The hand full of faithful, who showed up Monday morning were treated to a personal tram with your closest friends sampling the buffage the snow guns produced overnight.   Machine Gun Powder!  Regulator was re-groomed and the new man made was frosting on the cake.  The Bass highway is still not recommended, leaving the shuttle to get you there , but you do not miss any Trams with the present schedule.   The snow under the guns remained soft as the day warmed up , but did not get too soft.  Tomorrow morning will , no doubt, bring more of the same sweetness in the AM. so get there early for the best of it.  There is no bump development on the main runs leaving the covered rocks  safely out of harms way.   There is lots of great energy coming up the canyon as new comers arrive each day with great anticipation.  Well not much to say so we will see you on the Boat!!

Sunday morning was cool and quiet.  A mere handful made first Tram leaving the run wide open for what every you had in mind.  I opted to ski under the snow guns taking advantage of the fresh  frosting placed continually under them.  Each run had a fresh covering as the traffic was so light that no one was taking advantage of the goodness.  It  was there for the  taking and I am sorry but I took it all !.  The traffic was a bit more condensed lower on the mountain where the lift was letting folks off.  The Lunch Run is now open and has good cover giving a choice of  access to the  Gad restaurant area.  Big Emma was still smooth, however, a bump line had been established to the right of the grooming giving those who wish to take advantage of that feature another option.  I did not see any nasty snags in the troughs so it might be alright.  You know that I avoid bumps at all costs, so I did not sample that line personally.  It is still  ” STRONGLY’ suggested to avoid the Bass Highway as it is still really difficult and snaggy.  One more night of snow making and it might come together . We will have to wait and see.  They had guns on it today and it is quiet close, so I have a good feeling  about that.  The first Tram should be quiet and perfect for early morning training runs which become impossible when the run  gets more populated.  The Shuttle is still the best access back to the center with regular cycles, so waiting is not a problem.  See you on first Tram for the untracked under the guns!!!  P.S.  be very carefull of the Black Ice in the bottom third of the canyon.  It is prime right now and will get you if you are not aware of it.  Ciao!

First Tram  Saturday morning had  7 folks on it.  It was like having a private club, what a treat.  Regulator had been re groomed and was firm to say the least.   You could get an edge into it , but  I did not want to get going too fast at any time.  The snow under the guns was buttery and un tracked all the way to the bottom.  I stayed as close to the guns as i could. Those early runs really pay off. The Tram was running on a 15 minute schedule, so there was no way to get a back to back.  I tried to navigate the Bass Highway twice and just gave up, opting for the shuttle buss to get back to the center.  It worked out well as I was getting to the Tram 4 or 5 minutes before the Tram left, requiring no hurry.   Two Trams an hour was the best you could get.  The better option was to just stay on Zoom  laping it, and the snow lower was better.  The Bass Highway is NOT RECOMMENDED.  More snow making tonite might give them a chance to hit the two areas that were impassable, so a look see in the AM would be advised.  There is still plenty of soft loose snow on the main run to bleed off speed, it is best to aim for the piles and be as direct as possible.  No lift lines and very light traffic on the hill helped make today a  good training day.  It must be noted that the porcupine, that had hung for at least 15 years in the Animal Grove, is now gone.  It has been a constant over the years and the pelt has blown to the ground getting buried under the snow.  It is not a sad thing, just a time marker that is all.  Where does it all go!!!  Be there for first boat and get some freshies!!!

Sorry about missing the Thanksgiving day post but I was on a sojourn to Idaho for a family dinner which was very nice indeed.   I contacted my deep cover source and got the skinny for Friday for you. Yesterday had been quite warm and the sun softened the snow pack as it will.  That set the stage for Friday morning which had Regulator hard and slick.  A few rocks at the left hand wrap around could be avoided by staying to the right.  The rest of the hill remains the same, however, the Bass Highway is very thin and it is advised to go slow and  hug the  left hand side to avoid the  exposure to the rocks.  It is great that there is access back to the center.  I will be making a rare Saturday appearance to make up for the past two days.   The attendance has been very light, though that might change now that the holiday is over, but given the low base and limited skiing I don’t think you will be waiting in any lines to speak of.  I say get there early and get the best of the groomers and quiet time.  See you all dark and early. Ciao!

Wednesday morning was clear and a tad brisk with a light attendance for first chair.  The day would be warming slowly as the sun goes higher in the sky.  Freshies were available for first chairs underneath each snow gun all the way down the hill.  A real treat to get some untracked goodness  with no natural new snow, but untracked non the less, and it was sweet. 5 or 6 turns was all that you could put in there,  but you can’t argue with a dessert topping turn.  Also, the left hand side of the groomers is favored for the  softest and consistent snow during  the morning sessions.  The kids are out of school and were making their presence known, so be looking over your shoulder for the fast movers.  Thursday is still looking like the first Tram day so be careful if you go up high.  For my part I will be doing the Thanks Giving thing in Idaho so I will be reporting via remote viewing.  Happy Turkey day!!!

