Kia Ora

Wow. What a wild whack of weather we've just had. A graveyard of low pressure systems flooding through the furious fifties with one at 960 HPa. The South Island has been turned white coast to coast and the North Island got struck by a lovely named "weather bomb" ... hmmm "snow bomb" sounds pretty good too. Snow bunnies popped up all over the place and a mad rush to get open and up there in the south. The north island fields thought they were in for the hell start to the season but then it went and rained ...heaps.

Tuesday 18 June on Coronet Peak was supreme. Snow texture was really bloody nice with 20cm over pretty much the whole mountain and a chorus of whoops, hollers and hrumphs echoing around the hills. Off piste was entirely OK, on piste was sweet as. Early season muscles were tested to their limits as the lucky few threw themselves around the hill with gay abandon.

Words like "epic" and "all time" flowed freely ... but let us be realistic. Not much base meant there are still quite a few holes to hit, tussocks that tug and rocks on ridges. The triple chair did another of its whammy's and is expected to be OS (out of service) for a few days and the t-bar wasn't open. So you see, you didn't really miss much ... not.

Epic .... no, but i still had a wide cheshire grin on the dial at the end of the day.

[Report courtesy of Evan Bloomfield, nzsnow.com]

SNOW AREA REPORTS

Remarkables
Was opening 29 June. Now opening 22 June except the Tubing Park which opens on the 29th. Groomed and packed powder on main trails of Shadow and Sugar Bowl, Alta and beginner areas. Average base on main trails 80cm.

Treble Cone
Was opening 20 June but settled back to Saturday 22 June. 50cm snow depth. 30cm of new snow has fallen at base over the past week. 50cm fell at T2 and 80cm in the Saddle.

Coronet Peak
For all you dis believers here are reports from two days a pole apart:

13 June - closed. The rain needs to drain from the man made surprisingly holding up quite well!

20 June - average base 60cm+ on upper trails. Off piste 20 - 40 cm's. Watch the unmarked hazards. All lifts open. All facilities open. No pipes or terrain park but they are close to open. A picture postcard purrfect winters day.

Cardrona
Was opening 22 June. Still opening 22 June. All facilities, all lifts. 25cm packed base on main trails. Grooming and snow clearing underway. 40cm average off piste and wind affected.

This year Cardrona has taken responsibility for its own snow camera the goal being to "improve the image quality, reliability and offer a wider range of services". Refreshed every hour from 8am - 4pm daily. The image is larger and clearer than many I have seen, apparently they have a reasonably swish camera with
"superior white balance and metering functions."

Check out there brand new Cardrona Cam at http://www.cardrona.com/cam.asp

Snow Park and Snow Farm
As soon as there is enough snow to set tracks the Snow Farm will open for Cross Country Skiing. Current
Situation on 18 June - there has been enough snow to pack track Main St, Merino Glen & Mary's Trail . New for the 2002 season is a cafe area for families with their own lunches and a children's play ground. The Snow Park is looking to open in late June.

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