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Looking up Rankin's Return to the Flypaper Bowl, Spring Run and Rannoch Glades.
Rankin's Return itself still skiable, but the Low Road is now broken so a bit combat getting back to the Poma.
Pisting the upper leg of Mugs Alley.
Happy Valley giving great flat and fast spring snow turns.
Old Mugs Alley is the best option for gentle green terrain, Coire Pollach Tow still running as we start the last third of April.
So you ever wondered how moguls get made?
Plateau Poma doing it's thing, the run is still complete though a fair bit of it is now narrow.
Plateau Poma uptrack still in good shape. Nice and flat, thus as easy to ride as it gets.
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Rather more opportunities to photograph rainbows than was desirable on Friday, every attempt the Sun made to come out seeming to be the cue for another April shower to bubble up for the next instalment of sideways rain.
So the good news is a much more promising forecast for Saturday, dry, long Sunny Spells and light Southerly winds. So don't forget the shades and the suncream, it looks like it should be a classic day of Scottish spring snowsports.
The majority of runs on the mountain remain complete with most of the natural snowfields and gullies retaining decent cover as we enter the final third of April. Though the continued thaw has finally taken its toll on the Plateau there is still the full 1400ft of vertical back to the Top of the Access Chair and the Plateau Poma run is still complete, so the Plateau Poma is not just for access.
That said for easier terrain the best option is Old Mugs Alley from the Coire Pollach Tow, with all the forks of Old Mugs Alley still linking together for reaching the Cliffy or the Plateau Cafe. Still possible to ski down from the Plateau Cafe to the Coire Pollach Tow for lazy access to the rest of the hill!
The thaw does mean we are back to much older and thus more consolidated base snow which means fast crunchy granular spring snow surfaces. With lighter winds tonight this could be firm first thing, and with less wind Saturday than recent days and cooler temperatures from Sunday the rate of thaw should relent somewhat in the week ahead.
There is terrain available across the full spectrum with green, blue, red and black runs open, and still some other options on the East Ridge and on the Cliffhanger Crag. All uplift except the Beginner Rope Tow scheduled to run Saturday.
