It was a much warmer morning, with no wind to speak of and much better visibility. The Baldy Chair opened first thing, offering untracked lines that were quite variable. Some lines were perfect, others were breakable and unpredictable. It was great fun getting over there for the first Lewis and Clark expedition of the season and it lived up to it’s name. With the warmer temps, the prepared lines had a bit more traction, though those slick areas were still in play. I was sticking to the known consistent quality aspects to keep the flow moving and avoid some of the few areas where some rocks are making an appearance.

Light traffic was still a feature, with back to back walk on Trams easy to make. That was great for stamina training, and with such low traffic, there was little concern for surprises.

Tomorrow, look for a bit more traffic as we move into the holiday season, still fast moving up hill access, and plenty of very nice lines on all sides of the hill. Off trail is still well worked over, and much of the terrain features are well exposed, though there are hidden cookies here and there. IBBY!!!

That light dusting from yesterday and a light dusting overnight provided some softness to the pack which let you dial in a bit more to each turn. Light was flat in the AM, but breaks in the clouds added some illumination as the day developed. With the wind of the past couple of days, some natural smoothing had occurred in sections of the hill that made a bit of exploration a treat.

Tomorrow, look for more great early season lines, with light traffic and back to back walk on Trams. Fresh smoothing efforts will be on tap on all sides of the hill, and those wind smoothed lines will still be waiting for some adventurous attention. Coverage remains excellent, and it is a great time to get yourself dialed in and tuned up. As Joe Man The Snow Man says,” Don’t skimp on the Groove Sauce.!!”

A very dark cloud was moving fast over the peak this morning as the opening bell approached. While the wind was nuking, the Tram went up on time with snow building in with a furious intensity. Visibility off the peak was very difficult, but the fresh accumulation was offering a silky smooth, high density, coating that felt deluxe under foot and was sticking to the firm layer below nicely. The second run was even deeper, which made for some nice untracked lines with the very light traffic. The snow cleared off as quickly as it started, which left the folks who were on hand a nice treat for the day.

The prepared lines were consistent and smooth, with lower Chips Face and Willows topping out the top to bottom laps with great feel and pitch. Tomorrow, look for more nicely prepared lines, which will feel a bit more tactile with the addition of today’s brief impulse. Look for continued light traffic, with walk on Trams, top to bottom wide open lines, and lots of areas open on the hill to ply. Coverage remains excellent, however the off trail is difficult, chunky, and confused. Interference patterns are well established, so tread lightly. Dial it up, Dial it in!!!

A high cloud deck shrouded the Sun this morning, leaving the hill in a very flat light, which made any details difficult to discern. I was working the prepared lines on the Peruvian Gulch to keep the stamina laps working while feeling my way down the hill. The prepared lines were very smooth and there were areas of loose dry chalk to keep the turns real and moving down the hill. However, there were sections of high shine which kept you on your toes. After Noon, the Sun started to burn through the deck and visibility improved markedly, making for some very nice top to bottom laps with the gang.

With the warm day yesterday, the West facing aspects caught some heat, making Regulator very slick, but the smooth surface let you work the shwag and float factor without deflection. Got to do what you got to do. I think we will see more high clouds tomorrow and, with approach of that low to the West the South wind is in the mix. Hoping to see some transport as the wind keeps working. I’ll be looking for some wind loaded lines for extra traction. See you there dark and early for the festivities. Remain Standing!!

The inversion was building in stronger, with fog in the Valley and beautiful Sunny skies up high. Mineral Basin was the draw first thing this morning, to take advantage of the nicely prepared smoothing efforts of the Cat Crew, which have been stellar on all sides of the hill. Off trail continues to be variable, but coverage remains good.

The front side of the hill was really fun as the Sun came up over the ridge, offering good top to bottom laps to work on the stamina. It will come in handy when you need that extra depth of physical head room when you get that rippin’ line you need to charge.

Tomorrow, look for another inversion layer day with clear skies up high and shmegma in the Valley. The hill is in great shape and it is a great time to get a good look at all the drops for future reference. Snow is coming, keep the vision alive. IBBY!!!

