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First tracks of the upcoming 2012 season on the 'Gorm?
Drifted snow fields in the Marquis Well area just above the Ptarmigan Tow.
Ptarmigan at the top of the Traverse, starting to change to white.
More snow in the distance on Braeriach, has it made an impact on the last old snow patch?
First snow on the way up the Traverse.
Looking back up the Ptarmigan Traverse from just outside the Top Station.
New burn crossing at the foot of the Burnside run outside the Daylodge.
New sub surface drainage installed on the Carpark Tow track, no burn for the uptrack to collapse into now.
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Report
This week has seen the most significant snow fall of the autumn so far down into the upper reaches of the Snowsports Area. The first snow of October and accompanied by very high winds, so a couple of inches of snow give drifts of 18inches to a couple of feet in parts of the Marquis Well and down the fence line of the Ptarmigan Traverse.
These first turns of October make for the 24th consecutive month of sliding on CairnGorm Mountain, mission accomplished for the 2 year haul. Hopefully the run wont come unstuck in November or December!
An occlusion overnight raised the FL just enough to start to thaw the surface, but with little consolidation of the snow, so quite deep soft drifts but with a very slow surface, plus a head wind! Some what longer run than September, chunk of the Marquis Well and down the Ptarmigan Traverse. Some combat skiing on the later at the top.
Milder conditions set to sweep in during Saturday, but it maybe short lived with some snow showers on the tops again early next week. Autumn is definitely here and winter is getting nearer.