Snow season

[crollsurf]

Thanks Xplora, thats interesting but sounds like the road(s) wont open for some time yet.
I thought maybe I could walk out from Falls but until October 6, looks like the resort wants to charge $64/day to park my car, so forget that.

[Biggles]

Mount Bogong from Chris R., visited last week.

He's gone up again this am for another 4-6 days (!)
This vid shows Bogong losing a fair amount of cover last week, even less cover expected now. Firm and packed on top, with poor vis.
He encountered a wild 'river' coming down the track on the final approach up. Camped on a neat snow-less meadow.

No spikes needed on Staircase, but muddy and slippery.

https://youtu.be/7YoLI3saB8Q?si=ccGd1R5f2oBP_D_U

[Baeng72]

Web cam from Hotham looked good earlier today. Was a bit blowy though according to weatherzone.
Whoever does 78.4km/h is courting danger.
No skin and broken stuff if you come off.
Nope, not interested.
Anyway, whatever, I'll investigate modes of exercise that don't require 8 hrs driving to get to and from or riding down a steep hill.

Get yourself a exercise bike, I believe getting your cardio fitness up helps with bushwalking also eating healthy imo

OK, thanks I guess. That's the reason I mentioned cardio or aerobic fitness to Biggles, so you're banging on an open door.
Not that it matters, but I've got an exercise bike, but 14 year old eldest who has just gotten taller than me, and weighs 80kg, but thinks he's still a dainty 5 year old busted it, so I guess I had an exercise bike..
I have a mountain bike, and I ride when I can, but for the last 6 weeks, I've been various states of unwell*, so apart from a few short rides and the odd bit of jogging, just walking about 5km a day with dog and going to gym.
I'm doing pretty good on the eating front, but I'm not a food nazi.

[Baeng72]

Web cam from Hotham looked good earlier today. Was a bit blowy though according to weatherzone.
Whoever does 78.4km/h is courting danger.
No skin and broken stuff if you come off.
Nope, not interested.
Anyway, whatever, I'll investigate modes of exercise that don't require 8 hrs driving to get to and from or riding down a steep hill.

Get yourself a exercise bike, I believe getting your cardio fitness up helps with bushwalking also eating healthy imo

Or a Wahoo Kickr Rollr (as I have), if you have a road bike — but a fear of high speeds, sweeping downhills (not steep hills!), long drives, suicidal beaut ute drivers...and sunburn...

https://tinyurl.com/2zmhr6jr

An holistic approach to eating, regular exercise / varied activity is a lot better than one sole activity; an old addage that was once common among the vehemently strident old guard of bushwalking clubs went something like, "only bushwalking prepares your legs for bushwalking, not cycling!". Oh, you don't say now...interesting that I have conveniently outlived those pundits!

I have pursued many active interests, bushwalking among (a natural progression from my Queen's Scout days), cycling, swimming and running for 47 years ... and all that is with a kidney transplant first done in March 1977...and is still going! Go figure.

I have CKD, working on not needing a transplant/dialysis. But not sure of the cause, the being overweight/high blood pressure and taking too much prescribed ibuprofen type drugs for sarcoidosis seems to be main culprit, so haven't touched ibuprofen in 2 years (which is a bugger because neurofen/movic was great when sarcoidosis flared), and have dropped 15kg in last couple of years. Also, could be the sarcoidosis or heamachromatosis (I seem to collect chronic diseases) damaging kidneys, so specialist is not sure.

[Biggles]

My 2c worth of another dramatic veering off-topic, off-track, off-plot and anything else (you started it! )

CKD is progressive, not static, and not helped at all by ^^BP!
They will need to get sarcoidosis sorted before anything else.
You will likely need one or the other (HD/TX), (likely both) culminating in a tx at some time.
Just to mention it, Ibuprufen is prohibited for use in established renal tx patients.

I am fairly outspoken as not supportive of the current generation of immunosuppressants for tx; they are toxic to the transplant, resulting in failure after +/- 10 years. There are folks who would like me to shut up about that. Well folks (dead and alive), that aint gonna happen.

