2008 Hotham to Dinner Plain 'Pub to Pub' Ski Race - Sat 2 August 11am
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News and Updates

2007 News

6 August
Well the predicted blizzards never quite arrived and 11am on Saturday saw 137 skiers lined up outside the General under lightly falling snow. Although there was a small mechanical hiccup, the trail was freshly groomed - Greg got into the Pub to Pub tradition of officials having to race the winners to the end- and after 2 very lean years we were back to seeing the Hotham to Dinner Plain Trail at its best. Race record holder Ben Derrick was back after an absence of several years and after a fast start had established a sizeable lead over last years first and second skiers in Cameron Morton and Simon Flower when I saw them starting the climb up to Biathlon.

It was no great shock to see Ben first over the line in 27:56, just over a minute outside his 2004 record. Simon had made up some time to come in 10 seconds behind, with 2 time winner Cameron Morton a further 37 seconds behind. In the womens event Belinda Phillips, also returning after a few years away, took out her fourth win decisively in 33:56, almost 2 and a half minutes ahead of Jaffa Withers, with Pub to Pub regular Penny Grose a further 43 seconds back. However the event is primarily about participation, and it was great to see so many just out there having a good time on one of the best trails in the country. Many headed for the DP Hotel for lunch and then stayed on for the presentations with the usual fantastic array of spot prizes donated by long time sponsor Ajays.

As usual, this event could not run without many people helping out. They include We think that next year could mark 20 years for the event, and so we are interested in hearing of any early history of the event so we can maybe have a big party next year. Please get in touch with any thoughts, information, results, photos etc. Hope to see you all back here in 2008.

3 August
Well, the temps have dropped and we've had a few light snow showers during the day interspersed with sunny breaks, so things are looking great! Hopefully a bit of snow overnight and then a freshly groomed track tomorrow. Hope to see you then.

2 August
Well it's not real appealing up here at the moment, but it should just be the precursor to a great snowfall tomorrow! Had an enjoyable ski down the Dinner Plain trail this afternoon - soft going but complete cover all the way to DP. Black clouds were following us all the way with an occasional light flurry. Wet sago set in at DP at 4pm and at the moment (6pm) we're getting a mix of sleet, sago and rain. With snow forecast down to 800m tomorrow I think we're pretty safe that the wet stuff should turn to snow .

Probably the biggest issue facing us for Saturday is the prospect of strong winds = particularly in the first few kms - and the potential for the weather making the trip up the mountain Sat morning a slow one. So, the message of the day is - PLAN TO GET HERE EARLY!!! Sat morning parking up here can be challenging at the best of times, so PLEASE get here early if driving up Sat morning. At this stage the plan is that the DP trail will be groomed immediately prior to the race, so we should have a fantastic fresh surface for the race.

Make sure you check the briefing notes when you register for the latest update. I'll try to post another update Friday, and will keep race registrations open on the website till 6pm Friday.

30 July
Had a sensational ski on the trail last Sunday (the 22nd) but am only just getting around to getting this posted. It's very tough keeping up with everything when there's so much skiing to be had. Cover was extensive all the way, with the north facing sections of the switchbacks - which loose the snow the quickest - soft but well covered. Also had a ski on Big Spur and Dargo Lookout trails at Wire Plain on the way through - the first ski I'd had on these for several years, and I'd forgotten just how good the skiing is on these other trails. Cover was solid all the way to DP, with fantastic snow in the village. I've added a few photos to the photo page to give you a taste.

We now await anxiously to see what weather this weekend will bring. Early guestimates are looking at heavy snow Friday easing on Sat but with strong winds continuing. I'll be heading up Wed, and will post a final update on Thurs, by which time we should have a better idea of what we're facing. A few pre-registrations have been trickling in - please help us out by taking advantage of the on-line entry to help us start on time. Unfortunately I've broken the code for the multiple entry form, so at the moment you're restricted to using the single form. I'll try and get it up and running again this evening, but no guarantees.

12 July
After 2 years of specialising in marginal snow racecourse presentation, we are now faced with the daunting possibility of running a race with good snow!

Hello and welcome to a winter that is actually showing some promise. Online entry is once again up and running and I still have hopes of updating photo and result management, but I've had those hopes for a long time, and I'm too busy skiing at present, so don't hold your breath! Should be up at DP on the weekend of 21 and 22 July, so will post some first hand reports and new photos then. Keep checking back as we get closer to race day.

