That's it, That's all NZ!

Last day, Turoa, SNOvember the 8th 2009

Just finished the "season" 2 days ago with a nice corny spring day with a touch of slush thrown in here and there. Bit bummed out that there wasn't a late spring dump for the last day, but still awesome to have chair lift access for SNOvember days.

We took a day trip on the Sunday - nice to be able to sleep in till 6am since the chairlifts didn't open till 10am. It was a hot hot sunny drive, lots to see in the daylight and it's gonna be the last mish down there for a while. Boo....


RAL were still trucking snow to the base, so the carpet was still running on the Alpine Meadow, but no more riding to base as Clarry's track ran out just after the Mangawhero Valley, and the Giant Chair was a no go zone. They had the High Flyer Chair running for the first time in ages tho, so this was great for the park peeps, and learners not up for the High Noon Express. Up high conditions were soft, but still a great spread of snow all over. Not many people here and plenty of room to spread around.

There were people hiking to the summit and normally my boyfriend would be up for it, but today was about a bit of fun, and relaxing cruisy runs for the last day. Did Branchline, Bread Run, Vertigo, Whynots (although the cat track the veers off to the express was cooked, and I didn't like to trust my aim between the rocks, besides there may have been more just under the surface, so I walked a few steps), Big Bowl was pretty nice, seemed to have been groomed in the morning so did a few runs down here. I also did my first run for the season out Layback. Done Slider plenty of times, but knowing that the exits out of out west have been a bit grim this year (AND the nicer snow has been east) I haven't really been out here. We exited at the top of the Organ Pipes with a little bit of a hike up to the bottom of Branchline. Hot work in soft steep snow!

Bit of a lack of entertainment and hoopla from RAL on the Giant deck, so we created our own. Word had been put out over the snowco forum that we would meet for a beer and some runs at 12pm. Some I have already met over the season, great to put some more faces to names. Nice to meet you!

Stoked to get turns in on the last day of Winter '09. Planning for Winter '10 is already well under way with a planned return of the Southern Club Field Tour, and I'd like to spend a bit more time at Tukino and Whakapapa on Ruapehu too. There will be a couple of summer trips to the Ruapehu region which I will blog about, and of course there is beach time to be had.

Have a great summer everyone,

Chonnie

not over just yet

It's been a funny old spring... today on the 2nd of November they are reporting it to be the coldest October in 25 years! The upper slopes of Turoa are loaded. October brought us wintery snowstorms that kept topping things up so in between times, when the weather cleared, there has been lots of happy faces shredding the pow. Spring 09 saw winter (and SNOvember) reappear. Turoa, at Mt Ruapehu, will be open til November the 8th, so make the most of it and eek out some last turns.

Saturday saw a stunning drive up the Ohakune mountain road with freshies down to Massey Flat. I did quite a few runs down Branchline and Slider to warm up, but as I was making my way back to the Giant Chair I made my way down deserted untracked drainage gully's belwo the Jumbo T Bar to the ski area boundary. The home run did not have enough snow coverage to get back to base, so I lapped my own tracks hiking this line 4 times.

Massey Flat

Hiking out on Home Run

Bottom of the drainage gully

start near the Jumbo T

SNOvember the 1st was Sunday. Another clear day to play all over and I opted for the Branchline runs back to the Giant Chair. Took a friend who is learning this season for his first black run - he was stoked! Bought the T shirt and wore my jandals in the car park too. It was a beautiful departure heading north in daylight with the full moon rising above Girdlestone. I love Spring!

after the storm

After the big snow, my lovely other half snuck away on the Wednesday for a day of fresh snow, wicked lines, and an all round awesome day... while I was stuck at work. There was still a lot of snow around, plenty down to the one lane bridge on the Ohakune Mountain road. And the trees, oh the weight of the snow (and lack of wind) brought many branches down and leaning over the road.

here is a movie (I think made by mountain staff) coming down the Ohakune Mountain road and into the tree line before the snow and trees were cleared and it reopened on Wednesday.

Well, it was another sketchy weather forecast for the weekend but we headed down. So Saturday the 10th rolled round and the mountain was CLOSED. It was windy and snowing up at Turoa again tho. Many people like us had taken the drive for a look and see what was going on up there. Those even more committed were hiking up the Sisters (above the Alpine Meadow) and taking various means of sliding down.

