There was 10” of Flat Light covering the hill this morning as the day began.  With the high overcast fully in place over the Northern portion of the State, the Sun was not going to be happening, though it did try.  The South wind was pushing hard, with a full face full of wind when you got off the Tram.  The visibility was quite good, but with the flat light, the details of the surface was difficult to discern.  The Groomers were offering the quality consistency that they always provide, so feeling the smooth was the way to deal with the unknown.  It is a lesson in instrument flight rules, and is quite good for your skill development.  Mineral basin was quite nice, with nicely tenderized lines to make those first runs worth the effort to be there.  On the front of the hill, tenderized lines were also available, and a top to bottom full blast assault was easy to hold together.  Here is a shot of the locker room that I took at 8:30AM when this area is usually bustling with energy with the morning crew getting ready for the day.  On this morning, with the murky sky, it was uncharacteristically vacant except for yours truly.  It was kind of a Twilight Zone moment and I had to wonder if I was still sleeping,……. but NO!!  Tomorrow, look for precipitation to be part of the mix as the system works into the area more fully.  Those smooth lines from today will be the place to be, as the visibility will be at a premium.  You can trust the Grooming lines, but the off trail will be tricky especially on those sections that got hammered by the Sun.  The West facing aspects are particularly difficult right now.   Today was a lot of fun, with low traffic and a great vibe.   Be there for the morning session.  IBBY!!

There had been a hard freeze overnight and the hill reflected that firmness with the opening bell.  Regulator would have to wait until 3 PM for any kind of break, but to start things off, the Grooming Crew had a fleet of machines out early doing the tenderizing efforts to make the hill ready for the day.   Out in Mineral Basin that fresh till worked wonders, and lapping the Lewis and Clark area paid off with untracked corduroy that asked to be savored.  On the front of the hill,  tenderizing efforts also made the top to bottom pace fast and furious.  Once again, Mark Malu had been prepped nicely, offering the dry chalky lines from the word go.  It took a long time for the hill to warm up the air temps., but the break in the pack was going to take all day.  Here is a shot of one of the surprise lines that had been prepped, which is a very rare line and one I had not seen prepared in some time.  Nice touch guys, loved it.  Tomorrow, look for a bit warmer morning as a South wind will be moving out ahead of the next impulse moving along the jet stream.  The freeze should break a bit earlier, so those frozen sections will become more manageable as it gets heated.  Look for those tenderizing efforts to be again deployed, but know that the consistency on those sections is short lived before they get worked over.  Coverage continues to be very good despite the recent warmth, and thanks to that last installment, it went a long way to improving the pack.  You can count on Mark Malu to offer excellent ripping lines early on, but know that it is quite dark there since the time changed.  Here is another  shot in my recent spot survey on trending styles I see on the hill.  This example speaks to the somewhat Tropical feel of this early Spring  warm up.  I liked the fanciful pattern, but I dialed in on the Toucan sparking up.   See you for the morning session.  Speed Safely!!!

The first hour of the day offered some great morning freshness, as the Cat Crew had prepared  beautifully tenderized lines on those Lewis and Clark drops.  It would not last long as the traffic built up and skied off the fresh till.  The front of the hill was offering dry chalky lines, however, the last short section of vertical was a bit crispy.   Mark Malu was good to go from the first, and it kept up for quite a while before it was discovered and became a bit more busy.  The High North is still offering the cold and dry lines, and those looking for off trail variations will find negotiable lines if taken with care.  Here is a shot of Timp. from the top of the Baldy Chair as the air was clear and crisp.  The Exotic Trees still offer the dry chalk on those North facing aspects, but the interference patterns have some high amplitude going and will require close attention.  They have been doing a nice job on Bananas, which makes that diversion a must to take in if you are on the gas and are moving around the mountain fast.  I love to keep the pace going with the empty chair lines and wide open slopes.  There was a bit more traffic in the afternoon, but there was plenty of room to move.   Tomorrow, look for another crisp morning with the South facing aspects slow to soften if today is any indication.  More tenderizing efforts will be offered, so go looking for those early treasures.  The day will warm up for sure, but expect that cold morning air to be bracing.  Don’t forget to SIZZLE!!

