HOTHAM 2010 - Live From the Mountain
Hi Guys, just thought I’d introduce myself before beginning the blog:
Real name: Barb
Age: 44
Where do I live: Aspendale, Victoria, AUS
A bit about me: Lived all my life in Melbourne (except for a 3 year stint in country Vic as a teenager) and I really love living close to the Bay in Melbourne’s South East. I work full time for an Importer/Distributor in the automotive industry where I am the Group Purchasing Manager, a role that keeps me extremely busy but affords me the opportunity for overseas travel. In the summer months I love to try my hand at wakeboarding either on the bay or at Lake Eildon in central Victoria. Bit of a hack, but getting better! I also love to travel and have been lucky enough to experience some beautiful parts of the world including many here in Australia. Other interests are music, wine, going out for dinner, hanging out with friends and many sports.
Home Mountain: Having first experienced snowboarding in 2004 at Mount Hotham, I now regard that as my ‘home mountain’ and it is where I will be based this 2010 season, living at Dinner Plain from June to October. I love Hotham as I have gotten to know the mountain and some of the people up there and it makes for a very enjoyable experience every time I return. Hopefully I get to meet some even more amazing people and board much more of the mountain this year
Boards:
Burton G-Twin 150
Burton Malolo 149
Virus FLP 150
GNU B-Street 149
Burton Troop 146
Bindings:
Burton Escapade Medium EST
Burton Escapade Medium
Boots:
Burton Q - stiff and perfect for freeriding
Outerwear:
Mainly wear Burton AK 3L jacket and pants; RED HiFi helmet and Burton AK Gore-Tex mitts
What terrain do I like to ride? Mostly hard pack groomers with a little bit of side-country ‘powder’ thrown in. Maybe I will do a little more exploring off the groomers this season or when I get back to Japan
Dream snowboard trip? I would love to spend a month in Colorado and Utah in a bumper season and experience some perfectly manicured steep and fast groomers. Combined with a week heliboarding in Alaska!
Opening Weekend:
Arrived at Dinner Plain about 3:30pm Saturday 12th June after a six hour journey from Melbourne with (another) car load of gear.
Stopped off at Millawa Cheese Factory for some supplies, Zirkys to say hello to all the staff and have a peak at the action on Sun Run. Took a while to unpack and set up the house with all the bits and pieces that are needed for that homely feel.
A cool, crisp glass of Sav Blac (my drink of choice) was my reward at 6:30pm when I happily sunk into the lounge in front of the fire and the TV.
Sunday I was debating with myself whether to get my gear out and go for a slide. Breakfast was a homemade loaf of “crunchy on the outside and soggy on the inside” multigrain bread. Coupled with sloppy scrambled eggs and a couple of cups of coffee. By this time it was 11:30am and I just could not be bothered to drag out the gear.
But we decided to head up to Hotham to check out the scene and organise our Dinner Plain/Hotham Bus passes.
It was a glorious day outside - a dusting of new snow was linning the car and the temps were jut a tad above 0 as we set off for the 15 min trip up the hill.
So, Big D, Summit Trainer and Sun Run were open:
Still lots of snbow needed at top of Village Chair:
Plenty of toboggin action down under the top of Village Chair - amusing for all those drunken bums sitting on swindlers deck:
Bumped into a few people up there who commented that even though the conditions were limited, it was still a lot of fun with plenty of turns to be had. Not bad conditions for the groomed Sun Run and Big D despite the 13 cms of mainly man made.
Temps are starting to climb avove 0 and there is a little bit of melt in the sunny areas, but snowmaking is continuing overnight in the main snowmaking areas at Hotham.
With no new snow ‘predited’ for a week or two lets hope the temps remain cold enough for the snowmakers to continue their great work and keep building that base.
You can feel the buzz around the villages of Hotham and Dinner Plain already and I feel very excited to be spending a few months enjoying all that it has to offer.
Welcome Season 2010
Your off to a fantastic start on your blog BD4.
Great to catch up for a quick chat yesterday, look forward to joining you for a slide and drink many times over the season.
Hows the Onsen?
Tambazz: Haven’t ventured into the Onsen yet, other than to join up. Probably go for a soak and swim today or tomorrow.
Still trying to sort things out and get settled in to a routine with still having to work at the same time.
