Only four months have past since the last photos were posted from the mid-summer slide on CairnGorm Mountain on 21st June and here we are still in October and the 2009 Scottish Season is underway.

Sunny spells between the snow showers gave for some fantastic blue sky riding one minute, then a covering of fresh the next as another blustery snow shower came through. All in all giving a fantastic opening day at the Lecht with good cover on the open runs and great surface conditions. The pisted runs came up beautifully for those first leg warming turns of the season and with a fantastic forecast, Saturday should be even better (though minus the kudos of getting that October slide).

All the open runs have a good cover between the fences and if you stick to the runs thin areas were few and far between. No problem linking between the open lifts as all link options are skiable. Grouse, Eagle, Snowy Owl, the Magic Carpet and if required the Wren will run Saturday. Other runs were continuing to slowly fill and the Buzzard looks there or there abouts. Both carparks were cleared by afternoon for the weekend.

Photos by Winterhighland. If you have been out please post a public report or send your photos to pix2009@winterhighland.info .