Monday morning began clear and cold with a groom job that took advantage of the old Man Made, combined it with the new fresh from the other day, turning into a carpet of butter.  Fully carve-able turns with no slippage at all.  With my edges that is saying a lot.  Very light attendance created an almost back country feel. Big Emma reminded me of the Tri Chutes drainage when it gets wind slabbed and as smooth as can be.  I was also using today’s visibility to scope out the shots of the Gad Chutes.  The sparse snow points out, in sharp contrast, the choke points, reefs and snags that inhabit that area. With a bit of observation you can remember  those features, when we get snow, to plan your routes, both gaining entrance and the safe approach to the shot.  I got word that Thursday is the day for the Tram opening.  I got that from the most informed of sources.  Did any one notice that they featured the Communications  Trailer in the new 2012 Movie.  They sure got all the details  right.  Makes you wonder doesn’t it?  Well I bailed at 1:00 PM. leaving a fine day but I have much to do to get all set up: antennas, dishes, and such like.  See  you dark and early tomorrow. Ciao!!

What a difference a day makes.  Monday started out with 8” new inches of 7% adding to the solid base established in the past few days.  The carve-ability was greatly enhanced and I was finally able to stand on a turn with a bit more confidence.  Up until now I have been totally shwagging each turn as I dealt with:  1 the lack of edges  and B the variable edge-ability, at least for me.  Yesterday, a couple of friends had tuned skis and were leaving lacerations,   so my bad.  That is why THE BIG GIANT HEAD invented the MONTANA  machine.  Duh!!!  The early runs were very nice and consistent  giving the light crowd the goods for this early season teaser. The Snow Making has been full on and some areas look close to good to go. The off trail remains perilous at best.  I went poling around in some of the off trail areas, slowly moving through the untracked, I found the  snaggs that I knew I would find.    The Tram is scheduled to open on Wednesday at last hearing , so keep your fingers crossed.  Perhaps there will be enough snow to access the Center:  we’ll see.  Tomorrow morning should be quite again and will offer some groovalicious  corduroy for the early risers.  The early runs are always special to me.  The quiet, the total lack of pressure, and the general vibe of the new day.  OK, TTFN !!

The  Snow  Men and machines are holding up the base in fine form.  Every morning, thus far, has increased the buffer on the main open run.  Sunday was still quiet and clear in the Am. delivering a sweet ride to the early risers.  As the morning wore on more folks arrived and  the firmer spots began showing through, though there was plenty of soft fluffage to dig into.  The base is really resisting bump development, keeping the overall coverage solid.  Off trail is still too thin to contemplate, however, a number of intrepid thrill seekers have been finding their way to some of the gut areas, which so look inviting, but are in reality slabby and rotten after all this time without snow.  All of those areas will be good to go in due time, so you take your chances knowing that the deck is stacked against you.  The Sun was awesome this morning creating some great back lit snow making  photo ops.   This season I am bound and determined to get more photos on the site and keep my camera with me at all times.  It seems that some weather is finally moving in during the late afternoon, so perhaps tomorrow will gift us with some fresh product to sample.  The temps. have dropped so plan to dress for the chairs.  Still no access back to the center, but they are working on the issue. I heard that the Tram may open on Wednesday, giving us a little more head room.  This week should be quiet on the hill presenting a perfect opportunity to dial in some turns and get the rust out of my joints.  The Zoom chair has been opening at 8:30 AM , but I don’t know if that will continue during the week.  In any case I will be there just in case they do.  MMMMM fresh corduroy!!

Saturday morning brought flat light, good visibility, and  very light attendance.  The morning sun was trying to get established , but lowering clouds put the dimmer on that. The temps were a bit brisk , which required an extra layer or two.  I had dressed for “How I wanted it to be” yesterday and was treated to top down driving.  I thought better of that this morning and dressed up for the impending weather.  The hill was quite uncrowded and the line at the chair non existent.  Continued Snow Making efforts keep adding to the main run.  While other areas are getting shot,  there is still not nearly enough to cover the ragged terrain.  Again, I saw seekers scoping and dropping small cliff bands in the off trail areas.  No new snow and Zero base make that an intelligence test!  The developed run is holding up in fine shape with no rocks being uncovered , and the bump development negligible.  Smooth cruising was really fun, and I kept to the left in the slow lane letting the heat seekers blow by.  I have been looking over my shoulder whenever I make a change in fall line so as not to get tagged.  I fended off injury all summer in the Dark Matter Wars and I am not going to get taken out on the Fun Way.  Subtle flakes of the white and fluffy began falling as I was heading out , and the late risers getting in gear made for a festive atmosphere.  More coming tomorrow , though it won’t make the off trail any less treacherous.  Inflate your shoes,  Stay on the Yellow Line, Thank You!

You know how when you wake up from a relentless dream, quickly you cannot remember, for the life of you, what is was about or for how long it lasted.  Today was like that.  I found myself wide awake and saw the same folks I saw just yesterday and not being able to remember much of my dream of the Dark Side.  It is at times like those you have to wonder about time itself.  Where does it go?   The conditions Friday were way better than I had hoped for.  A serious snow making effort solidly covered the main run down from the top of Zoom and I never hit a rock. Granted the Man Made is firm, however, it was very carvable and was resisting the formation of bumps.  A very nice groom job primed the run and it sure paid off.  A consistent crowd was working the slope giving some room to move, though the room is limited.  Off trail is down right thin.  There are deposits, but absolutely nothing underneath, making off trail incursions a very bad idea.  I saw one individual launch a small cliff band and promptly double release  head first into the scree:  That had to hurt, I don’t care where your from!!  Fortunately he had a helmet on and was extremely lucky.  That easily could have been a life ender or a very bad day.  Looks like a new installment is on the way to help the snow guys.  Tomorrow could be a bit more crowded, but the slope will be groomed, making for a fun morning.  Get there early for the best of the day, however, it’s all good! IBBY!