Though the Sun was shining and the sky clear, it was a brisk morning with that North breeze making the air have that cut to it.  Yesterday’s warmth had been much more damaging to the cold in the snow pack, leaving those South facing  aspects very very crispy indeed.  I needed to put the breaks on to deal with the kitty litter that was kicked up by the ski traffic.  It would take until 10:30 or 11:00 AM for the break to begin.   On the front of the hill, the cold was still holding up, with the big Peruvian drops prepped for fun.  Lower Primrose Path was dry, chalky and smooth, but it did require full attention to detail to keep from getting bounced out of the line.   The off trail is getting progressively more set up with only the High North still holding the dry chalk, though the low amplitude rumble is wide spread with high traffic areas building the deep interference patterns.  Here is a shot of the Twins taken from the Landing out in Mineral Basin.  Tomorrow, look for another crispy morning on the South facing Groomers and it would not hurt to let them soften up a bit. The front of the hill will still be holding the cold, but the last 500′ may have been hit with some of the ambient heat. Be sure to factor that into a full on assault.  I still will be hitting the Mineral Basin circuit for the morning session because I just love that excursion to the out lying areas come what may.  That way I can confirm my prognostications.  That prepared section of Mark Malu has been a great call while waiting for things to soften, as it has been offering some great dry chalky lines to work on.  See you there for those morning fast laps.   Ciao!!

The temps. got up to 60 Degrees today here at the Trailer as I rested up from last week’s fresh snow and ripping runs.  I was able to establish contact with the LYRAN system which is very far away, and one contact that has been of great importance to the Galactic Federation.   All happening from this little Trailer.   Up on the hill, the Groomers were offering the ground pounding fun for the first hours of the day, as the quality is holding up nicely with the cold snow that was delivered.   With Spring coming back, the aspects that get cooked will be the ones to watch in the morning for crusty and tricky lines if you venture there.   The Groomers have yet to absorb enough heat to be too crispy for those morning laps, though that will not last long if these temps keep up as they have been.  Here is a shot I took the other day as I rode up the Peruvian Chair with the Sun coming through the trees.  Tomorrow, look for another great day with warmer temps., though it may be a tad brisk for the first few runs of the day.  You can always drop a layer, and it is tough when you get that North wind on the Chair ride if you are not properly dressed.   I have found this out the hard way, so I know the deal.   The Groomers will be great once again, as the Cat Crew has out done themselves putting down some righteous lines.  Check the Grooming report for added treats that crop up now and again. There was a real rare treat offered Friday, and I had to hit it several times.  See you there for the fast morning fun laps.   Syrup won’t stop ‘EM!!!

A bright brisk sunny morning greeted the morning crew with Mineral Basin calling with wide open carpets that had been laid out and coated by some wind transported dust just to sweeten the ride.  Lewis and Clark was good for a couple of laps before it got worked over.  The recent snow has been great material for the Cats to work with, and the Cat Crew has done an amazing job of pulling it off night after night.  I am able to lay down the arcs just the way I want.  After all the firmness of the recent past, it is great to have the goods back and the drive line full on and fun.  Off trail is beginning to get a bit more challenging, though there is some wind work going on that is obvious and worth the effort to get at it.  Here is a shot of Dr. Pepper and his lovely lady as they prepared to go snowmobiling out in Mineral.  He is leaving for the season and we will miss him.  Fair winds Dr.  Tomorrow, look for another ripping day on the Groomers, with a bit warmer temp., great coverage no matter where you venture- although there are spots- , and some of the best sunny day conditions of the year.  Looking off trail for the goods will pay off with runs on the High North that are holding some of that wind filled goodness that will keep you coming back.  The Exotic trees are very nice with dry chalky snow, but the interference patterns are widespread.  They have been doing a great job on Bananas, which is worth the trip there on it’s own.  I ran into Coach Whittingham in the afternoon and we made a couple of ripping runs top to bottom.  We talked about stillness in the turn which he has got down and is throwing it down in a big way.  Keep SIZZLING coach!!  Stay Frosty!!

As anticipated, the Groomers were off the charts ripping today as the recent installment really went a long way in covering the old layer.  There was not even a hint of the crunch for the first part of the day until things started to get worked.   Off trail lines were beginning to set up, becoming a bit stiff and lumpy.  A slow and deliberate approach seemed to work well, as the pliability still responded to a well executed turn.  Interference pattens are rapidly rising in the usual places, but those ripping steep winch treated lines make those big drops a bit like back country wind slab and a great option.   Got to love the perfect carve-ability of the wind slab.   Here is a shot of the North facing Bookend Chute looking fat after the new installment.  Wind lines were beginning to show up in places, and I checked them out for consistency.  I found them supportable and feeling dry and chalky.  Tomorrow, look for a bit warmer day, awesome ripping Hydro Velvet for the morning session, and low traffic on the hill.  The High North will still be holding the cold and will be missing that Sun working it.  Watch those South faces in the AM as they may be a bit interesting.   Here is a shot of a world famous ripper I encountered after he had ripped the big North facing chute.  You never know who you will encounter on the hill on any given day.  See for the early corduroy extravaganza on all  sides of the hill.  You can choose your carpet with full confidence.  Enjoy the ride.   Peace Out!!!

