It's snow time for Mt Taranaki enthusiasts

REARING TO GO: Stratford Mountain Club staff member Peter Quin, left, mountain manager Nick Fountain from Crested Butte, Colorado, and club secretary Mark Braddock were busy as the ski season on Mt Taranaki opened yesterday.

Taranaki's snow season has officially begun.

Skiers and snowboarders took delight in the 10cm to 30cm covering of snow on Mt Taranaki yesterday, signalling the first day of the season at Manganui skifield.

Stratford Mountain Club secretary Mark Braddock said it was a fantastic start to the season. "There was about 35 on the mountain and people are enjoying themselves on the slopes," Mr Braddock said.

"There is 10cm to 15cm of new wind-blown powder and there are families, seniors, juniors, snowboarders and skiers – all sorts."

Club vice-president Rhys Williams said members were expecting the snow to come a lot later this year. "Last year was exceptionally early. We were getting powder snow and skiing the top tow in May and that's almost unheard of," Mr Williams said. "This year we thought it would go back to a late season or back to around this time."

But a large dumping of snow after the weekend's heavy rainfall granted snow bunnies the windfall they needed to get on the slopes early.

"We are very happy the season is now under way.

"We have just got our new snow safety operator, Nick Fountain from Colorado, so it's his first day today so it's good that he is not waiting around. He is straight into it."

Although rain is forecast for today and tomorrow, the next snow fall is due on Saturday.

"It's all good to start with, but we might find it will be washed away within the next few days but hopefully it might be back."

- © Fairfax NZ News