Click on Thumbnail to view larger images. Click on Title for Image Index.
The grim truth, Lower Gunbarrel. The base is on it's last legs.
Looking down the very narrow and banked Gunbarrel and Cas Tow.
Upper Section of Coire Cas and Temp offload point.
High winds whip up the powdery snow on the Coire Cas.
At least it looks white in the gloom and blowing snow.
The view up the White Lady, looks terribly like Feb 2003...
Click on Thumbnail to view larger images. Click on Title for Image Index.
Displayed: Images 1 to 6 of 6
Report
A week ago things were looking up, further snow showers improving the runs, and the cover building nicely on the solid if narrow base, then a week long rapid thaw again. It does seem as if we've been stuck in a rut of cold week, mild week this winter, without any consolidation of the fresh snow before the sustained thaw sets in. Over the past week all the new snow was lost, and with each cycle we're now ending up with slightly less base than we started the cycle with, thus this coming week could make or break the mid-season. The base is simply not going to take another week like last week, unless there is a considerable build up of more snow to repair the damage.
As for Saturday, a wild day with blowing snow reducing visibility in the squally snow showers, and very cold with the Summit Temperature around -9c, giving a bitter wind-chill. Despite this and the now limited terrain, the snow was reasonable with some fresh windblown powder overlying the hard base on Coire Cas.
Top Basin lifts were closed due to high cross winds on Saturday, but will open weather permitting on Sunday. Reasonable nursery areas available in the Top Basin, but severe wind-chill expected at 3000ft of around -35°c!!
Thanks to George Paton for those pics from a rather stormy 'Gorm.