Snow Report Hotham

Ski trip Mt Hotham 2008 – 21st – 25th July
Monday
The long week started at 3:30am Monday morning being awoken from my slumber by one of my mates telling me that it was time to begin the long trip up the mountain from Melbourne. There were three of us on this trip all around the same level of skiing ability, low intermediate. We set off in horrible weather, hard rain and fog. It was dreadful all the way from Melbourne to the Hume going via Yea. It cleared up quite well while we were driving along the Hume and we made it Glenrowan by 6:10am for a quick stop for petrol and food. We ended up stopping for a little while and even at that time in the morning the place was packed.
On to Myrtleford for chain hire and a few more lose items that we needed. I cant remember the name of the shop, Roys? Hoys? Rays? Something like that, but the guys there were very helpful and I would recommend a stop in there for anyone going up the mountain in need of any odd bits and pieces. We were there for a while, arrived at 6:58am and left at 7:30 to start our journey up the mountain.
About 5km up from Harrietsville we saw the first evidence of snow. This is much lower than all the previous years we had been there. It was at about the stage of first snow that it started raining very heavily, we were very interested to find out where this was going to start turning to snow. The Chain fitting station was about 10km further out from the Resort entry booth. We paid the $10 to the friendly man waiting there to fit them for us. As we stepped out of the car we noticed that the rain had turned to sleet.
We started moving again and after 2 or 3 more corners the road was snow covered and it was slow going from there on. At the resort entry there was a queue of about 10 cars with the operator taking between 3 and 5 min to process each car. The drive was fairly easy and was snowing lightly most of the way. There was decent visibility too which made things a lot easier.
We finally made it to the day carpark just after 9:30am. We then walked over to the Alberg where we were staying got a home, they were really helpful and giving our room early since check in time was 4pm. We went to the ski hire there got fitted and ready to start the fun.
We decided to start the day of fairly easily since it had been a year without any skiing yet. Straight down Summit for the first runs of the day at 10:30 as it had been on wind hold all morning before that. WOW!!! Powder all over the run this was amazing I have never felt anything like that before. 2 Trips down summit and the old skiing legs were found. Straight down Sun Run and then onto Slalom Gully it was powdery as well but most importantly it was completely deserted. We did a Village loop after this. Still empty and still great skiing.
At the bottom we stopped at Snake Gully Hut for Lunch, what a mistake that was. Wedges, 2 Dimi’s and a poweraid....$17...what? Thats Crazy for what was essentially really crap food. After this we moved over to Orchard which was a little busier but still no more than a 2 min wait for the lifts. I took the wrong turn and ended up on Zirks(one of the runs that you guys on the forum said I shouldn’t do straight up) and I really struggled going down the second half of it. My body was starting to hurt at this stage and I decided to head back. Ended up on Lower Imagine for the first time and parts of it were close to knee deep in powder which I found very hard to control myself in, I lost my skis and spent 10 min trying to get my bindings back in and just couldn’t so I ended up walking down the last one third of the run. I spent the rest of the day on Summit and Road Runner just taking it easy. By the end of the day my shins, quads and calves were really hurting, even more than after previous years of skiing. I decided at that stage that there was something wrong with my boots.
Exhausted from our day of skiing we stumbled back to our room and opened a bottle of wine, a Sav Blanc from memory. Then for dinner we went to swindlers and had some beer and a parma. It was good service there and was fairly priced, good meal too. We went straight to bed after that to try and get an early start to the next day.
Tuesday
Our planned early morning start didn’t quite eventuate as none of us woke up till about 9. I went down to change my ski boots, best decision I made all week. The new boots hurt my legs much less, so I strongly recommend to anyone who has hired and it just isn’t feeling right to go back to the ski hire place and get them to have a look.
What a day! The weather was fantastic sun was out, clear ski and it was a chilly -6. Straight down the Village loop and around it a total of 4 times. The groomers had done a great job over night all the runs through here were nice a smooth and not yet that busy but still there were a lot more people than yesterday. The lift lines at the village chair were very short we normally had a less the 1 min wait with the longest being about 3min.
Went up for lunch at the Snowbird inn had a Chicken burger and chips with gravy for only $13 this was a great meal very filling and much better value that at Snake Gully. We also had a few beers over lunch and decided that from then on Snowbird was the best place to go for lunch every day and never went anywhere else.
The conditions around were great everywhere I went but the body was not holding up anywhere near as well as I would like. I once again took it easy after lunch staying around Road Runner and Summit Chairs. The Summit was starting to get very busy by the afternoon with an up to 5min Chairlift wait and it was running very slow for all the beginners using the lift for the first time.
Really great day skiing but once again I was let down by my body.
Had dinner at the Alberg Restaurant it was great meal for pizza’s and for snow prices it was fairly cheap. The staff were super friendly and I met the manager there earlier in the day at snowbird inn while I was out for a smoke so he gave me a free garlic pizza. What great customer service.
Went back to the room and decided a sauna and a swim would be the right thing for a mussels. We were spot on.
Another bottle of wine consumed in the room and onto the General for the night of what was advertised as trivia, sounded really good to me. Once we got down there we were informed that since the Uni’s were in town all other things were cancelled. Oh well I just launched into the drinks instead and chatted to the many on mountain staff down there. Had a great night and finally left at 2:30am.
Wednesday – Hang over day
Ok well I drank too much last night. It was about 10 before I was able to have a shower and 11 before I got out onto the slopes. Great day out again Sun was out and the runs were nice. There were a lot more people around through. Getting busier by the day.
By the mid-afternoon many of the runs, Summit, Slalom, Snake, Sun Run ect were very chopped up and starting to get a bit bumpy.
Did not do a lot today because I was just so out of it from drinking too much.
Ended up at Jack Frosts for dinner, I would recommended this to anyone staying at Hotham. Great big meals at a very reasonable price.
Thursday
Nice clear day again, all snowmaking going over night. I was out on the runs by about 9am. We headed back out to Orchard and it was all nicely groomed over night. Hit Watershed, Charons, and Mitchells before heading back to the Heavenly Chair via Snake Gully. I had lunch again at snowbird inn and then just stuck to the Village loop for the rest of the day. Once again by the end of the afternoon everything was very chopped up and it was fairly tough going.
All of my group were very tired by this stage we just finished off another bottle of wine before going back out to Jack Frosts for dinner(we liked it so much we had to go again)
Friday
Packed up and left by 8am. My mates going back to Melbourne and on the way dropping me off at Falls for another few weeks of skiing. Trip down was easy we left out chain on until the resort entry as there was still a bit of snow on the road and bits of black ice.

