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KiwiNewZ

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Kiwi Snow Reports, New Zealand

September 9, 2000 - Free and Independent

Kia Ora

"A significant weather event." That's how Jim from the Earth Sciences Department at Victoria University described the storm that hovered in to view about 16 August. The other Jim on TV showed us stacked isobars heading "down to about 65 degrees South with the Antarctica coming up to around 75 deg South" and puts out a "stock watch".

Hamish from the Remarkables reports at 6am on the 17th "a spectacular light show from lightning way out to the west coast so something is sitting there". And so we got deposited on in the Queenstown area with some good snowfalls over several days.

Meanwhile further North Mt Dobson, Mt Hutt and Porters Heights were the three fields that got dumped on. And we mean dumped. 1.8 metres of dumping. Now that takes some dumping. The whole of the Canterbury region got a big weather kick with flooded rivers wiping out road and rail links and snow to low levels hammering the poor old lambs.

While all this was going on Fiordland and the west coast basked in clear and warm weather.

4 seasons in one day.

Evan " lets get significant " Bloomfield

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>== This Issue

** Short Takes
** Fresh Snow Falls
** Snow Area Report update for 9 September
** Bragging Back Fires
** Primo Peak to Porridge
** Job to Die for
** Big Day Out Boarding
** ThaT Snowfall
** Subscribe and unsubscribe information

>== Short Takes

NIWA reports this winter as the warmest on record. Now that's significant. Two major factors - a series of highs out at the Chatam Islands keeping warm northerlies floating down on to the country and sea temperatures around little old Aotearoa several degrees warmer than normal.

Free parking in Queenstown? You bet ya. Seems the powers to be are having trouble replacing the last two parking wardens since it is such a stink job so you can park for free in Queenstown. No mean feat seeing it is one of the most expensive places to park and it's 7 days. No knowing how long it will last but if you want to check just ring Civic Corp and ask if the job is still available :-)

Done an acid drop lately? No No No not the drug variety. This is the name for a classic and ballsy snowboard move. Those that know are in the know and if you know then email me and the first person with the right answer wins a Kiwi key ring. Here is a clue. One went down during the recent Snowboard Nationals on Coronet.

>== Fresh Snow Falls

Well we have said it before and we will say it again. Once you say it, it has already changed. That's what it has been like this winter with big snowfalls followed by warm weather and a rapid melt down then just as we settle in to spring conditions it snows again. Winter woollies rapidly alternating with summer short sleeves.

Take the last snow cycle as an example. 18 / 19 August was the big dump with some serious snow. This was followed by three weeks of gradually warmer weather, rapidly rising snow levels and an increasingly loud clamour from heretics about summer activities. Just as things were starting to look particularly drastic bingo we get some more snow. Got to love that.

For a record of the snow falls before 1 August click here.

cm	Cardrona		Coronet Peak		The Remarkables		Treble Cone
1 August		5				10		10
11 August		20		20		30	25	45
12 August				5		10	5	15
18 August	5	10	10	15	10	20	10	15
19 August	10	20	5	10	10	20	10	20
27 August		10				5		5
7 September	15	25	5	10		20	30	50
8 September	5	10	5	10		25	10	20
9 September		20	15	25	20	30	35	45
10 September		25	20	25	10	20		10

The two columns represent, roughly, top and bottom measurements reported at about 6am for the previous 24 hours. If it is blank it is because they didn't get any snow or I never did find out how much. These figures are a combination of the early bird radio report ( sometimes ), faxed snow reports and extensive personal research :-)

Up to the contents

>== Snow Area Report as of 9 September

Those North gendered winds give the snow areas a bit of a hammering in between the snow falls but funny thing is the skiing and riding goes off! Solid underneath with a soft layer fit for carving and slashing.

Then we get a nice top up from the big storm and things are looking white again. Half pipes, terrain parks and backcountry areas are off limits as the staff scurry to check the hazards and re shape the pipes.

Meanwhile powder crazied skiers and riders chomp at the bit to get up, and out and involved after each new layer. The nice thing about new snow? It's soft when you crash!

The snow on the Thursday 7th was a bit wet but Friday the weather came more from the west so it was quite a bit drier. There was so much snow by the 9th of September that campervans were banned from many mountain roads and chains were required on all vehicles including 4WD's. "Lifts scheduled to open progressively" as many of the snowfields warned.