[Xplora]

Thanks Xplora, thats interesting but sounds like the road(s) wont open for some time yet.
I thought maybe I could walk out from Falls but until October 6, looks like the resort wants to charge $64/day to park my car, so forget that.

While I can see the benefit in taking the hard work out of getting some vertical by car there is another way that will not cost you dearly if you are prepared to walk a few hours more and it won't cost you much more driving time from Sydney. It will mean 850m vertical over 11km so quite moderate (that is only 600m more vertical than starting at Falls. Basically a half day walk to put you at 1750m. From there you have the entire BHP to explore for free. There might be the odd TAFE or school group out and about but by and large it will be very quiet. If you are interested you can send me a PM and I will give you details.

[crollsurf]

... It will mean 850m vertical over 11km so quite moderate (that is only 600m more vertical than starting at Falls. Basically a half day walk to put you at 1750m. From there you have the entire BHP to explore for free. There might be the odd TAFE or school group out and about but by and large it will be very quiet.

I might be tempted to head up Mount Bogong instead, because you got that climb regardless of the season. And save the high plains for later when the road is open.

[Camminata]

Thanks Xplora, thats interesting but sounds like the road(s) wont open for some time yet.
I thought maybe I could walk out from Falls but until October 6, looks like the resort wants to charge $64/day to park my car, so forget that.

Park at Big Hill you can be up at the 1700 mark in 3 to 4 hours of easy walking, avoiding the dirty resort fees.

[Xplora]

... It will mean 850m vertical over 11km so quite moderate (that is only 600m more vertical than starting at Falls. Basically a half day walk to put you at 1750m. From there you have the entire BHP to explore for free. There might be the odd TAFE or school group out and about but by and large it will be very quiet.

I might be tempted to head up Mount Bogong instead, because you got that climb regardless of the season. And save the high plains for later when the road is open.

A good plan also.

[Baeng72]

My 2c worth of another dramatic veering off-topic, off-track, off-plot and anything else (you started it! )

CKD is progressive, not static, and not helped at all by ^^BP!
They will need to get sarcoidosis sorted before anything else.
You will likely need one or the other (HD/TX), (likely both) culminating in a tx at some time.
Just to mention it, Ibuprufen is prohibited for use in established renal tx patients.

I am fairly outspoken as not supportive of the current generation of immunosuppressants for tx; they are toxic to the transplant, resulting in failure after +/- 10 years. There are folks who would like me to shut up about that. Well folks (dead and alive), that aint gonna happen.

You did bring up kidney transplant.
If it's progressive, well, so is life, it only leads to one destination.
Social media brings out the worst in me, so I'm going to take my leave. Cheers!

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The 2024 winter snow may have mostly melted in Vic. but NZ still has good skiing. Get over there. It is spectacular and beautiful.
They have some solid hiking routes too for summer.

[Avatar]

The 2024 snow season is ending at Buller/Stirling and Baw Baw Sunday 1st September.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

and Lake Mountain is closing its
winter operations too .

.August is the new September . Falls Creek has bushes and rocks you can " ski " on .

[Avatar]

Hotham are grimly pushing on until the end too. Yes, just lost a month and spring skiing got cancelled. Windy season is on us as well, a month earlier than usual, so any camping needs to be sited prudently. Some snow forecast Monday, but the forecasts have been mirages.

[Xplora]

Hotham are grimly pushing on until the end too. Yes, just lost a month and spring skiing got cancelled. Windy season is on us as well, a month earlier than usual, so any camping needs to be sited prudently. Some snow forecast Monday, but the forecasts have been mirages.

When I was young it was August winds from the west then it moved to September and now back to August.

Falls Creek are doing some snow farming to keep runs going but it is only a stop gap. BHP road is still wet in places and the spongey bit at Langford West is doing its thing. Bogong looking patchy also.

[Avatar]

Anyone know if Mt Stirling Road is clear of recent fallen trees?

[Camminata]

Anyone know if Mt Stirling Road is clear of recent fallen trees?

Maybe buzz parks vic or TBJ unless they have shut shop already...?

[Biggles]

I very much doubt any of us will be going into tall forested areas for possibly a month or more, unless we are happy to chip in labour for the chronically stressed work crews assigned to clean up the places we love to go to.