Key Points
Best days of skiing in my life ever
I personally improved a long way to the point that in the mornings the blue runs at hotham were all within my ability. By the afternoon I just didn’t have enough strength left.
Snowbird Inn is the best place to go for lunch
Jack Frosts is the best place to go for dinner
Alberg is a great place to stay but they have the most unreliable internet I have ever used
Sorry for the long post I just wanted to take down all my thoughts on the week. I will post some photos once I get a decent internet connection.

The Slushy Report (from the CSIR lodge) - Sunday 20th July (Note - my previous report below is for Saturday 19th July)

Sunday - 6.35am awoke to the dreaded sound of prefrontal four-letter-R-word mixed with sleet. Very windy. Gradually struggled to turn to snow, I decided to head out anyway. It was heavy wet snow up top in the morning (8.15am), turning to r*** lower down.

Runs Assessed:
Hogg's Back - ungroomed, medium moguls, wet compacted snow surface.
Davenport Access - cover took a bit of battering from the r***, but still complete - some pale brown showing in the bit closer to Village.
Basin, Gully Cat Walk, Slalom Gully etc - compacted damp surface. Okay to turn on, but slow.
Sundowner - cover complete, but some wear and tear further down especially the bit that turns left towards Slalom Gully.
Off Your Tree - mogully, cover mostly complete, with some vegetation starting to poke through the wearing cover lower down.
Heaven Valley - very windy at the top, turning snow and sleet into stinging pellets on unprotected faces. The cover in this area was holding up well with heavy wet snow falling. THis gradually turned to lovely light fluffly flakes as the day progressed.
Patroller's Drop - thick heavy snow
Gotcha chair lift was on wind hold, so we couldn't check out the extreme zone :-(.
Road Runner was also on windhold.
We gave up around midday as we were soaked and cold. The prefrontal stuff passed and the skies opened up will lovely, lovely heave snowfalls. There were about 10-15 cms on the roof of our car when we retrieved it, and there was huge quee to get off the mountain on the Harrietville Site. The next few days are going to offer awesome skiing & boarding to those lucky enough to be up there! Enjoy!!! :-D