Drumochter: in search of wind-drifted snow.
3rd April 2024
Executive summary: little found.
(Above) The Drumochter area is notionally part of the SAIS Creag Meagaidh area so gets the occasional visit, like today. The circle denotes the site of today’s formal snow observations.
(Above) Misty Coire Dhomhain with the A9 in the far distance. Was dry and misty here for most of the morning. As you can see there’s a dearth of snow cover down low hereabouts.
(Above) Came across this structure next to the main track up the glen. Not of neolithic origin! Looks like a shotgun fire base built by the local estate. The built-in shelf at elbow height is presumably where one puts one’s fortifying glass of claret?
(Above) At around 900m. Interesting wigwam affair hove into view.
(Above) Some of you might be familiar with this structure if you’ve done the round of the nearby Munros. Impromptu metal cairn composed of what looks like old iron fence posts.
(Above) Onto the W-facing lee slope. At nearly 900m this is composed of slowly bonding wet grains, quite soft and mushy near the surface which is a little unusual given the colder overnight temperatures and relatively cool daytime conditions. Just a trace of new wind-drifted snow here.
Very little new snow in the weather forecast so anticipating good stability tomorrow in most places within the greater SAIS Creag Meagaidh parish. Wide variety of snow surfaces ranging from what was in place in the photo to firmer snow-ice and some older well-bonded windslab.
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Keith Horner
3rd April 2024 6:23 pm
The fence posts originally formed a fence which demarcated a considerable extent of the old county boundary which extends over these hills. There was a greater collection of posts collected and left at the summit cairn of Beinn Udlamain the last time I was there, slowly rusting away……
The local estate have extended the network of tracks in this area quite considerably in the last few years associated with the introduction of a series of newly constructed shooting butts such as you show. I once descended from your forecast site into Coire Dhomhain to discover a yurt erected at the side of the land rover track – it was unoccupied at the time but presumably was part of a hospitality strategy for the paying guests – and to keep the claret at the right temperature of course…. !
meagaidhadmin
3rd April 2024 6:37 pm
A yurt!
Great background info, Keith. Explains a lot. Many thanks!