The Faithful were on deck early in anticipation of the opening of Mineral Basin and they got their wish. Everyone wanted a piece of that and there were lots of variations in quality depending on the aspect chosen. The Basin was the big draw and the initial draw of the Tram was shifted to the Mineral side and the Tram line vanished. On the front of the hill, the big draw was a fresh till of Anderson’s Hill with the roll into Lower Primrose Path, which offered perfect corduroy that made that drop back country smooth with impeccable wind buffed feel.

I hit this line 3 times in rapid succession and got untracked lines all three times. What a bonus. Later, The Road To Provo opened, but I was still working the front sections to extract as much goodness from the vacant lines as possible. Tomorrow, look for more prepared lines on all sides of the hill, some snow developing later in the day as another impulse pushes through. The hill is in great shape, Off trail, you will need to use a full deep fall line drive line approach to punch through the stiff crud on all sides of the hill. Nice to have enough snow to get those full steep groomers going. Dial it up, Dial it in!!

There were some high clouds this morning, but some visibility was on tap for today’s festivities. A lighter turnout of The Faithful made for quicker turnarounds on the hill, and with sections widely visible, were able to spot the available lines that were happening all over the hill. The recent installment’s high density quality, made for some very stiff sliding, which required a full fall line attack to let the power of gravity do the work.

The prepared lines were feeling delightfully dialable and let you feel the luxury of every turn. Tomorrow, look for more good conditions, with some of the high traffic areas becoming a tad lumpy, but the prepared lines will still be offering dry, chalky carpets, that will let you dial it in. I’ll be keeping and eye out for any mention of a Mineral Basin opening, and will be listening to the Tram announcements closely.

See you for another day of full on, full power blasting on the hill. Eat your Wheaties, you’re gonna need ’em. Remain Standing!!

It was a full on Winter blast of a storm today, with high winds, heavy snow fall, very difficult visibility issues, and free refills all day long. The Faithful were on deck today as well, but the big pressure was off as folks were out on the hill dealing with navigation in the wild conditions. I got my first look at the Peruvian side of the hill in quite some time and there were significant release zones, that were stripped to the ground by the wind, with significant debris below that needed to be given a lot of respect in the challenging visibility. There were some aspects that were tricky, and other aspects that offered floaty and consistent lines that let you get jiggy with the fresh accumulation.

Tomorrow, look for more accumulation on the hill overnight, continued difficult visibility and more wind smoothed lines. Be very cautious of the sections on the upper mountain where slides have released as there is little cover and will need respect. Much of the interference patterns and static issues are buried now, but there are still some terrain surprises with the wind work, so expect the unexpected. I will be looking far afield as I feel comfortable with approach traverses, where I avoided them prior to this cycle. Dress for continued storm riding. Keep it tight!!

After a week of pounding storms and high winds, we finally got a Sunny Vision of the effects of this last cycle. The Faithful were on deck dark and early anticipating the day. As mitigation efforts were completed, sections of the hill began to open, which revealed the effects the wind had on the hill. There were sections that had blown clean down to the old layer and other sections that had been filled by the transported snow. However, all aspects had been affected in one way or another, making for some challenging turns. The best turns were in the trees on the lower aspects that saw less wind, and the deep trees higher up that had been protected. The prepared sections were in prime shape, with the new product, after being tilled into the mat, were soft and dialable.

The morning was cold, and The Faithful were already fully ready, when I showed up at the pre opening time, so I checked in at The Forklift to assess the options on the day.

Tomorrow, look for a storm day as the next impulse moving out of the West will begin to deliver the next installment in the wee hours of the morning and continue throughout the day. Dress for storm riding, with wind, heavy snowfall and building accumulation. Be careful in the canyon as there are some slick spots here and there that can creep up on you.

See you there dark and early for the continuing accumulation of goodness. Speed safely!!!

The Canyon opened this morning and the hill opened as well after mitigation efforts had been completed. There were lenticular formations hanging on the peak, indicating the winds up high were still nukin’. The new product was very dense and floaty, but it was cold and dry so it felt smooth and buoyant. Limited lifts were open to start, but Gad Zoom and Gad 2 were added later to augment the available terrain.

Tomorrow, look for more terrain to open, wind affected snow to be prevalent, but look to the trees for some protected goodness. I expect much better vis as the storm has moved off, but there is another healthy storm just upstream poised to unload on Wednesday. I will be looking forward to dialing in those lines I have been avoiding due to the high amplitude variations. The hill is hitting it’s stride and any more accumulation going forward will be icing on the cake. See you there dark and early for the carving delights. Straight Ahead!!!

