They probably don't enhance the natural beauty of the area.

Sunday was very enjoyable. My problem is that I first started visiting Clash in one of the epic snow seasons a few years back, so I have high expectations of what conditions should be like!
What's the average number of skiing days, and how much snow is needed to count as a skiable day?

Footprints on ski trails are a pet hate of mine too. Even more so when you've broken your own trail up a remote glen, only to find it obliterated on your return! I guess it's always going to be a problem in country where xc skiing is a minority activity. Footprints made some of the steeper descents a bit awkward for me late on Sunday afternoon, but to be fair the craters made by tumbling skiers were more a challenge!

I've been having a look at aerial photographs and it looks like there would have been lots of skiable breaks in the trees before the wind farm was built. I guess my assumption that it had opened up new terrain was somewhat misguided.

I think the wind farm has made it easier to ski further out with the main trails
Last Sunday was the 2nd time I have ventured further north than herringbone hill in nearly 30 yrs skiing at clash. It needed a lot of snow to get beyond black hill before.
So I think it has opened up terrain, but obviously some areas have been reduced

I think the windfarm has opened up a lot of new terrain for skiing. The forestry breaks are never so good to ski compared to the forestry roads or even the trails that aren't roads but are maintained (like Hedder Wye or Range Way) as they can require a lot of snow to make them skiable. The windfarm seems reasonably well sited. I was surprised how little it is visible from the old forest trails. The actual site of the windfarm should be much improved once it is replanted as per the planting plan with lots of native trees and shrubs planned to go in.

P.Clark wrote:
"What's the average number of skiing days, and how much snow is needed to count as a skiable day?".

It's like the proverbial piece of string. This is Year 12 of my records, but Peter Thorn's go back further. We each use our own criteria. It's difficult to record consistently from year to year, but (to be mercifully brief) my basic criterion is whether other people would enjoy the prevailing the snow conditions, i.e. would they find it worth the journey? On that basis my (very) subjective estimate of the average number of skiable days is 41, but beware annual variation from almost none to nearly 100. My numbers are almost certainly an underestimate, and other peoples' comments would be welcome. It has been reassuring to find that this average has been consistent despite possible climate change effects on lower altitude snow. Whether the reliability (i.e. the extent of annual variation) has deteriorated I can't say, although I have heard it said that the snow used to arrive and stay for a long time, whereas now it comes and goes, and one has to be ready to get out there and enjoy it at short notice. Having said that, we've now had two continuous weeks of adequate snow depth, albeit hard and icy recently and with some short bare stretches. (One hopes the weekend weather will soften the snow enough for comfort). There is no doubt that with intensive management, as per other countries, the number of skiable days could be greatly increased, and the demand is certainly there, but this would require a sea change in resourcing which is probably not justified unless we were to have a run of consistently good winters. Attached is a photo of the Timberline snowfield taken earlier this week.



Attachments: IMG_2576 (1024x768).jpg (351kB)  

Just to add that my Clash snow records are broadly in agreement with Timberline's. I grade days as: good - when the main trails are mostly complete & continuous tours are possible (there may be short bare patches); marginal - when the gaps in snow cover get bigger but skiing is possible but you might need to walk a bit. It is all a bit subjective. My formal record keeping only started in 2003 but I had a general idea of ski days stretching back to 1990. My results show average ski days (range in brackets): good 44 (7-108), marginal 14 (6-43), total 58 (23-118).

P.Clark also asked whether the new windfarm roads have opened up more skiing options. Probably yes as the roads seem to give continuous stretches of snow. Just the same way tracks put into the mountains to aid shooting parties do.

The main trails are still 95% complete. The hard, icy, boilerplate conditions of earlier this week have disappeared. The warmer temperatures have softened the snow to give quite pleasant skiing. The ruts are still there in places but more manageable with the softer snow. Timberline is very good for both classic & skating. The lower trails (Grotto / Sheepfolds) only have about 50% snow cover & the snow is getting thin on Cabrach Corner.

I unfortunately missed the opportunity of grooming the trails earlier this week when the snow was hard. I saw a forecast of possible snow on Friday & decided to hold off grooming. The snow of course never materialised & conditions are currently too soft in parts & I would probably end up causing more damage than good.

Glad to hear that the snow's still largely intact. Shame I won't be there this weekend. Will have to see what the forecast mild blip later this week does.

I see that Timberline and Peter both have very similar average good skiable days. Your recording must be more less subjective than you think. Interesting to see from Peter's records that there's never been a year without a few decent days.

There seems to be consensus that the wind farm has benefitted ski access. Definitely worth another explore sometime. It'll be interesting to see how it looks in few years time once the native planting becomes established.

Away from the coastal gloom, Clashindarroch enjoyed sunny spells today with shelter in the forest away from the tearing gale in the car park, while snow buntings flitted overhead. Although there are some long bare stretches on the Main Drag and Range Way (and no doubt parts of Normans Way), most main trails have ample skiable snow and it had softened enough to offer good skiing. Even with temperatures at plus 5 it was not turning slushy except in the thinnest areas. From experience today, the Range has full cover, likewise Deer Track and most of Classic Start. Hedder Wye offered great backwoods skiing in deep snow throughout, apart from the short steep drop onto Leids Leap. There were good reports of Leids Leap itself and La Glace de Clash (on the Haute Route south of Short Cut), while the British Nordic Development Squad enjoyed the freedom of the higher altitude Timberline snowfield.
FOUND PROPERTY: One dog's bootee (small) -- PM me with details if your dog has pointed this out.

The midweek thaw has effectively stripped the snow from the trails, leaving a few patches of hard snow and ice, and occasional longer stretches (e.g. 300m. at La Glace de Clash on the Haute Route just beyond the mobile phone mast; 100m. further along the Haute Route, plus other shorter lengths). The Range and Little Range have just sufficient strips of snow for practice on the flat (if it's not frozen). Snowgoose and the Timberline snowfield are still complete, but it's a long walk to get there. Despite the current situation, the forecasts haven't ruled out snow. Statistically, the trails have been skiable in the last week in February and the first week in March in 4 out of the last 11 seasons, so we could still be looking at a good few more days skiing at the Clash this winter.

The trails are white again, with 1-2cm fresh snow by 11am today (Sunday) -- not enough to ski on yet. At that time the heavier snowfall had just started (wet snow on a southerly wind with the temperature plus 1), so fingers crossed for resumption of skiing within a day or so.

As of 2pm today there had been no new snow since Sunday afternoon. The snow depth amounts to 2-3cm making any skiing very marginal indeed.

That's not good....
I was hoping some snow showers made it further East

It all seems to depend on the wind going round to northwesterly, which brings in the showers for the Clash. Traffic cams haven't shown much snowfall this side of Aviemore with the current wind direction. It's been the same story all winter!