Cradle Mountain Snow Reports

[Peaksnik]

Rare but if there's a big bank of snow just as the (Rodway) track leaves the cirque expect it to be very slow going from SKH to around Artist Pool.

Thanks for this tip.

[icefest]

Rare but if there's a big bank of snow just as the (Rodway) track leaves the cirque expect it to be very slow going from SKH to around Artist Pool. Good way to use up any spare days though

I find that the ice up there just before the bank is much, much worse. I've had to cut a trip short due to the wind and ice up on the cirque. If you are going down, the snow bank can be slid down (although climbing up can be pretty difficult, even with snowshoes).

Hansons peak is hard with snow as the chain is pretty crappy with ice, although the back track around it with a big dump is a long haul and can be quite difficult to follow. The face track with lots of snow is incredibly hard going - steep and the track will entirely disappear. The track to lake Wilks is like the chain on Hansons with the added difficulty of awful navigation at the first bit of the forest below the lake.

[Nuts]

I'd agree, ice is more of a concern. Peaksnik has cleats, they help a great deal.

With the rare big dump the snow can be well over head height (and often sloppy) coming off the cirque and covering those treacherous double planks.
Think I put a photo on here of a trip turned back from WFV (after two nights waiting). It was a long day to SKH. The following night we made camp short of artist pool exhausted (after working as a group (of 7) and swapping the lead all day). There's a shorter way down than those you mention though the quickest in such (rare) conditions would probably still be past Kitchen Hut.

I get that we are have been having a drier start to winter... well, up until a few days ago. Maybe also less predictable? given the number of fronts we seem to have been spared so far.

[Peaksnik]

I'm hopeful that I won't face "a rare big dump of snow" but it is best to be forewarned and therefore prepared (thanks icefest and Nuts). I guess my lingering concern is with just a steady build up of snow on the Plateau that might make it slow going without snowshoes and therefore make the Rodway track a viable option. With the Dove Lake webcam out of action I can only imagine that there is very little snow on the plateau right now, with any falls being light and with little consolidation. Has anyone been up there recently?

[ILUVSWTAS]

Has anyone been up there recently?

There was very little snow on Cradle on Monday. Falls expected this weekend though

Attachments

[Overlandman]

Don't forget that there is good mobile reception from Forth Valley & Windermere lookout (Telstra blue tick mobile). If you have a mate that can keep an eye on the weather via the internet & give him a call from those areas, you will have an idea what conditions at the
Cirque / Cradle area will be like. Also walkers you may meet at Windermere / Waterfall Valley huts heading South will have an idea of weather reports & observations as well.
Regards Overlandman

[Peaksnik]

The CM photo is reassuring. And I may use the mobile at the Forth V lookout to decide whether to do Windermere H. to Cradle Valley in one day in the event of a forecast of bad weather or, if the forecast is good, to be more leisurely. Thanks.

[Nuts]

Ha, yeah, I couldn't see much at all yesterday above 1100m then very heavy rain coming home. Didn't feel cold enough to snow... but not forecast.

Reception from the hill behind w'mere hut is pretty good, I think you'll even be able to surf the net- let us know what the weathers doin' ; )

[dee_legg]

Also good reception (with Telstra) if you duck up the Pelion West track for 5-10 minutes or so.

[Overlandman]

Snow fell overnight, looking at the Great Lake web cam & the Discovery Holiday Parks Cradle Mountain web cam.
Regards Overlandman

[Overlandman]

I wonder how Peaksnik is going!
He should be at Pelion tonight.

http://www.bom.gov.au/tas/forecasts/new ... -hut.shtml


Tuesday 15 July

Summary
Min 2
Max 6
Rain at times.

Overland Track area

Cloudy. Areas of frost early in the morning. Isolated showers, increasing to areas of rain in the afternoon. Showers and rain falling as snow above 1300 metres. Winds northerly 15 to 25 km/h increasing to 20 to 30 km/h in the middle of the day.

No UV Alert, UV Index predicted to reach 2 [Low]
Around Overland Track
Precis Icon Location Min Max
Rain at times. Cradle Valley 3 5
Rain at times. Lake St Clair 0 7
Rain at times. New Pelion Hut 2 6

Wednesday 16 July

Summary
Min 3
Max 7
A few showers.

Overland Track area

Cloudy. Scattered showers, falling as snow above 1200 metres during the morning. Winds northerly 25 to 40 km/h.

Thursday 17 July

Summary
Min 2
Max 5
Morning showers. Snow showers.

Overland Track area

Cloudy. Scattered showers, falling as snow. Winds north to northwesterly 25 to 40 km/h decreasing to 20 to 30 km/h during the morning then shifting west to southwesterly during the day.

Friday 18 July

Summary
Min -1
Max 4
Snow shower or two.

Overland Track area

Cloudy. Scattered snow showers. Winds southwesterly 25 to 40 km/h decreasing to 20 to 30 km/h during the evening.

