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coaster


Posts: 222
Joined: Aug 2007
Last Visited: 23:14
16th Jan 2017
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Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 17.46hrs on Wed 22 Oct 08
Cheers for the update Firefly. We've had some extremely wet weather here lately which i reckoned would have reduced the snow more than it has.
Point 5 is a major surprise and certainly has a chance.

Looks good in the Gorms-what a difference from West to East.

If conditions permit then another trip up in Nov is a strong possibility.



Da kishman


Posts: 308
Joined: Nov 2003
Last Visited: 17:31
10th Jan 2018
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 18.18hrs on Wed 22 Oct 08
Firefly - is the 4th patch at GCM confirmed as having gone then? I was hoping that Keith didn't see it on his trip due to it poss. being covered in fresh. Also got an e from AW to say GUB has had no updates since 2 patches was reported by D&J and RJ.Am hoping to visit this sunday.

firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 19.19hrs on Wed 22 Oct 08
Da kishman,

There's no definite verification of the 4th patch, but the consensus is that it's gone. It was very shallow when I visited with coaster on the 27th September. Unless all the new snows melt, exposing what's left, then it can't be verified one way or another.

Another visit to GUB would be very helpful. smiling smiley Don't forget your shovel!

moffatross


Posts: 1525
Joined: Mar 2006
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 00.39hrs on Thu 23 Oct 08
stuart Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ross,Alice,
>
> Back in March 2006 I hiked up my local hill
> Queensberry (697m) and had a good wee slide back
> down. I have a small report and a couple of
> pictures on my site.
> I have also been up both Hartfell and White Comb
> for a slide in previous years.
> Will be hoping to get out on the Moffat hills this
> winter.

Hello Stuart and thanks for your post, it's really nice to know there's a few of us in D&G making the most of our little mountains winking smiley.

Nice web page & great effort on Queensberry. Cycled around Ae a couple of weeks back and Hart Fell is a regular hill for me when running (actually I kind of half walk / jog up it but run back down) & takes about 90 minutes return from Annan Water hall.

Queensberry is a hill that I see the NE aspect of from the front room (see attached from 11th March), I've walked up there but never skied it so will make the effort this winter. I was hoping to see a dusting up there this morning but it was under cloud every time I looked.

The weather outlook for next week is very promising for snow so PM me if you'd like some company on an early season grass skiing outing or any time later. smiling smiley






Attachments: queensberry for web.jpg (170kB)  
Da kishman


Posts: 308
Joined: Nov 2003
Last Visited: 17:31
10th Jan 2018
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 17.32hrs on Thu 23 Oct 08
Coaster - was looking back at Mike_W's photo of the Ben from 7.Sep. (page 8 of thread) - there are 3 patches in Gardyloo gully visible in this pic. - could your circled area in recent pics. conceivably be one of these?
Also looking at your 'Ben' report from 24.Oct last year - was the Ob.Gully patch this year of similar size? Appreciate it was obscured this year, just a rough idea!

coaster


Posts: 222
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Last Visited: 23:14
16th Jan 2017
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Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 19.09hrs on Thu 23 Oct 08
Da kishman i believe that the circled patch further up in Gardyloo gully is old snow.It certainly has the classic "shape" of snow exposed to basal erosion.

As for the comparison from Oct 24th 07 i would say they are very similar. The circles in the attached pic are not present this year and the square is the 2nd smaller patch mentioned in my report but was smaller than the remains in the 07 pic.

The rectangle to the left had disappeared to leave the crab shaped patch by the first snows around my trip of Nov 13th i believe.

There is already a huge hollow developing in this patch which will leave this thinner left side to melt first should we get a prolonged thaw which doesn't look too likely given the forecast.

Attachments: NEVIS.jpg (451kB)  
Da kishman


Posts: 308
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10th Jan 2018
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 19.21hrs on Thu 23 Oct 08
Cheers Coaster - would be nice to think the forecast cold snap might mean you won't be needing to slog up there again this year!!!!!!!!!

coaster


Posts: 222
Joined: Aug 2007
Last Visited: 23:14
16th Jan 2017
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Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 19.25hrs on Thu 23 Oct 08
Absolutely! But you never know,i may well hook up with Firefly for a final trip.

Watch this space................