Alpine Meadow @ Turoa

Sunday 11th: It was snowing as we headed up the Ohakune Mountain Road to Turoa... and then cleared to blue sky as we arrived at 8am! No gales force winds as predicted, and it felt like no one was there, pretty deserted. There were nice snow stashes down Slider, Branchline, and the Why Nots. The Jumbo T bar wasn't running, but to end the day we did 3 runs in a row of cutting over from the Why Not's to the far side of Raceline where it was untracked and creamy. We rode first to last lifts - great day and well worth the drive!

wind drifts above Slider

High Traverse above Big Bowl

High Noon Express - not many people 

Why Not?'s are now the 'where are they?'

wrong call

The forecast looked bad so flagged going boarding... but Saturday turned out to be a nice spring day! On Sunday it dumped down in the afternoon: snow down to Taihape and as far east as Hawkes Bay, plus the Napier/Taupo road (trapping 100 or more cars in the snow). Snow also closed road desert road and SH49 from Ohakune to Waiouru.

Never mind. At least it's topped up the snow for spring riding.

Here's my Ohakune flatmate Tracey and friends doing a spot of EXTREME sledding on the Sunday. (video by Tim Simpkin from the Snow Centre)

go you Spring Thing

Spent the Saturday at Turoa, was very slushy all over. Found a semi powdery bit down Slider, while the bf went over to scope out Layback. Already some spring meltage cracks starting to form on the edge of  Layback as you drop into the lower Slider/Upper Organ Pipes. It was pretty bare from the Wintergarden down. A download day for sure! Saturday was also the day for the Bikini Jam! Girls (and Boys) donned their bikini tops and sent themselves down a GS course on the Yahoo trail raising funds for Breast Cancer. Thankfully the sun was out this year.

Sunday was back at Turoa. It was cold overnight and a bit breezier than the day before, so all of yesterday's slushiness froze and took a while to release.

EXTREME Spring Days

After a week of very changeable weather, a high parked itself over the country and the sun fiercely came out and the wind finally dropped. Last Monday and Tuesday I headed out west at Whakapapa and rode my butt off, eeking out every possible minute of the day. There were minimal or no queues - this is what week day riding is all about! The snow was firm in the morning, but at about 10.30 or 11am it was as if someone flicked a switch and it softened... everywhere - spring riding goes off!

bluebirds - for 4 days straight!

Black Magic bowls - no one here

On the Wednesday and Thursday Ruapehu hosted the Export Extreme in the Pinnicles at Whakapapa. The top guys and girls were in town and heaps of locals had entered. I played support crew for Jordan Decker, our friendly ski patroller from Tukino. Back to defend his top placing in men's snowboard from last year, and he won again! Competitors had a precarious ascent up cut steps and ropes through the Elevator shaft above Broken Leg Gully, and then a high traverse across to the start line.  

Both days were held on Policeman's, making the Schuss House at Hut Flat the place to be to take in all the action. As spectators, there was really no escaping the sun down here. And there was the constant reminder to slip slop slap from the MC's on the mic. It was down to T shirts as the pasty guns came out, mismatched from the grubby goggle tans we now all had. It really was the perfect spot to hang out and catch all the action in the afternoon between runs.

Jordan taking a drop at Policeman's

Dazza from K2 and I - in the spectator area

(Photo Credit - Dodge)

Highlight videos of the event can be found as SnowTV - day one and day two. Check it out. (You can see Jordan and I skate past behind Lorraine at 5mins 54 of the second clip, all 2 seconds of it)

I reckon the best sunsets are the ones you see while driving in your car when it is impossible to take a picture! On Mon/Tues/Wed, while driving back to Ohakune, Taranaki was hugely magnified on the horizon under burning red skies. On Thursday night Taranaki left us and there was a hint in the sky of the cloud, drizzle and wind that was promised to arrive the next day. Sunday afternoon it cleared and early this week looks like ditto conditions on the hill. I only wish I was there and not back at work, gazing across the harbour at boats and the Sky Tower.... I think a "working lunch" at the beach might be in order today!