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A start of a new beginning rather than the beginning of the end in Coire na Ciste.
Looking down the Traverse through drifting snow, absolutely loaded.
Upper Cas is in beautiful condition with windblown fresh on a groomed base.
Looking up the Ciste T-bar between snow showers on Tuesday afternoon.
Wind sculpted snow outside the Piste Basher garage at the Ptarmigan.
Total cover across the Top Basin in mid May with fresh tracks waiting for the morning.
A loaded Horizon Road, still good lines on the Upper East Lady beyond.
Ciste Bowl in great shape and was catching windblown fresh all day Tuesday.
Top of the Ciste Fairway looking up the Ptarmigan Traverse.
Polar Express Trainer Tow wasn't on today.
Pisted M1 was superb for laying out big turns, best to exit via Horizon Road.
Tools of the snow farming trade for the M1 uptrack.
Helen Heads for the M1 RaceTrack via the top of the Traverse.
Funicular heads up the White Lady, windpacked powder outside the elephant fences.
Drifting snow blows into the Top Basin on Tuesday afternoon.
Looking over the Ciste Bowl to the Ptarmigan Ridge and uppermost reaches of the East Wall.
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Top Basin is in outstanding condition with total cover and extensive moderate off-piste on the Ptarmigan Ridge area., which can be reached by holding as high a traverse as possible from the top of the Ciste Tow if Ptarmigan not running.
Fantastic riding for all abilities from the varying green trails up top to blues and reds mid-mountain. Ciste Bowl catching fresh windblown powder all day Tuesday and with lighter winds tomorrow will be giving fantastic sport for early intermediates up.
From the Top all Cas side mid mountain runs are in great shape above 2800ft, but though the cover narrows and thins out quickly below here with some walking required to regain the Funicular (or M1 Poma if it operates) it is well worth the short hoof for fresh powdery snow in the middle of May!
Upper 2/3rds of M1 RaceTrack fence to fence firm grippy corduroy with a sweet layer of windblown fresh, was fantastic for cranking up some biggish turns on Tuesday afternoon.
The Traverse is absolutely loaded for a more gentle route into Coire Cas and the Upper Cas has been continuing to accumulate more depth of snow over the past couple of days. Boulderfield area is also likely to hold some freshies early on Wednesday, but where exactly you'll have to look as it was moving about on Tuesday.
Route which gets you closest to the mid-station is from various points onto the top Zig Zag and down towards or into Chicken Gully, hugging either side of the fence-line down to the Zig Zag Crossover into the Gunbarrel. From level with the M1 Poma a short walk down to the Funicular or across the M1 queuing area is required, but who cares when your riding fresh mid May!
Sweet snow and sweet forecast means its hard to imagine it shaping up nicer for a mid-week slide when the calendar tells you tomorrow is 16th May!