2006 News

1 August
Well, I used to be undecided, but now I'm not so sure. Just got off the phone to Greg O'D at Hotham (12.30 pm Tue), and while the snowfalls over the last few days have been most welcome, it's still a bit scratchy. He's managed to groom the DP trail by skidoo, but it is a thin cover, and with the day now turned warm and sunny, it's not going to improve. Another small system is due Wed night into Thurs morning, and this will decide the fate of the event. If we get rain rather than snow it may make last years conditions look good by comparison. On the other hand if it delivers like Sunday night did we would end up with a quite respectable cover. If we were scheduled for tomorrow, I'd probably say bring your rockhoppers and lets give it a go, but I think we need to wait until we see what the Wed system brings. We showed last year that you can still have fun with marginal cover, but we do need some cover. If we can put something on we will.

I'm heading up to DP Wed afternoon / evening, so will be able to have a look for myself and have a further talk with Greg Thurs morning, and will make a final decision by Thurs lunchtime. Sorry for the lack of decision now, but I figure most of you who have had to make plans in advance have already made them, and hopefully those with flexibility can stretch it to Thurs. Will post an update here at that time, along with a mailout to the mailing list.

31 July
Well just when I was thinking that we would have to postpone, the last 36 hours have produced far more than I expected. Will be getting an update from Greg tomorrow morning, and will put an update here then. Still snowing at Falls this evening, so I'm starting to get optimistic again. Please feel free to register - get in early and avoid the last minute rush!

26 July
Have been holding off posting anything here until there was some good news, but on that basis I may not have anything to say till next year! It will come as no shock that we will not be able to run the event unless we get some MAJOR snowfall in the next week, and as far as anyone can predict weather a week in advance that is looking very unlikely. I won't make a final decision until Wed or Thurs next week, but even my ridiculous levels of optimism are being tested here. Will update here next Monday and Wednesday as things become clearer.

One option I'm considering seriously is to reschedule the event to Sun Aug 20 - traditionally the day of the Rocky Valley Rush which has unfortunately disappeared from the calendar and has yet to be replaced. It would mean that we would clash with the last day of the Nationals being run at Falls, but I think (hope?) that there would still be enough interested skiers to make it worthwhile holding an event, particularly as it will serve as a good lead up to the Hoppet. If we do reschedule, some of our usual crew of helpers would not be able to be there, so I would be looking for a few volunteers to help us put the event on. If you have any strong thoughts one way or the other on this reschedule, please get in touch at mick@dbstrategies.com.au. Check back in a day or two for the latest.

17 January
Just back from a month skiing in the US and have finally moved the website to a new host - with much more space for photos and a database backend to allow for more varied results reporting. I'll be trying to add more photos and more results options over the next few months - so check back again in a while.

2005 News

8 August
So, what is the best wax for grass skiing? Many will have an opinion after Saturdays event, when snow conditions varied from very good to non existent. Some ran, some hopped on one ski, some swore and longed for special boot unclogging tools and some just kept their skis on for everything (including the road crossing!) With only about 5 cm of snow following Wednesday nights deluge, Greg was unable to get even a skidoo past Biathlon and had to put a big effort in just to maintain a minimal track of snow in the skiers tunnel. While he was disappointed to do not be able to do more, we neeed to recognize that the only reason so much of the track was still skiable was due to his previous efforts in keeping the trail together. We were faced with options of cancelling the event, reducing it to loops around Wire Plain (which may have also been problematic) or of keeping its spirit and continuing despite the minimal cover, and the decision to run seems to have been borne out by entrants' responses after the event.

Despite warnings of marginal cover and difficault conditions, 119 starters lined up outside The General on a perfect day, and most seemed to enjoy themselves for most of the race. Cameron Morton started what would end up a BIG weekend for him when he decisively won the event in 34:55, an astounding time given the conditions. Kevin Tory made good of his practice at snow to grass transitions at Lake Mountain to just beat Ian Franzke into second place. (After a brief recovery, Cameron dashed back to Hotham to win the King of the Mountain run up the summit, and made a perfect trifecta by winning the triathlon on Sunday, finishing on one ski!). In the womens, Kerryn Rim enjoyed a return to the event after many years absence with a win, with Penny Grose and Kathy Zimmerman taking out second and third. (I forgot to go through the overall womens places at the presentations - I plead insanity and sleeplessness in roughly equal proportions!). Things were pretty relaxed standing around in the sun outside the school, and many headed over to the Dinner Plain Hotel for the presentations and to share in the great spot prizes donated as always by long tome supporter Ajays.

This event could not run without many people helping out. They include We would like to thank everyone for embracing the spirit of the event and making it a great day. Next year we'll just try to organise a bit more snow.