Treble Cone

When it comes to regular large snow falls then TC is the one. I mean look at the average annual snow fall - 5.5 meters.

Hetty from Treble Cone is so excited with the huge falls and brilliant conditions she has gone completely unwrapped ....

"Another powder day!! Yet another 35-50cms at base last night and up to a metre of fresh powder on the upper mountain."

"To celebrate all the new snow, we're having a Moro day on Friday 15th September and you're invited. Just bring any Moro bar wrapper to the ticket office on Friday 15th and we'll give you a lift pass for only $10! Special applies on Friday 15th September only."

8 September and it's a true powder day - legendary in fact. 9 September the road is closed (temporarily ) and it's snowing down to lake level and very dry snow. Ooooh aaah.

Still seem to be offering $20 off a day pass for nzski.com season pass holders. Worth a go anyway.

Coronet Peak

Saturday 19 August saw the Rocky Gully T-Bar open for the first time this season. Now that's some progress! The next Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday on the peak were phenomenal with the weather staying a little bit schmoee which helped keep the hordes away and a nice little touch up each day. Session of the season one would have to say - so far anyway!

With recent storms the snow at Coronet has become pretty damn nice. She is a ski and ride everywhere experience again.

Up to the contents

Remarkables

Some supreme skiing and riding at the Remarks. Hamish's call for Sunday 20th August was Toilet Bowl and Chris Vile from Boarderzone confirmed it. He did it three times!

Primo Terrain Park on the sugar bowl lift and the Ozone Tubing Park have been going off as have the family days. Reports of NZ film guru Peter Jackson wondering around in shorts and gumboots un recognised.

The photo shows the double cone of the Remarkables on the left skyline. Check out the extreme terrain leading down in to Lake Alta. The NZ freeskiing champs were held in the Alta Chutes which are on the left side but out of shot. Click here to see a blow up of the shot.

Top of Sugar Bowl

Cardrona

Cardrona form Nigels Office. Go Nigel.

Looking mighty fine with a good cover of natural and some nice freshies. Big drifts off piste.

All four pipes are shaped up and maintained daily. The Monster really is living up to it's name. A quarter pipe has been shaped up for the last couple of weeks at the bottom of the Johnny.

The Wonderpark 2000 is 'flying ' really well although if it's foggy expect the park to be closed for safety reasons. The 3 original HUGE hits and two smaller jumps plus the funbox and 2 rail slides make an excellent run to play on. Amuse yourself AND the people on the chair above.

Waiorau Snow Farm

Well as part of the pre wedding celebrations a good sized group of eager skinny skiers headed off to the top of the Pisa range. Donning the sand shoe like boots and fragile looking skatie skis we headed out high on the Pisa to the Bob Leigh Hut about two hours langlauf away. A support team was heading up with provisions in the snow cat so the load was light.

Amazing what a bit of anaerobic ( Oh I know it's meant to be aerobic but we found a bit of downhill on the way) exercise can do for your appetite and the spread awaiting us at the hut was eagerly consumed. The Bob Leigh hut is at the edge of the Waiorau Snow Farm and offers spectacular views out over the Wanaka basin. Our return via the scenic route "River Run" was somewhat more orderly than the mornings effort but it sure was good to see the base facilities again - as that Finnish world champion woman skated past on her second circuit at a blistering pace ...

All in all a lovely day in the hills, some new muscles discovered and the Speights at the Cardrona Hotel went down a treat. X country skiing - give it a go.

Check out the brand new Waiorau Snow Cam.

Up to the contents

>== Bragging Back Fires

Well you know sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you just have to tell someone and brag. You have found the perfect run or you are at the bestest party or the waves are going off.

It was a bit like that for me on Friday. 20 - 30 cm's of freshies, not many people around and every line you take proving to be a winner. So I had to ring Murray. 4 runs in to the day, plenty more to come and poor old Muzza on the 13th floor of the office block in Auckland.

We are good mates so you can believe he understood the need for me to gloat and acted appropriately. Contrite that he was living a life of responsibility and reason. Cursing that he wasn't there. Smug that I had spread the word far enough I slipped in to the queue to find much to my angst that the lift had stopped. More than stopped .... it was empty!