Bit windy today - the trees are swaying quite a bit here in Dinner Plain, the sun is shinning but there are a few light clouds starting to roll in. They are moving rather quickly in this breeze.
Hey Barb, I’m really looking forward to your blog this season. Looks like there is a decent amount of snow on the ground. You must be stoked to be riding so early in the season. It’s definitely making me jealous. 
Enjoy the snow and I’m sure we’ll hear from you soon!
The temps have risen and the rain has started - it has been raining all afternoon here in Dinner Plain.
There were a few brave souls venturing down Sun Run as I sat comfortably in Zirky’s Bar looking out the window at the top of Playground Chair.
Couldn’t see much past the first 50 metres or so until the (strong) wind blew in the right direction and then the valley opened up through the clouds.
There is a bit of melt going on at the moment and I’m sure the staff are doing the best they can to preserve the open areas.
Let’s hope the temps drop and snowmaking can once again swing into action.
It’s pretty quiet on the hill at the moment with the staff at Zirkys happy to have a lengthy chat.
If the weather improves I may try to get a slide in on Friday morning.
Time for a glass of Sav Blanc…....Mum is here for the next couple of days, so better make it a few…..
That’s a shame about the rain, but I guess it’s expected from time to time during early season. Thanks for the update Barb. Let’s hope you get some fresh snow soon!
photos look good can’t wait to get up there
So last night was probably one of the worst storms that I have ever been through!
The winds were atrocious - the house was shaking and the trees were bent over.
The rain was relentless and conditions wiped out all the white stuff that was on the ground at Dinner Plain.
Not a good site to wake up to:
Then about late morning the rain turned to horizontal soggy slushy sleet/rain/snow/hail:
Early afternoon the temps dropped and the light fluffy snow started again:
Mum tobogganing in front of the house:
Will get up to Hotham tomorrow morning to have my first slide of the season.
I was going to ask you bdenny4 how it was up there. It was pretty horrid here in melbourne over the last 24hrs, must have been nasty up there.
I was going to ask you bdenny4 how it was up there. It was pretty horrid here in melbourne over the last 24hrs, must have been nasty up there.
nasty is not the word - couldn’t even get out the front door most of today.
Went out at lunch time to go to the shop and the slushy snow was falling horizontally with such force it ‘bit’ at my face!
Wind has died quite a bit now and the snow is falling light and fluffy, but not as heavy as about half an hour ago.
Once I get the pics above fixed (!) you’ll see the difference.
Can’t wait to get out tomorrow especially if this keeps up
Yeh can see pics now, the white stuff looks nice, hope you get to have ur slide tomorrow
Waking to much milder conditions and 5cm of snow on the ground at DP decided to head up top for a slide.
The road up was VERY icy and I was almost tempted to put the chain on the 4WD.
Conditions at the Summit were still pretty bad - visibility was low, wind was still quite strong and biting and the snow in front of Zirkys and Hotham Central was very icy until you hit some windblown stashes (not many).
Obvioulsy the conditions weren’t ideal, but thought I’d jump on the stupid pomma and give Summit Trainer a go.
Lasted one run as lessons had started and I’d forgotten how short that patch of snow is.
PLUS - Did I tell you….. I HATE POMMAS!!!!
Headed to Big D for a bit more shelter. Wind was more bearable, visibility not much better, run was less crowded and the snow seemed OK.
View of top of Big D from the chair:
Bottom of Big D:
Me with my new Burton G-Twin thanks to Boardworld:
Our snowman:
Clear sunny skies and warm temps
No snowmaking, bit of drizzly rain yesterday so we’ll lose a bit of cover before the next front comes in later this week.
May go for another slide tomorrow
Very warm and sunny up top this morning.
It was almost ‘no jacket’ day.
Big D was Ok, getting a littled crowded with kids club on the slopes.
Snow was getting a little slushy by mid morning and there were a few patches.
Had to be a bit careful.
View from half way up Big D Chair:
Patchy at bottom of Big D Chair:
Top of Big D:
Headed to Sun Run about 11am. Enjoyed it more than Big D.
There was more people but I believe the condition of the run was a little better.
Beginning to get slushy and chopped up close to midday - so time to head in for the day.
Looking up Sun Run:
Looking from bottom of Sun Run towards Heavenly Valley which needs a lot more cover:
Qick video from this morning at Big D:
me in yellow jacket