4 August
In the beginning there was snow on the track. And the skiers and race organizer were pleased. But then it raineth and raineth - it raineth bucketloads(70 mm if you want to get technical). And the race organizer was distraught. And the groomer doubted he could move enough snow to recover from the rain. But lo, it started to snow, and the organizer and the groomer wondered whether there would be enough for a race. And it snowed a bit more, and still they were troubled and puzzled ....

OK, so we THINK we can get a track together for Saturday but it's a bit touch and go. Before Wed nights rain most of the track was quite skiiable, and those sections should recover reasonably well. It's the sections that were reduced to bare ground and puddles that are of concern. It's been snowing on and off since earlier this morning, and if it keeps up we should be just OK but it's a line call.

So in the end We will run, but please note the following: On the up side it's -1 and snowing at Mother Johnsons Picnic Area at the moment (2.50pm), and the forecast for Saturday is fine.

This is the closest call I've ever had to make for the event - It could be the wrong call but its too hard to tell at the momnet. I realize that many of you need to plan some time in advance to come up here, and that those plans are probably already in place, which is part of the reason for deciding to go ahead with it. Many people look forward to the event as basically a tour rather than a full on race, and I think those people will enjoy themselves anyway.

If you decide that it's too marginal for you I can understand that, but for those that still want to have a go roll up and you could be pleasantly surprised

2 August
It's always fun(?) in the week leading up to the event wondering what's going to happen - will it snow? - will it rain? Well I've been puzzling the neighbours (and a few possums) with strange midnight rituals in the back yard paying homage to the snow gods, but hopefully it's been worth it! Reports from Hotham are that the last weeks rain and warm weather has hit the snowpack pretty hard and there are bare patches appearing on the trail. Given this, many people are still reporting that skiing on the trail is quite good given what the weather has been serving up. However it would appear that there IS snow on the way, though as always the amount of rain that comes before it will probably be the critical factor.

Given all that, we WILL run the event, barring calamitous rain and no follow up snow. However, you should come prepared for anything! If you have the luxury of owning rockhoppers, definitely throw them in the bag. However as some predictions are calling for 30 cm + snow for Wed and Thurs, you might also want to bring your good skis and cold wax! As long as we get a bit of snow I'm confident that we can present a track for you to have fun on on the day. And it looks like Sat might be the fine weather day in between systems, so please don't be turned off - come along and enjoy yourself!

Many thanks to those who have taken the opportunity to pre-register - it's good to see some new names appearing. If you haven't registered yet, please try to do so in the next day or two - it really is important in helping us run on time.

I'll be heading up on Wed and will send a final email and update the website Thurs afternoon by which time the conditions for Sat should be a bit clearer.

New Hotham Cross Country Snow Cam!
Greg has alerted me to the presence of a NEW cross country ski cam on the Mt Hotham website. It's on the XC reports page at www.mthotham.com.au/today/reports/xcreport.htm (If this link doesn't update properly, you can get there from the Mt Hotham website home page by choosing Today at Hotham and then the XC report.) It's update daily and Greg says there are plans to include more cams here so keep watching the Hotham website for developments. Good One!

July 22
Once again things are up and running later than planned ... oh well. Haven't managed to get to Hotham yet this winter, but it would seem we've got a pretty good cover all the way to DP at present, so lets hope it lasts for the next 2 weeks!

Ajays Website Long time sponsor Ajays Snow Country Sports are back on board for another year and will once again be providing a great range of spot pizes which ALL entrants are in the running for. Ajays and their sister store EMC have finally got their website up and running at http://www.snow-ski.com.au/. Along with Ajays our other 2 major partners, the General Store and the Dinner Plain Hotel are once again helping us out at the start and end of the event.
Supporters like these are essential to the running of an event such as this, so please support those that support us. Of course we would also not be able to run the event without heaps of assistance from the Mt Hotham Alpine Resort

Revamped Interclub Series Scoring - After several years of major intrigue amonst clubs plotting which divsion they should enter skiers in to maximise points, and race organisers going somewhat crazy trying to add up the scores before the sun went down, the interclub series scoring has been greatly simplified. In keeping with its original aim of trying to encourage mass participation in events such as ours, the scoring will now be based on participation levels only - the club with the most entrants wins! Will this affect Wang ski club's traditional hold on the event - only time will tell. Please note that only clubs affiliated with Ski Cross Country Victoria are eligible for the Interclub Series.

We are also expanding the Victorian Cross Country Challenge Series, of which the Interclub Series is just a part. Rather than just restricting competition to between clubs, we've expanded it to include schools, workplaces and a broader view of ski clubs. Have a race within a race - get a group of you registering for a particular school, workplace or club and you can get your own series of results and a pennant for the occasion. As this involves additional complications in getting results out on the day, the only way we can guarantee recognition for your group is if you take the opportunity to pre-register for the event (see below).

