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| The Cairngorms at dusk |
Snow deep enough to ski from the front door is rare in
November. After more overnight snow there was enough today though. I thought I’d
better go out and enjoy it before the big storm named Bert by the Met. Office
arrives tomorrow bringing high winds, snow turning to rain, and rising
temperatures. By tomorrow evening most of the snow will probably be gone.
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| Sunshine on an old wall |
The day was calm and cold with much sunshine and a lovely
blue sky. The snow was soft with a depth of around 20cm. Just enough. No breeze
had disturbed it. The snow lay gently on the land. Where there were tussocks of
long grass and reeds it covered up the spaces between them, giving the illusion
of a fairly level surface. I knew from walking here just how rough and uneven
the ground actually was and so wasn’t surprised when my skis broke through and
sank deep, the tips sometimes disappearing. It was still much easier than
walking though.
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| Old but still functional! |
As I was only heading out for a few hours I took my old waxless
skis, dating from 1986, as I can just grab these and go, no preparation needed.
They’re battered enough that I don’t mind clipping the occasional stone either,
something I did several times as some rocks were only lightly covered.
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| Care needed |
Mostly I stayed out in the open out in the fields, where I
could enjoy the sunshine, a rare delight this month, and let the skis run as
the snow was deepest here and anyway I knew there were few stones. It was in
the woods, in the shade of the trees, that the snow was thinnest and rocks more
prevalent. Here I had to take more care, slow traverses down slopes rather than
straight runs. Even so the joy of slipping across the snow was there, the rhythm
of skiing. Every year when I first go out on skis I remember the delights of
being able to cross snowy terrain so effortlessly.
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| Snow forest |
The lack of wind meant the snow had stayed on the trees,
creating beautiful delicate traceries and lines. Far beyond the forests the
Cairngorms came and went in drifting clouds. Ben Rinnes was a white pyramid,
looking bigger than usual, the Cromdale Hills a pale undulating ridge.
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| Ben Rinnes |
As the sun dipped into distant clouds I turned for home. The
temperature dropped rapidly, soon down to -7°C. A warm fire and a hot drink called.
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| The Cairngorms |
The ski season has begun.
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| Wall & forest |
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