RJ


Posts: 106
Joined: Jan 2007
Last Visited: 13:26
19th Feb 2021
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 19.13hrs on Fri 24 Oct 08
There's been a fair reduction over the last week in the two GUB patches in the Gorm's

Heres the stats

The left hand patch (as seen in the pic on my previous post) is almost split in two right down the middle

The length from pole to pole is about 8-9m with a 50cm bridge in the middle
the width at the two widest parts roughly about 2.5-3m

The patch to the right has a length of about 5m between the poles with a width of about 3m

As for the depth of the two patches will be guessing about 1m

Hopefully Da Kishman will make it up on Sunday. Will be interesting how they cope with the rain on Saturday.

Next mild period of 48hrs or longer I reckon they'll be gone.

Next visit probably in about two weeks.

Keep ya posted

Attachments: DSC00838 (Large).JPG (73kB)   DSC00831 (Large).JPG (72kB)   DSC00833 (Large).JPG (72kB)  
firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 06.38hrs on Sat 25 Oct 08
Thanks, RJ. Great effort!

These patches are now on the 'critically endangered' list, and won't take too much mild weather. Today's forecast isn't wonderful, but the days afterwards are forecast to be cold, with some snow. Da kishman's proposed visit could be crucial!

Thanks again. Most useful.

Da kishman


Posts: 308
Joined: Nov 2003
Last Visited: 17:31
10th Jan 2018
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 20.23hrs on Sun 26 Oct 08
Nice shots RJ! Take it you were out on Friday?
Well, I reckon you're right about these patches disappearing if there's any more very mild weather. I was there today (Sunday) and the left hand of your 2 patches has indeed split to give a patch c.1.8x1.2x0.3m and one of c.4x2.5x0.5m. The right hand one looks to have weathered the thaw on Sat. best still measuring c.4x2x0.5m. No drifting of new snow today at patches themselves, so these really need to get well covered this week I reckon.
The middle patch has a narrow neck itself now, and another bad thaw would split this patch again, and probably melt the smallest of todays patches. The right hand patch appears most uniform and robust - most likely to survive.

Attachments: IMG_0027.JPG (229kB)   IMG_0028.JPG (290kB)   IMG_0030.JPG (238kB)  
Jamie


Posts: 987
Joined: Jan 2002
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 22.35hrs on Sun 26 Oct 08
Da kishman - nice work with the blatant advertising for H-I on WH (as seen in this pic) winking smiley

Cheque's in the post winking smiley

firefly


Posts: 2149
Joined: May 2006
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 08.17hrs on Mon 27 Oct 08
Well done, that man!

Looks like the best hope now is for the remaining snow to be covered by what falls this week. If this cold spell passes without a reasonable covering on GUB then it won't take more than a couple of days of mild, wet weather to finish it off? That said, the patches should firm up very nicely in this northerly blast of cold weather.

I believe that the protalus patch on Aonach Mor will also still be there, but very small.

Given the weather this morning [www.highland-instinct.co.uk] , it looks as though all areas have received a decent covering of new snow. Nevis looks white down to about 2000-ft, but Observatory Gully and Point 5 Gully should both be nicely covered.

I would say that the 3 GCM patches are certainties to survive, as is Aonach Beag. Observatory Gully is more-or-less assured (barring a disaster), and the remaining ones (protalus at Aonach Mor, Point 5 on Nevis and Garbh Uisge Beag on Macdui) still on the critical list.

I think that by the end of the cold spell we should know pretty much what will and won't survive.

Fingers crossed.

*EDIT* - The possibility of a small patch at Gardyloo Gully on Nevis (as per coaster's picture) is still present. I'll leave that to coaster to decide as to whether or not he thinks that is 'old' snow, as I wasn't there when he took it. Certainly the patch was there in late August when we went, and fairly deep looking.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 08.20hrs Mon 27 Oct 08 by firefly.

AHH


Guest
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 08.53hrs on Mon 27 Oct 08
Could I ask, as an impartial observer, why do the people who contribute to this study and post on this forum feel so passionately about old snow?

Anthropomorphisation of snow patches is not something I have come across before and I am curious to learn more about why people feel protective towards and have emotional capital tied up in old snow in Scotland.

Thank you

naefearjustbeer


Posts: 1043
Joined: Apr 2007
Last Visited: 23:28
22nd Nov 2015
Re: Attention all Walkers! 2008 Snow Patch Season
Date Posted: 09.11hrs on Mon 27 Oct 08
Because its not any old snow it Mature Scottish Snow.

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