in excellent condition. Only one bad day; when we visited Claviere with the intention of skiing over to Sestriere. Piste conditions very hard and scraped in San Sicario so turned back.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Next year? No idea.
However, I am hopeful that all those jealous people who didn’t book early weeks will behave as usual and believe that next year will be identical. And book early weeks.
I can only really speak for my local areas. Chamonix is having a generally excellent season - the biggest issues being snow clearing and avalanches.
But more or less, the pistes were assured for the year by new year’s eve.
That’s pretty cool.
More cool is that the authorities understand that Cham generally needs more easy terrain and at altitude so xcitingly they are going to shape beginner and intermediate pistes just below Plan Joran for next winter.
Lower resorts, it’s so very clear that skiing sub 1,400m is increasingly unpredictable.
I don’t see that improving.
Should you avoid e.g. Morzine? Absolutely not. Amazing infrastructure at almost every level from transfers to accommodation, lovely village, etc.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just past the halfway point this year and its going very well, particularly in the south east of the Alps where they have had no lost days, lots of sunshine, no rain and regular top ups of new snow.
Closer to home Scotland has a good base, particularly in the west and the east looks like it will get some more snow later next week. Its about to get cold across the UK (and the Alps) and hopefully we will get a top up soon here in the Pennines. Raise has excellent cover (they were open yesterday), if somewhat hard packed.
The prospects for spring skiing across the Alps, but particularly in the north west alps (and Scotland) look good right now.
Climate change is really depressing, particularly for skiers, but its slightly reassuring that we can still get good seasons occasionally.
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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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under a new name wrote: |
Lower resorts, it’s so very clear that skiing sub 1,400m is increasingly unpredictable.
I don’t see that improving.
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This phrase is a bit misleading for visitors to Austria where there's a lot of skiing at altitudes lower than 1,000m and a much lower snowline. If anything the lower slopes have been better this season as tree cover provides better shelter and visibility in blizzard conditions. There's been very little rain at valley level, I can only think of a couple of days, just a lot of snow and generally cold temperatures. Right now I'm sitting in my studio in Salzburg altitude 440m watching the snow fall.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@queenie pretty please, I did say I was only referring to my local areas...
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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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deleted as wrong
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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It's been business as usual in the Okanagan so far. Plenty of powder and a 3m base. Hope it continues through into April
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For us, lots of rain even way above 2000 meters at times. Lots of ice. Very warm January, warm start to February. Surprisingly worse at lower levels than February last year. The "home run" today was a bit of a challange
Hopefully March, April, when we tend to head a bit higher, should be better.
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@davidof, yuck! Is that Chamrousse? What altitude?
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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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rob@rar wrote: |
@davidof, yuck! Is that Chamrousse? What altitude? |
No, Chamrousse is ok as it is high but rammed this week. It is St Pierre de Chartreuse, all the little resorts have suffered with the rain this season but it is around here, things are much better at the saem altitude in the Bauges, Beaufortain etc.
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@davidof, yikes.
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