Spring Is Here

Only nine days left until the end of the 2010 season for Rainbow, and now that the cold blast from the south has passed we are back into spring conditions. Luckily we seem to have survived the last couple of days precip well, and now it looks like we will have a week or more of fine, sunny settled weather thanks to a huge anticyclone that is going to be parked over the country for a while:


Forecast courtesy of snow-forecast.com

Spring brings warm weather and a special type of snow called "corn", also known as hero snow - simply because it's hard to do anything wrong on it. Corn is formed when the snow softens and partially melts during the day then re-freezes during the night, for several days in a row. If you're a beginner or intermediate who has spent all winter riding the groomed trails, corn snow provides perfect conditions for you to venture off-piste and explore the rest of the mountain. For advanced skiers and riders corn snow lets you push the boundaries a bit more, and is more forgiving when you push it too far!

Here's some tips for getting the most from your spring skiing or riding at Rainbow:

1. Follow The Sun - If you're skiing off-piste then start on the western side of the field in the morning (The Planets, Boulder Ride, Roller Coaster) and move round to the eastern side during the afternoon (East Face, Alans Way). Because we groom the main trails every night they'll be in perfect condition all day, but off-piste the snow surface will freeze overnight and the eastern slopes are the last to get the sun on them and soften up.
2. Sleep In - There's no race for first tracks so let the sun do it's work and aim to be on the hill at about 9:30am, by then the snow off-piste will be in perfect condition.
3. Get a Hot Wax - the higher water content in corn snow makes it more sticky, so if you don't have a good coat of wax on your bases you'll end up going slooow. Take your skis or snowboard into your local sports shop for a hot-wax before you head up to the mountain, or see Jake in the Rainbow Rentals to get a hot wax while you're at the field. You'll be amazed at the difference!
4. Wear Lots of Sunblock - Spring means sun and the clear air, altitude and reflective surface of the snow means lots of sun. Don't come home like a lobster - slap some sunblock on before you leave the car park.
5. Don't Attach Your Pass to Your Jacket - By 11am you'll probably be down to a T-Shirt so attach your pass to your pants or some other item of clothing that you won't be taking off when it gets warm

And, of course, just have some fun - spring is a great time for a picnic lunch on the ridge looking down on Lake Rotoiti and the West Coast, for hiking to access the goods, and for a cold beer in the carpark the end of the day if you're not the driver.