High thing clouds filtered the Sun today, however it did not detract from the visibility on the hill. New areas of terrain were added today, with the opening of the Sunday Cliffs and The Road to Provo, all of which offered variable consistencies depending on the aspect chosen. Coverage is good in both areas and the usual reef sections were easy to discern. There were freshly prepared lines on all sides of the hill, so there was plenty to choose from for today’s festivities.

Tomorrow, look for freshly prepared lines on all sides of the hill, still firm conditions on the prepared lines, difficult off trail consistency, and some fresh Gun Powder to dial for the early risers. I had a great time all last week dialing in the Gun Powder falling down hill of the guns. That silky chalky feel is such a treat. Be uber aware of your surroundings, others on the hill, and surprise variables as they may present themselves. Stay Frosty!!

High Pressure continues to dominate the pattern, with an inversion in the Valley and clear warmer temps up high. Mineral Basin was fully lit this morning, offering very difficult off trail lines, but offered very nice dry chalky machine worked lines that let you let the flow loose and dial in laps. The front side of the hill was firm and wide open with very light traffic making it feel like a private resort. Gad 2 opened with a lot of folks working every square inch of the terrain. I did a lap over there just to check things out.

Tomorrow, look for another bright Sunny day with low wind and lots of new terrain to choose from, which has opened this week. That early morning Sun in Mineral Basin is hard to deny during these dark mornings, and the prepared lines are well worth dialing down. Traffic should be a bit more brisk, but the uphill capacity will deal with that nicely. Have a great day. I am taking the day off to rest up. IBBY!!!

It was a perfect clear morning, with still air, bright Sun and the opening of Mineral Basin to kick off the day. Only Lupine Loop had been given the smoothing treatment and all the off trail was varied consistencies that spanned the entire spectrum of quality. I made a few forays in the untracked, and made my way back to the much more consistent prepared lines. It was great to get back out there checking out the terrain and seeing was was covered and what was not. Coverage seems quite good, but still, hazards exist and real respect for the possibilities is warranted.

Traffic was light and back to back top to bottom Tram laps were happening to aid in the stamina build up. The snow guns were pounding out some very nice gun powder that felt amazing under foot and made for some good traction in the other wise firm conditions.

Tomorrow, look for more nice weather with freshly prepared lines on all sides of the hill. The off trail still is difficult with stiff and confused surfaces. I will be still working the top to bottom laps to get strong as fast as possible. See you there for the dark and early Trams. Mineral will be Sunny and bright, so look there for some nice morning explorations. Rock Steady!!

The air was clear and cold this morning, with a stout wind blowing out of the East, making for a very brisk wind chill factor. Prepared surfaces were still quite firm, but with the wind blowing, and top to bottom snow making, there was plenty of sections that loaded with cold dust for some fair traction. Off trail, the interference patterns are building up with the pressure for the goods and the lines are getting lumpy and difficult. There are however, some wind blown lines that are getting smoother on the High North aspects, but you will need to approach them with care as the stiff rumble is sure to get your attention.

I was sticking with the prepared lines and staying close to those snow guns that were working hard during the early hours. I love those long casts of buffed velvet to bring the roll back within reason.

Tomorrow, look for more nicely prepared lines, maybe some new openings -keep your fingers crossed- and light traffic, making for back to back walk on Trams the pace to keep in the AM. Coverage remains quite good, and there is plenty of options to keep you working the vertical. Watch your SIX!!!

It was a clear calm morning with some very high thin clouds moving fast. The pack is firming up markedly each day, however, there is enough dust, gunpowder, and accumulation resting in the low areas to keep the traction happening, but one must expect some serious drift through the turn motion to keep the flow moving consistently. Admittedly, having butter knife edges does not help getting much of a grip, but it does leave me free not to have to impact my knees with any chatter trying to hang on. Sometimes a bit of drift is OK. Baldy opened with a light traffic working the section, which left plenty of lines to ply with repeated visits to the fresh lines. The untracked was mature, so it was not blower, but it was very consistent and well worth the effort. Coverage is good.

Tomorrow, look for more firm conditions on the prepared lines. I’ll be looking for more openings, so listen up on the Tram announcements. It should be another clear morning, though it takes a while for the Sun to rise up high enough to add definition to the pack after the very flat morning light. See you there dark and early for continued training laps. Remain Standing.