[Overlandman]

A good dump of snow overnight, Black Bluff is white as well

[Peaksnik]

I arrived Cradle Valley on Thursday. Some light snow showers but the bigger falls started after we arrived that night. I'm glad that we weren't walking on Friday although if we were I don't know if snow shoes would have been helpful. Our start from Narcissus last Saturday was made interesting by snow fall and Sunday's walk to Kia Ora was just wonderful with puff-ball-like clusters of snow in the trees and shrubs leading up to the Du Cane gap. Our micro-spikes made short work of the icy conditions encountered travelling from Kia Ora to Pelion Gap on a beautiful blue-sky day. It was a great trip and I do recommend the south to north option given suitable weather patterns. I'm back in Brisbane and already thinking of returning to Tassie before winter's end.

[Hermione]

We started on Friday 11th from the Cradle end so I guess we passed you somewhere out there. Walked to Scott Kilvert. Woke to to snow on the Saturday, weather was interesting (but manageable) crossing Cradle cirque. Microspikes were great for the ice especially over Pelion gap. We decided not to carry snowshoes and would only have used them over a couple of short sections if we had. There was snow at Narcissus on our last day but it was melting by the time we left.

[Overlandman]

It is snowing up at Cradle Mountain,the Western Tiers & the Central Plateau at the moment.
Interested to see how much they get over night.

From Tasmania Police.
Roads affected by snow 4wd required.

Mount Arrow Smith on the Lyell Highway at Derwent Bridge.
Highland Lakes Road, from Golden Valley to Steps.
Poatina Road from Poatina to Highland Lakes Road
Marlborough Road from Miena to Lyell Highway.

Regards Overlandman

[ILUVSWTAS]

Dont forget about us down South OM.

Snow to 200m Friday, Mt field road is closed atm, and there's lots of snow on the peaks in the SW

[north-north-west]

Wonder if the Old Coach Rd will be open . . I have plans up that way. Might just grab the snowshoes and head up kunanyi on Saturday. Unless someone wants to join me on a snow trek into Pigsty . . . ?

[ILUVSWTAS]

If I didn't have to work, and I didn't have a cold i'd love to E.

Although I suspect getting across mystery creek might be a challenge!

[north-north-west]

Naaaaaaah, with any luck it'll be frozen.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Naaaaaaah, with any luck it'll be frozen.

It's possible I suppose.... There's a heck of alot of water down this way atm. I suspect there would be an obscene amount coming off that range.

[north-north-west]

No, most of it will be sitting around on Moonlight Flats.

[ILUVSWTAS]

No, there will be lots of it on Moonlight flats, and lots of it coming down the track, lots of it in the creek, lots of it.....

If you go take a picture of the creek for me for interests sake's please.

[north-north-west]

kunanyi is more likely. Always wanted to do the summit loop from Fern Tree with a good layer of snow.

[whynotwalk]

kunanyi is more likely. Always wanted to do the summit loop from Fern Tree with a good layer of snow.

Going up the Zig Zag Track in snow is great fun n-n-w! When I did it the snow wasn't thick enough to slow our progress, and there were icicles on the snow gums tinkling like bells. It's sheltered from the worst of the winds too ... until you pop out near the summit Hold on to your false teeth then

cheers

Peter

[Overlandman]

As forecasted a good dump of snow overnight.
Hopefully some members will let us know how much snow is about over the weekend.
Regards Overlandman

[Overlandman]

Looking at the web cams more snow at Cradle & Central Plateau today,
25 in Brisbane

From Tasmanian Police

Closed:

Lyell Highway closed between Wayatinah and Mount Arrowsmith (from Queenstown/Lake Burbury). (re-assess 8am 11/8)

Cradle Mountain Road, Dove Lake to Ranger Station is closed due to snow.

Pinnacle Road, Mt Wellington is closed at the Springs.

Caution/4WD/Chains:

4WD vehicles access only for Highlands Lakes Road and Poatina Roads due to snow falls.

4WD with chains only access to Lake Dobson Road

4WD and 2wd with chains only access to Belvoir Road from Murchison Highway turnoff through to Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain Road from Moina to Cradle Mountain, accessible to 4WD and 2WD with chains.

Arthur Hwy, Tasman Peninsula. Caution snow falling on the roads.

Huon Hwy, Lower Longley. Caution snow falling on the roads. (Speed Reduction signs in place)

Midland Hwy, Oatlands to Campbelltown, snow falling on high points.

[Tortoise]

As forecasted a good dump of snow overnight.
Hopefully some members will let us know how much snow is about over the weekend.

A lot! Bigger dump of snow yesterday. If a trip report eventuates, it'll be along the lines of "In which Tortoise has an Adventure and Learns her Limitations."

Attachments

The classic photo-of-Barn-Bluff-with-the-2-rocks-in-the-pool spot, past Kitchen hut

DSCN3613 [].JPG (64.29 KiB) Viewed 253965 times

Last edited by Tortoise on Mon 11 Aug, 2014 9:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[icefest]

Wow, stunning.

Looking forward to the trip report!

[Tortoise]

If a trip report eventuates

[icefest]

c'mon!