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A last run down the Daylodge Run as sunset approaches after the lifts had closed.
Ptarmigan Bowl has a wide cover, regular pisting kept a layer of loose snow on top of the firm base.
A lesser known route to the Ciste Carpark, was done a week ago, but the storm last Wed blew the snow off the open slopes.
Please take heed of the banners and be nice to the tows.
Approaching the 105 corner on the Traverse, absolutely loaded the whole way. Where is the new 1.7m high fence?
Upper Cas, hard but grippy. Boulderfield side rattly.
Digging out the snow gun in the Ptarmigan Bowl.
Bashing out old drifts between fences in the Top Basin to try to loosen the snow pack.
Large kickers in the Ptarmigan Terrain Park.
View down the Ciste Fairway, not much sign of the fences here either.
New addition to the catering provision, good for a quick drink on a sunny day.
This was the queue for the M1 Poma around 3pm on Tuesday.
Zig Zags have great cover, loosened up a little in the Sun. Unlike Chicken Gully which would require a thermonuclear device proof!
Burnside was a spectator sport in the Sun on Tuesday!
Daylodge Poma was popular esp in the afternoon as it softened up somewhat in the afternoon Sun.
WWP closed so couldn't get anywhere else from the Daylodge Poma, but this was the place to be in the afternoon.
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There were a fair few lobsters around CairnGorm Mountain by Tuesday afternoon, yes you can get very sunburnt in Scotland in winter!
Despite the Sun and the warm air temperatures (again into double figures at the mid-station level) there was no thawing of the snowpack in the very dry air and thus surface conditions remained largely firm to hardpacked. Thus there remains a good to excellent cover across the trails with good riding back to the Daylodge via the lower slopes and M2/Daylodge.
Some areas loosened a bit with use, but some steeper stuff got rather polished later in the day. Extensive pisting was keeping a looser layer in the Ptarmigan Bowl and the Ciste Bowl though firm was grippy with a layer of loose sugary snow on top and giving nice turns.
The Daylodge Run faces into the afternoon Sun, so the Daylodge Poma was the pick of the afternoon, it's fence to fence and likely to start hard in the morning but once the Sun is on it should soften up once again.
Apart from the M2 and Top Basin the Ciste Side was closed, but the winchcat was working all afternoon on the WWP track and the Chair Run / Ryvoan - so hopefully the Poma at least will be able to go on Wed.
Though half term is ongoing this week, away from the Top Basin during Ski School hours and the Funicular early in the day the queues were small. Lower tows ride straight on and a couple of minutes wait for the M1 and Cas at most.