The wind damage has been extraordinarily widespread and beyond imaginable in ferocity (I read it was equivalent to Category 3 cyclone winds). My favourite haunt, the Great Otway National Park, was brutalised and now could be closed for something like 4 to 6 months due to infrastructure damage.

Parks Victoria Mansfield office would be the first port of call for enquiries about Mount Stirling, but I think Forest Fire Management Victoria would also have some involvement in that area (they are at Carter's Mill as of this morning with work crews).

[swhite]

The 2024 winter snow may have mostly melted in Vic. but NZ still has good skiing. Get over there. It is spectacular and beautiful.
They have some solid hiking routes too for summer.

Yeah great idea - just for fun emit more carbon, incinerate and decimate ecosystems. Party on!

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Do you drive to reach Vic. bushwalking locations? If yes then I can see a pot calling a kettle black.

I enjoy travel .I refuse to sit at home and fester.Basically we as a species are doomed so just have fun.

[Camminata]

The 2024 winter snow may have mostly melted in Vic. but NZ still has good skiing. Get over there. It is spectacular and beautiful.
They have some solid hiking routes too for summer.

Yeah great idea - just for fun emit more carbon, incinerate and decimate ecosystems. Party on!

I admire your enthusiasm, but we have to live as PV said above, we live once , it is what it is I also enjoy to travel 99% of population does , oh and im still using wet wipes

[swhite]

The 2024 winter snow may have mostly melted in Vic. but NZ still has good skiing. Get over there. It is spectacular and beautiful.
They have some solid hiking routes too for summer.

Yeah great idea - just for fun emit more carbon, incinerate and decimate ecosystems. Party on!

I admire your enthusiasm, but we have to live as PV said above, we live once , it is what it is I also enjoy to travel 99% of population does , oh and im still using wet wipes

Lots of very convenient and heavily ironic replies there.

Try to car pool, buy an LFP EV (start at $35k), don't fly, and don't contribute to the wet wipe consumption of 14,000 per second. Basically, don't be stupid. Not hard.

[Camminata]

Party on!

[Lophophaps]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-06/ ... /104313858

"Australia's ski season is projected to trend shorter as winters get warmer.

"This year, some ski resorts in the Snowy Mountains were forced to close entirely or close areas early, while races also had to be cancelled."

[north-north-west]

Apres moi, le deluge, eh?

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I have always wanted to visit Turkey / Turkiye for its rich ancient history and culture and it also has cheap skiing.
Now I am going ASAP just so I can annoy the other poster here who knows nothing about me and what I do to make the world a better place.

[swhite]

I have always wanted to visit Turkey / Turkiye for its rich ancient history and culture and it also has cheap skiing.
Now I am going ASAP just so I can annoy the other poster here who knows nothing about me and what I do to make the world a better place.

Here's what your immature indulgence will be contributing to - https://www.worldenergydata.org/newsfeed/
(Full disclosure - I own that site, but it's not commercial).

You could *still* visit Turkey by container ship, but it'll be expensive, because of ticket price (about $14k one way to Italy based on prev research), and lost income due to voyage time. Some overland travel needed for this line: https://www.cma-cgm.com/ebusiness/sched ... lyer/NEWMO

And take a mask: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environme ... _in_Turkey

Sounds lovely... Take some Aussie coal with you to trade? I know a guy named Scott who has some.

[Camminata]

I drove my car today 300 meters to Woolworths , I usually walk but I thought I would contribute more to heating the planet. Did the last Victorian premier say something about south Aussies "Why would you want to go there?" oh and I stocked up on wet wipes since they were on sale

[swhite]

I drove my car today 300 meters to Woolworths , I usually walk but I thought I would contribute more to heating the planet. Did the last Victorian premier say something about south Aussies "Why would you want to go there?" oh and I stocked up on wet wipes since they were on sale

I'm new to this forum, and it seems infected with Boomers? Could just be SUV Snow People?

[Avatar]

The wind is dropping off and Feathertop has sightseeing snow. A walk up Bungalow Spur might be attractive. Might be a few trees down - any reports?