I don’t know about you, but I’m at my best in mid winter. My brain works better, I feel more cheerful, I want to be out amongst it. I crave altitude, snow, rock, ice, and being above tree line.

I always get a bit sad at the end of winter. One way to deal with the sadness is to embrace it, so I try to make sure I’m at Hotham for closing weekend. There’s something so final about last day of the season. As services wind down, the lifts stop spinning, the bus does its last lap of the village, and Dinner Plain and Hotham empty out, I feel like winter is finally over. I’m ready to move on into the next season. Traditional New Years Eve happens in the middle of summer, just after Christmas madness, with hot weather stretching out for months on either side. I find it hard to feel like the year is over as the land just feels the same, caught in the summer doldrums. Whereas end of winter is a physical event. For me, the day after snow season ends is New Years Day, it marks a clear end of one part of the year, and I feel like I can step fully into spring.

Happy New Year, everyone. Only 234 sleeps til winter!

For a great summary of the season that was, check this post from Reggae Elliss, writing on Mountainwatch.

(These are some pics from winter 2017).

Late May
Late May, Dinner Plain.
Hotham, June.
Hotham, early July.
Hotham, mid July.
Falls Creek, July.
Bluff Spur hut, Mt Stirling.
Alpine Ash, Mt Stirling
Mt Stirling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

King Spur hut, Mt Stirling.
Mid August, Mt Stirling. After the ‘Blizzard of Oz 2.0′.
Stanley Bowl, mid Aug.
Western face of the Snowies, from Upper Murray River. Late August.
Splitboard festival, Jindabyne, late August.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heading out from Guthega, SplitFest.
Incredible fresh pow, Dead Horse Gap.
Swampy Plains River and the western slopes.
Bogong from Mt Beauty.
Bogong from Tawonga Gap.
Falls Creek, August.
Avalanche Course organised by Main Range Backcountry, Harrietville.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avalanche course prac session, Eagle Ridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good old Mt Bogong.
Heading upriver, Ovens valley. Mt Feathertop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World telemark day, Mt Loch, early September.
Eastern slopes of Mt Loch.
Mt Loch.
Mt Loch.
Some of the world telemark day crew, Mt Hotham. September.
The Razorback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South side of Hotham, mid Sept.
So much backcountry terrain was in great condition this year. Like The Twins, VIC.
Hotham, early Oct.
Razorback and Buffalo, Oct.
Razorback and Hotham.
Mt Loch and the Bogong High Plains, Oct.
Loch and Feathertop from near JB Plain.
Almost done… view from Mt Blowhard, Oct 3.
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The Bluff

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Last turns, The Bluff, mid October.