 Poster: A snowHead
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Could we see another pre-Xmas slide?
Some decent showers hitting Leeds, and forecast for continued showers to hit the North Pennines.
Webcam shot from Yad Moss this morning...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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and news from Weardale...
Well at last the snow has arrived and the season has begun. There has been a few inches on the fell tops today and a few intrepid kiteboarders went up to Swinhope and found more snow than expected and ran the lifts for an hour or two. The snow was wet and patchy and the base is not yet frozen so it was not safe to open for general use but the forecast is looking good with more snow predicted over the next couple of days and temperatures remaining low before a thaw in a week or so.
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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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wow, I will be watching this with interest, was tempted to pay a visit last year but in the end missed out.
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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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Looks like weardale ran lifts today, did anyone head up?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Weardale, Yad Moss and Raise are all hoping to run tomorrow though the snow cover is still pretty thin particularly at Yad Moss where the westerly wind blows straight up the hill.
Raise however is buried 
Check the websites and snowlines for all the details etc.
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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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Peter S, Is there any more foecast between now and satuday for Yad Moss? May make the trip up, however if its toucha nd go then im not making a 5 hour round trip from Manchester!!!
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Weardale looking very Pennine, this weekend should have been much better. Good to see the tow line run west of F1 has had a haircut. Unless anyone else know's different there's only Allenheads that hasnt run so far this season. Harwood (in Teesdale) has been open the last two weekends. Some nice pictures of Yad Moss from today in the facebook group.
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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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operational again tomorrow for day ticket and season ticket holders. Thin snow but perfect overhead conditions today.
http://www.yadmoss.co.uk/
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will there be any chance of getting a day ticket sunday if forecast snow comes
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You know it makes sense.
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mattiwilkin, Possibily, Id guess the main reason for only have ticket holders on thin conditions is so the snow ( or lack of) doesn't quickly become overused and worn away etc
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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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Harwood, Allenheads and Yad Moss were all also go on the 5th of Feb.
This from the Harwood ski club website:
http://harwoodski.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=12952548
Conditions looked simillar to Yad Moss. Weardale has the advantage of being north facing. Across all areas conditions seemed to be best upto early / mid afternoon then the sun and rising temps did there thing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@mattiwilkin - its mainly numbers. Weardale has over 700members, Yad does season tickets rather than club membership but I think they are probably up there in numbers. This weekend had nearly 200 people at Weardale. Didnt seem like it but the car park was choca block. Yad by the sounds of it was simillar busy. I think this is about the limit of what the club ski areas can cope with and then only because people come and go through the day.
Upto the last couple of winters clubs like Weardale were down to around 150 members. Two or three years ago Harwood was thinking of closing. As I understand it they were reduced to selling the (vintage) tractor that drove one of the tows to raise funds for insurance etc. Shame but atleast the club still goes even if it is with one tow instead of two.
With only a hundred plus members day tickets were sold at the weekend because there was capacity. Good winters and the internet have brought Pennine Skiing to a whole load of new people. With a big surge in numbers - back to 80's levels - the clubs have had to manage numbers. Otherwise the people who support the club through the lean years get mobbed out in the good ones. The tows are also all run by volunteers - its not like a steam railway, its about the skiing not about the lifts!
If its running Harwood is nearly always a good bet for a ski or board at the weekend. Allenheads has been getting very busy at weekends not sure if they take members.
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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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With all 5 clubs operational on Sunday I'm guessing there would have been over 500 people using lift served real skiing this weekend in Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland. At Yad Moss alone the tow can shift 600 people per hour. Assuming it averaged 400 p/p/h then that would have been over 2000 skier movements during the day. Thats a lot of potential happiness !
There probably isn't a great deal more development work that can reaslistically be done at the English clubs, beyond staying on top of the infrastructure that we alreday have.
However.......I wonder if anyone has ever considered snow making at Allenheads ? There must be 3 phase power there and an endless source of water in the mine just across the road. Its sheltered, easily accessible and is within a high, trapped valley where frost should be fairly common. One snow maker and a small piste machine (There is a spare one not too far away !).....would be an interesting feasibility study anyway.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Never mind the mine Peter, there's a reservoir at the top of the current tow field / bottom of the slope where the upper tow used to be. I've thougth it would be a go-er for a while. Been thinking snow cannons again after the thinning of the cover at the bottom of the tows during the course of Sunday.
Having a cannon at Weardale and Yad Moss would have been good for bulking up cover at the bottom on thin days such as the past weekend. of the tows but then there's the issue of continuity of water supply, right power supply etc. You know more about the Yad Moss generator than I do but I would have thought the main problem to overcome is water source at Yad. Stream in front of the garage freezes to a trickle during the winter? Weardale I think power and water are going to be issues.
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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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We made it up to yad moss on sunday and had a good laugh! cover was thin and patchy to say the least. Think at yad they could possibly do some work to the pists (maybe dig them out into a large smoother gully to try hold the snow a little better and would make keeping it easier. the tow was pretty good and not as vicious as i expacted but probably not great for beginers and i did thing the tow track was actually worse than the tow itself and thought something could be done to make that a little easier to ride.
As i said we had a great time and the volenteers do a great job and were very committed and passionate. And was great to experience the day will def return but probably look for better conditions before making a 3hr drive
One more thing I did think the piste basher was a little excessive!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Cant tell you if thats been thought of or not Matti but from the day job can tell you why it may be unlikely.
Yad is on what's known as a site of special scientific interest. Basically its very important for wildlife and is protected in law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. There are very strict rules as to what can and cant be done. Even when you can do things you have to write to Natural England for permission - which they may or may not give. Re-profiling anything on a SSSI - even if its being done for nature conservation reasons never mind for snow holding. The piste basher is the best way to manage the snow given the restrictions on major ground works. Its got a very low ground presure - less than a human foot. Natural England are happy with the use of piste bashers on peat bogs because of the ground presure. There's even a company in Yorkshire who own a piste basher soley for nature conservation work on peat bogs!
Tow tracks everywhere where a bit challenging yesterday, hopefully more snow soon and we'll get back to the modern modern winter conditions.
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Good day at Yadmoss today for 50 skiers according to the website and webcam. Brilliant effort everyone.
http://www.yadmoss.co.uk/
Snow should be freezing nicely now. temp is about plus 1.5 on the slope and dropping.
Snow should dry out, freeze and be fast first thing. Looks like some good skiing tomorrow in lighter winds but probably won't last till Friday ?
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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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Mrs MA and I nipped up to (closed) Yad Moss on Good Friday and had a very enjoyable ski tour, despite the fog and drizzle. It was +3C at the roadside
and the snow was soft but in fairly decent nick.
We skinned from the roadside and managed to get all the way to the top of the tow with only about 10m in total of skinning over grass.
The tow track was mainly complete but had a big break where it flattens out above the piste basher garage. There was decent cover on the top 2/3
of the main run - better than we expected - and we managed to get all the way back down to the car.
Good time had by all!  .
PS: Can't seem to get Snowmediazone working at the moment....a few pics to follow....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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FAQ
- still managed to have a great day! We're easily pleased when it comes to sliding about..... 
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