Pre-registration We always try and run on time, particularly in terms of presentations, but the only way we can do that is if we get everybody completely registered before the race gets underway. And the best way to do that is if you pre-register here on the website. There are 2 entry forms for registration - one for single competitors and another for up to 5 people who are registering for the same school / club / workplace. Please take the time to pre-register and help us keep on time. And remember - there's always a few spot prizes specifically for the pre-registered!

2004 News

August 2
Last year gave us a pretty special combination of snow and sun but this year we seemed to luck out even more! The cloud that had hung around the peaks through Thursday and Friday finally broke on Saturday to reveal Hotham at its finest, and 172 skiers assembled for the 14th running of the event outside The General. After some pretty frantic ski removal at the road crossing it was off on a consistently fast track through to the new run to the finish line opposite the Dinner Plain Hotel.

Ben Derrick beat his own 2000 record time by some 35 seconds, making it 7 years in a row. Second and third places were a family affair for the Van der Ploeg clan, with Mark beating younger brother Neil in by about 30 seconds. In the womens event, 3 times winner Belinda Phillips was only 6 seconds outside her best time, but was still beaten by a minute and a half by Katie Calder from the ACT in her first appearance at the event. Rhiannon Palmer followed up a 7th and 5th in previous years with third place in this years event.

This was also race 2 in the Victorial Cross Country Challenge race series, and Wangaratta Ski Club with their traditionally strong presence on the mountain scored a decisive victory over Birkebeiner and Telemark clubs.

As always with this event, there was a wide range of skier abilities, and we had an age range from 7 to 67. The Dinner Plain Hotel once again hosted the presentations (even donating 2 weekends at the 'sister' Metung Hotel!) and many skiers stayed on to take away one of the many fantastic spot prizes donated by long time sponsor Ajays. We were also able to publicly acknowledge the great contribution to skiing at Hotham and Dinner Plain over many years by now retired ski patroller Bev Lawrence.

Many thanks are due to many people for helping make this event happen. They include

And finally a big thanks to all who participated and helped make the event an enjoyable day for all.

July 30
Arrived in DP Wed afternoon to the sight of fresh snow and snow still lightly falling. Today has seen the weather trying to clear but the cloud is hanging in over the peaks. Still, weather is looking promising for Saturday.

Good news on the race finish front - there is a trail that turns off to the right before the new school and runs through the trees past the horseyeards before coming out opposite the hotel. So we will still be able to finish at the pub! We'll have information on the new route at registration on Saturday - make sure you check out the details on the day.

July 25
The beginnings of the 'virtual tour' of the DP trail are now in place - simply select Virtual Tour from the menu and use the previous and next links to move along the trail. I'll be adding more photos over the next few days. You probably need to be running 1024 x 768 screen resolution or greater to see it properly - will try to set it to run OK for 800 x 600 sometime in the future if I ever get time
July 24
So much for regular updates ......

Did my first reconnaisance trip in late June and there was more snow than we usually have in late July! Steady snowfalls should have kept the train in pretty good nick. I will be at Dinner Plain from Wednesday(July 28) and will try to post updates then and on the Friday before the race.

Those of you who have been to Dinner Plain this winter may have noticed that a car park has appeared in what was the last run down to the DP Hotel! The building of the new school has changed the landscape pretty significantly, and has given us some additional challenges in setting up a race finish. I'm hopeful that we can still have the finish outside the Pub but this won't be certain until closer to the race day, so make sure you check out what the situation is when you register.

Speaking of registering, a big thank you to those who have already pre-registered via the On Line entry form. If you haven't already done so, please take a couple of minutes to do it in the next few days (Preferably by Wed 26th). The DP hotel has a big night on race day, so we need to get presentations done on time to give them a chance to clean up after us.

Please note that presentations will start at 2 pm, not 2.30 as in the last few years.

Once again, The General Store are opening their doors for us to take registrations on the morning of the race between 9.00 and 10.30 am, for an 11.00 race start. They'll have coffees and hot chocolates and the like on sale for those who like me can't really function without a heart starter. Many thanks to Steve and Darren for helping us out for another year.Remember that we can't start on time unless you register on time! Please allow plenty of time to get up the mountain and park etc, particularly if the weather is a bit wild (and what are the odds of that!).

I'm trying to set up a 'virtual tour' of the DP trail on the website, and hope to have the start of it posted tomorrow

And most importantly Ajays are on board once again and will be providing a great range of spot prizes which ALL entrants are eligible for.

Will post some more info here once I'm on the mountain.