High pressure returned to the weather pattern after a nice stretch of new accumulation over the past week.   After yesterday’s storm riding extravaganza, the faithful made a full return to get the areas that had been held off because of the control issues.  After a short delay, Mineral Basin was opened with a La Mans start that was awesome to witness.  The Road to Provo opened after the control work was complete, and the faithful lined up to get the rope drop to the last area to open.  I witnessed the crowd consume the untracked  perfection in around 3 minutes flat.  Here is a shot of Last Chance just before the opening, looking pristine indeed.  I just went the other way and scored the unnoticed drop of another gem that was as good as it gets.   The underlying interference patterns were still reflecting through the accumulation, but the higher density product totally cushioned the ride and made these features actually fun.  The wind was another feature of the day, but it did not impinge on the quality too much, except for the wind affecting some of that East facing product.  Here is a shot of the East Twin taken from the top of Gad 2 with the wind ripping the ridge lines.  The quality held up nicely all day long, with only the aspects that were taking a lot of direct Sun feeling the heat.  The Harbor Chop was very slow to develop, making the worked sections fun and blastable. Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to be off the charts ripping, offering carvalicious Hydro Velvet all over the hill.  The soft quality will still be holding up on most aspects, with the High North a given for soft snow.  Interference patterns will be quick to re emerge  as the hill gets worked, but there will still be some smooth lines to find if you look to the less traveled sections.  The weather should be great again, with bright Sun and a continued Northerly flow to keep the temps cool for the morning.  The temps should warm up in the afternoon, so follow the Sun for the best quality.  See you for the ground pounding morning session.  Don’t forget to SIZZLE!!

While the  large turnout of faithful waited expectantly in the queue for the start of the festivities, a Wall Of Voodoo moved up the Canyon and commenced to do some serious hard dumping.  I have rarely seen it snow so hard, with a multiple inch per hour rate.  Here is a shot of skis covered with the fresh Essence just 5 minutes after the dump began.  With an overnight accumulation already waiting up on the hill, this medium density installment was going to be just what the doctor ordered.  There was much excitement in line as the expectations were ignited by the new product hitting the hill. Here is a shot of the Roper Twins who were stoked to see that wall of Voodoo moving in.  After I took this shot, and the snow moved in, it looked more like this shot I took from the comfort of the Forklift Chair after the morning got started.  You could not even see the Peruvian Chair from the deck.  Now that is dumping!!! As the hill opened up, the folks were quick to work the product wall to wall, but the quality kept the consistency good for most of the day.  It was not until after 1:00PM that the Harbor Chop began to build.  I dialed back the speed and went for a round and deliberate approach to the variability.  This higher density product went a long way toward covering the old crusty layer, but there are echos of it here and there, especially on the steep traverses, so be aware.  The traverses have improved a lot, but a low and slow line will keep you out of the static.  All the lines on the hill are shaping up in a big way.  Tomorrow, look for more residual overnight accumulation out of this impulse, with more areas still waiting in the wings to open up with freshness that has been mounting up.  Those should be epic drops indeed.  Check for Canyon advisories before leaving as there is a closure at 5:30 AM.  See you for the ultra deep.  Ciao!!

Today was a classic storm day powder extravaganza.  Granted, the visibility was variable, but even out in Mineral Basin you could see enough to really have fun with the options.  Snow fell through out the morning, building up rapidly.  The Morning Crew spent the morning exploring Lewis and Clark lines that got deeper with each run.  Higher density Essence began to cushion the old layer, which became less of a concern as the new snow got deeper.  I was even getting full on face shots after the breakfast break.   Here is a shot of Mr. Scott and  Carving Pete, who were assisting me in sampling the goods with absolutely no pressure.  It was like a private resort all day long.  I went to visit the West facing aspects to check out the feel after avoiding it for the past while. While it was much improved, the bottom is still in play, but the consistency is improving rapidly, and each run was fun and blastable.   I continue to encounter these very interesting examples of ski wear, and here is a shot of Camo Man in full regalia making a very bold fashion statement.  It looked like a very functional outfit for such a weather intensive day.    Tomorrow, look for overnight accumulation to add to the pack,  much improved conditions wall to wall as the new Essence fills the dance floor, and storm conditions throughout the day.  You can expect some reflection of the interference pattens to persist for a bit yet, so go for the smooth for the best ride.  I hit White Diamonds a number of times this morning just to get as much of that delight as I could.   To illustrate the quality that is happening now, I offer this shot of my friend Mike getting the goods out on the border lines.  This is an accurate example of how good it is getting.  Blower and getting deeper.  This was taken yesterday during that Sun window, and it is getting deeper.    Check the Canyon report in the AM. for restrictions  and bring the Rhino Chasers for full on power blasting.  See you there to see how deep it will be.  Stay Frosty!!