A beautiful start to the ski season, with crisp white slopes caused by big snowfalls, has seen flocks of Canberrans descend on the snowy mountains in their warmest thermals.
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Owner of Troldhaugen Lodge Claire Hanley said 2022 had seen a "really, really great start to the season."
"Jindabyne filled up very, very, very quickly as soon as that snow arrived," she said.
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"Especially after the last couple of years, it's amazing to have people back.
"The restaurants were full, the supermarket was packed, the carparks were full. It was like pre-pandemic."
Ms Hanley said her own business was busy and customers were joining locals in celebrating the snowfall.
"A lot of them haven't been for two or three years ... so they're very keen to get back in the skis and get back on the snow," she said.
"Everyone's been cooped up at home for a long time. They just want to get out and about and see some scenery, get some fresh air and do something that they haven't been able to do for a while.
"We had a really nice crowd of people here at the weekend, and they were all clearly very happy to be here even with the queues."
The heavy snowfall has been a "mood booster" for everyone around the mountains, Friendly Grocer Jindabyne manager Saleena Shirvington said.
"We've had quite a few people in the store, which has been [a] nice little boost," she said.
"The amount of snowfall that we had has made a real positive impact on the season in general. Everyone's excited again for a successful winter and having this much snow early on is definitely a mood booster."
There was 125cm of fresh snow at Thredbo in the week leading up to opening weekend, which begun on Friday.
Marketing manager Caroline Brauer from Thredbo said skiing and snowboarding conditions were "on par with peak season July and August," in its best opening to a season in decades.
"After the challenges of the past two years, the strong start to the season is just what the resort, the community and the snow industry needed," she said.
Plenty of Canberrans and Sydneysiders have headed to the slopes, with both Thredbo and Perisher carparks filling to capacity at different points over the long weekend.
Ms Brauer said Thredbo was expecting large crowds and is managing capacity by limiting the number of lift passes it sell.
"We are encouraging guests to plan their visits early and recommend coming mid-week for the best conditions," she said.
A Perisher spokesperson said "planning ahead will be key" for anyone heading to the snow this winter.
However, the rapid snowfall has come at the cost of Selwyn Snow Resort's reopening, which has been moved back to July 2023.
The "heartbreaking" postponement comes after two years of rebuilding the resort after extensive damage caused by 2019-2022 Black Summer Fires.
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Hayley Wilkinson
Born and raised within the Riverina, Hayley launched her journalism career at The Daily Advertiser in September 2021. During her time she covered events, entertainment and human interest stories.
Born and raised within the Riverina, Hayley launched her journalism career at The Daily Advertiser in September 2021. During her time she covered events, entertainment and human interest stories.
Lanie Tindale
I am City reporter at The Canberra Times. I previously covered health for the masthead, and was a trainee before that. I have written on courts, federal politics, breaking news, features and opinion. lanie.tindale@canberratimes.com.au.
I am City reporter at The Canberra Times. I previously covered health for the masthead, and was a trainee before that. I have written on courts, federal politics, breaking news, features and opinion. lanie.tindale@canberratimes.com.au.