That last impulse that moved through The Front really packed a punch, closing the Canyon for the day, and setting up an interlodge situation on the hill. Both Snowbird and Alta did not open today and the road remains closed. There were some stupendous slides out of the Superior slide area and Hellgate, which crossed the road and kept on rollin’. With some unusual atmospheric anomalies, the temps were warmer and it rained down here at The Trailer and the product on the hill was dense and wind affected. The avalanche danger is extreme and all aspects have been given a black designation on the aspect circle.

Tomorrow, look for more snow to have fallen overnight as it is not over yet, a delayed opening of The Canyon and the area. Be patient and, perhaps sleep in on the Holiday. The base is really building up and nearing 100″, which is a great level that indicates fully fat pack conditions. More storms are in the forecast, so get ready for that. IBBY!!!

After a delayed opening of the Canyon, and the opening of the lower section of Gad Valley, The Faithful were treated to a wind smoothed carpet of medium density product that was carvelicious. Gad 2 opened, offering added terrain, and tree lines that are rare and sensational. It is nice to have the hill be resurfaced after that long stretch that saw some serious static patterns develop. Now with all this new product, we can look forward to some big mountain smooth that is icing on the cake.

Tomorrow, look for a delayed Canyon opening, and more intense snowfall as the real punch of this series of impulses pushes through the Front. You can expect a slow start on the hill as all this new accumulation makes mitigation efforts difficult and extensive. Still, when areas do open, it will be some of the best quality of the season and, with all of the deep features covered and worked in, the approach to the hill affords unmitigated audacity. Be sure to check the Bird site for road restrictions and up to date on the hill access info. Exciting times are here for sure, which validate all those deep snow visualizations with which we have been working the morphogenic field. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

Big wind and high density product made for a volatile pack for this morning’s offerings, after another overnight cold front moved through. The Faithful were on the case as soon as the Canyon opened after mitigation operations were complete. Staying in the trees was the call, where the wind was cut and the consistency was not as worked. Later in the day, more of the hill opened, offering some fresh lines to find after the Gad side of the hill had been worked over.

Tomorrow, look for overnight accumulation to have delivered more goodness and it is predicted to extend well into tomorrow. This will prove to deliver a lot more depth and you can expect a slow start to the day. Check the road report and cams for info on Canyon access. We are fully in the flow and this will push the hill into fullness top to bottom and wall to wall. It is going to be quite a time, so buckle up and get ready. Stay Frosty!!!

The freshness is flowing, with impulse after impulse, which extend clear across the Pacific. The Faithful have been right on point for the goods and the hill delivered a much more consistent quality as the traffic has packed in the previous accumulation, making the variations much less dramatic. More of the hill opened later in the day, offering some delightful lines with a large array of aspects to choose from. With this much product on the hill it is hard to miss a good call.

Tomorrow, look for a slight break in the accumulation action, and a Canyon closure overnight. Be sure to check the road reports for access. Conditions are great wall to wall, and there are still areas waiting in the wings, so keep your ear to the rail for openings. The Prepared lines will be silky smooth and unbeatable. Off trail will be much improved with the recent accumulation and a more direct line will be much easier to keep with the rumble having smoothed out. Dress for cold, as the Northerly flow is still in play. See you there for all the possibilities. Keep thinking Deep Thoughts!!!

The front moved through with high intensity, delivering a stout accumulation of medium density product, which was just what we needed to build the base. After an short delay for mitigation efforts The Faithful were ready to rock. There were many different consistencies depending on aspect and elevation. The very high winds of the passage scoured sections and filled others, while leaving some wave patterns that challenged your desired meter and pace to deal with the variations. The East facing aspects seemed to hold the best wide open slope conditions, with the deep trees offering good consistency and flow.

It is dumping now here at The Trailer as another cold front is moving through, delivering even more goodness to grace the hill. There is lots of wind associated with this impulse as well, so the volatility will be increasing on the hill, so expect a slow start. All that wind and product has filled and smoothed all the interference patterns and rumble we have been dealing with, so you can expect a much smoother ride and much improved coverage as most of the features are getting cushioned. The pattern is holding strong and more is upstream, so enjoy the daily deliveries. Peace Out!!