Day 89 - Deep Powder at Kasberg

We woke up to it snowing properly. Not just a light dusting either. It was that moody mix of rain turning to snow, then back to rain, then suddenly thick flakes again. Wind pushing it sideways across the windows. We stood there for a bit just watching it change every few minutes. It felt wild and unpredictable and very Austrian winter.

Breakfast followed, then a slow start. I had a bit of work to get through and the kids had schoolwork, reading, bookwork, and some time on their learning apps. It was one of those steady mornings where nothing feels rushed. Outside it kept snowing on and off, and we kept glancing up at the mountains thinking surely there’ll be fresh stuff up there.

By lunchtime we’d made the call. If it had snowed this much down here, the mountains would be loaded. We had lunch, then reloaded the car with all the gear we’d dried in the drying room after our last session. The drive up was beautiful. Everything had turned white again. The closer we got to the base, the less it was actually snowing, but there was snow piled everywhere around the car park.

At the ski fields at Kasberg we jagged the very last park at the top. Proper lucky. The snow behind the car was mushy and deep, so getting boots and boards sorted was a bit of a mission. Just as we were walking toward the gondola, it started dumping. Big, thick flakes. The kind that feel cinematic. We all just looked at each other like, this is unreal.

It snowed the entire way up the gondola. When we reached the top, everything was buried. Spots that had been green a few days ago were completely covered. The depth was obvious. Fresh and soft everywhere.

We got straight into a few runs. There was probably close to half a foot of soft powder on the main slopes. Maybe not quite that much, but enough that it felt completely different. Soft. Quiet. Slower. The back mountain was closed, so everyone was funnelled onto the front side, and with school holidays there were kids everywhere. Still, the snow made it feel special.

Our Norwegian friends mentioned a run through the trees that had just opened. We followed them. It started bumpy, weaving through the alpine forest, humps and dips hidden under fresh snow. I went first. Then Maddie and Emmett behind me.

I got slightly off line and suddenly I was gone. Straight into deep powder, close to two feet in spots. Maddie crashed in right behind me and got completely stuck. We were both half buried and laughing. This was what I’d imagined snowboarding would be like. Proper soft powder where you disappear into it.

Getting out was a workout. I had to jump hard to free the board from underneath me. One of the Norwegian mums told me the trick is to lean back in the deeper stuff. Once I started doing that, it clicked. You float more. You push through instead of nosediving.

That run became my favourite of the day. Emmett loved it too. Maddie had a few solid goes and Kia was loving it. We kept heading back to that same section through the trees again and again.

At one point the kids had carved this little side track along the edge of a main run, weaving through trees. I tried to follow it and clipped a rock almost immediately. Emmett attempted it and got bogged in the deep snow trying to reach it.

He had a tough day. The fresh snow slows everything down. He struggled to keep momentum all the way to the bottom, then had trouble unclipping his board. Someone had to go back up and help him more than once. It’s a full body workout in powder and he was working hard.

He was also wearing a hoodie under his jacket which soaked through from all the falling snow and crashes. Once you’re wet and cold, it spirals quickly. Eventually he hit the wall. Full meltdown. That was our cue.

By then it was nearly 4pm anyway and lifts were closing. We packed up, tired but buzzing. Kia and I both agreed it was our most fun day on the slopes yet. Proper powder. Proper winter.

We stopped at Billa on the way home to grab dinner supplies, then it was straight into a warm house, food, and bed.

Maddie’s been in a bit of a different headspace lately. She’s keen for a break, wants to stay home, read books, and be in her own bubble. Less skiing, less adventuring. Maybe it’s just fatigue. Maybe it’s too much of a good thing. We’ll give her some space and see how she goes.

But today felt like the kind of day you remember. Snow falling thick. Trees heavy with white. Boards sinking into powder. Austria at its absolute best.

And I’m already keen to head back up tomorrow.