Spring days
Here's a long summary of my last skiing days of spring 2018.
Kaunertal glacier, end of April 2018
2018 was a really good snow year in the Alps. By end of April, the spring and summer heat was starting to kick in and snow was melting away fast.
Kaunertal side country had nice firn/corn snow.
Spring was in the air and this snowboarder was skinny dipping...
At the top glacier seemed to be doing well after a proper snowy winter.
More side country, nice mellow area to cruise around in spring snow.
Some pro looking boarders built a kicker and were sessioning it with a camera crew.
Stayed over in an apartment in Imst and the views were awesome. Trees with green leaves in the valley and snow on the mountains. But temperatures were really high...
Nice dessert after a sunny day skiing.
Zugspitze, end of April 2018
Highest point in Germany, the Zugspitze mountain and ski resort. It's close by but I had never been skiing there. It's an adventure to take a train and a gondola to top with ski gear while most other people are just tourists in shorts.
At the top of Germany.
Ski resort is another lift ride down from the peak and offers nice easy slopes with modern lifts. And plenty of mellow side country.
With good snow there's plenty of playground.
The ridges and peaks around look massive.
From the skiers left one can traverse all the way to the edge and peek at Ehrwald ski resort 800 meters below. I like Ehrwald.
Major tourist attraction is sledging, though this late in the season snow was a bit too sticky.
Restaurant featured a traditional Maibaum, ready for first of May celebrations.
I should visit the place again this winter with proper snow conditions...
Iso-Syöte, May day weekend 2018
Cherry trees were blossoming in Ulm, Germany, in the end of April 2018.
And as contrast Iso-Syöte in Finland had still plenty of snow to ski on. The thermometer even says -15 though in reality it's more like +2.
Sunny Syöte!
Last skiing days of the season so snow park held a high jump competition. We were just spectators in the sunshine.
Dads doing park things just for the kicks.
Pyhä Kärppä
On May first I drove north with the kids to see Pyhä ski resort. It's a proper mountain in finnish scale and kids were also stoked to see a new area. And we had new snow! On the way back we saw a rainbow pointing to Oulu town square where the local icehockey team Kärpät was celebrating as womens and mens Finnish champions gold medals.
Hiking and summer life
That was it for the ski season. Weather got really warm and even glaciers had either bad or too warm weather so I didn't bother skiing anymore.
A hike in Tannheimertal showed completely rotten wet snow in beginning of May and temperatures were reaching +25 and more.
All green on the valley floor.
Thus it was time for summer activities like camping in Northern Germany.
And exploring water channels and locks...
That was it. Now it's time for a proper winter 2019. Looking good right now and waiting for the avalanche danger to go down in Tyrol...
Cheers,
-Mikko