thanks for update Timberline - might have to nip out for a post work ski tomorrow, before the snow cover deteriorates

Still plenty of snow at clash, I was out from 4.39-5.30 this evening, lovely sunshine skiing.
Snow was soft in sun, but surprisingly very crisp and fast in the shade even with AirTemp of 8 degrees driving home.
Managed my main loop without removing skis, but only just. Only 3 bare bits to worry about.

After a slight frost overnight the skiing today was slick at 11am, softening by midday. The skiable snow started 100m in from the entrance. The groomed trails remained in very good shape, and are sufficiently compacted to resist a certain amount of thawing. On the Main Drag the occasional gaps were short and just about bypassable, but by Saturday it may be a case of taking off the skis and walking a few paces. The bottom of Telemark Twist was becoming bare but was bypassable with a defined right turn needed onto rather rough snow. The usual nasty gap on the downhill at the start of Normans Way was easily skiable today without bypassing, although there's still a short, less alarming gap at the bottom of that downhill. Snowgoose and the Timberline snowfield were reported still to be complete today but no doubt the heather will become increasingly evident as the weekend continues. With no frost in prospect the snow on all trails is likely to be soft in the mornings, becoming soggy in places through the day. The best advice is to arrive early and head for the Haute Route.

The trails are now broken, the birds are singing, and woodpeckers hammering -- but despite the inexorable advance of spring there is still snow to ski on if you don't mind a bit of a plod to get there. More usefully, a combination of last week's grooming and cold ground conditions has ensured the survival of a number of stretches of skiable snow, e.g. from the Little Range almost to Classic Start; most of Short Cut (entertaining); and (really good) the Summit Level of the Haute Route. Hedder Wye looked to have lots of snow where it joins Short Cut; and, although not visited today, there's every chance that La Glace will have long skiable stretches too. Most of the Timberline snowfield and Snowgoose is complete, with spring snow. And there's still enough snow on most of the Little Range and 20% of the (big) Range for instruction and training.

Although the trails are broken the cool night-time temperatures are helping to preserve the surviving stretches of snow. Indeed, today there was ice where the more vulnerable patches had thawed and re-frozen. There are still a number of long skiable sections on the trails and on the Timberline snowfield to suit the enthusiast willing to walk to get there. The Little Range is still 30% covered with adequate snow for instruction and a narrow strip survives on the Biathlon range itself.

We ended with 92 days skiing this season of which 66 of those could be considered good ski days. The season got off to a good start on the 20th Nov when we had 2-3 weeks of good skiing until the middle of December. There was then a bit of a drought with only some marginal ski days in January. But February & March once again proved the most reliable snow months and there fairly continuous skiing from the 7th Feb until our last ski day on the 12th April. Over the last 15 years the most reliable period for skiing is the 13-17 Feb each when statistically you have over 72% chance of skiing.