Quickly realising that something was way amiss and that the T-Bar hadn't fired up for the day I zipped over to the triple before the now considerable queue of frothing snow seekers realised their plight. Yep, 10am, one of the top 5 mornings of the season and there was only one serious lift operating. Doh!

So I did the only reasonable thing. From the top of the triple I headed over to the elephant pit, eerily quiet with empty chairs my only witness, and in honour of Murray got first tracks for the season on the east face of Elephant Pit. All 3 turns.

And I thought as I abandoned the mono mountain at 10.30am, Murray mate, those 3 turns were for you.

>== Primo Peak to Porridge

Into snow boarding and surfing? In the Queenstown area about the 22nd of September? Why not check out the Primo Peak to Porridge.

Friday 22 September is the boardercross on Coronet Peak followed by a quick roady down to Riverton and some White Water Waves at Porridge on Saturday.

Saturday evening is the Post Porridge Party and Prize Giving with a hangi and music to dance.

Check out the website for more info.

Up to the contents

> == Job to die for

Those of you regulars will have heard me rave about the Mt Cook National Park backcountry. So you will realise why I wondered ( for a split second ) about applying for this job to die for!

Conservation Officer ( Emergency Services )

Aoraki / Mt Cook Area is a great place to live and work if you are a climber or skier.

Some of New Zealand's best outdoor terrain is at your backdoor. Steep alpine rock and ice, awesome glaciers .... you need to be a climber, hold you own as a skier in the backcountry and capably swing a hammer.

Not actually too sure what you do but it is bound to involve mountains. Big ones. If you are interested Email: gprattley@doc.govt.nz

Up to the contents

>== Big Day Out Boarding

A zillion and one events in the last few weeks ranging from the Husksys dragging sleds around the top of the Pisa to the NZ Snowboard Nationals at Coronet to the Opera in the Courtyard at Cardrona - or should that be Opera in the Coffee Shop?

A Big Day Out Boarding at Cardrona Alpine Resort took my fancy.

Start with some Extreme freeriding through the Arcadia chutes and follow that up by a Big Air event on a 22m tabletop jump and you start to get the picture.

Extreme winner Adam Dyck attributed "a great choice of heart stopping lines and finishing with my board and body in one piece at the end of both runs" as the reason for his first placing. He was chased home by two other local Wanaka riders, Eddie Talbot and Reon Morland.

In the Hammer Big Air the winner was definitely the huge jump.

With the PA blasting and scores and places being announced the atmosphere was excellent with a crowd of two hundred spread up the hill side for the free entertainment.

Top women's extreme rider Sharon Parker continued her charge and took top place in both events. Local rider Steve Fergusson held off a strong challenge from a core of visiting pro-riders from North America. "Sticking each and every landing today was sweet. My confidence rocketed and by the end I definitely felt bulletproof. It was a great jump."

Up to the contents

>== ThaT snowfall.

Oh come on. You didn't think you were getting away without me talking about ThaT snow fall. Now before you go all green on me don't worry. I wasn't one of the fortunate few. Drat.

So we have to rely on the words and photos of Simon - looks like he was .... one of the few.

Hi,

Mt. Hutt's has recorded it's biggest ever single snowfall of 1.8 metres over the past 60 hour storm cycle.

Today, Sunday, was a truly epic day's skiing and riding, as the snow was soft, cold and light with 100% of terrain open (excepting the top t bar, which still requires digging out.) Clear, sunny and calm.

Simon

Tracsk all over.

Mt Hutt 20 August

Click on this photo. Go on. I dare you.

Thanks Simon .... not. 1.8 metres. Now that's significant.

>++ Outside Sports - Proud to sponsor Kiwi Snow Reports

Outside Sports, Queenstown's largest winter store.

Need new skis? Take advantage of the Outside Sports "Demo Programme". Try Before You Buy!

Our demo programme on Coronet Peak offers on mountain assistance plus the chance to test different makes and models of skis and snowboards.

To check out our demo program at Outside Sports click here.

Top of the Mall, Queenstown. Come in and say gidday.

>== In the Last Issue

11 August 2000 - Short Takes, Fresh Snow Falls, Snow Area Report update for 11 August, Roy's Report, Mailing List Blues, Jae has a Snow Scooter, Club Med for summer?, Snowboarding Simulation, Subscribe and unsubscribe information

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