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.
Chris Frost taking advantage of the Sunlight to get this soft smooth line on the Middle Cirque. Lower Baldy was offering fresh lines for Keith Bates, who was making the most of the empty slopes. Mark Herath getting full platform engagement on Baldy. Tyler Herath BEING the Line and getting all of it on Baldy
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.
BLISS BROTHER Burk Weir ready for the day and another season of joy filled turning.
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.
Tymp. to the South starting to catch the Sunshine as it burned through the high deck.
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.
Study this shot of the Sunday Cliffs area for a good idea about lines, line choice issues, and alignment for the next time it dumps.
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.
My good friend Gin on the peak and ready to dance his way down Regulator, which is perfectly smooth top to bottom.
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.
Doc getting the first fresh lines of the season out under the Sunday Cliffs. Bob was working the fresh lines on Hoopie’s Crotch where there were wide open sections to ply.
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.
Long shot of Regulator Johnson demonstrating a full pallet of surface qualities for you sliding tastes.
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.
Looking South toward the Book Ends which gives you a look at the coverage.
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.
The Executive Chef of the Aerie Restaurant sporting a full retro suit for a bright Sunny day.
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.
Hidden Peak showing some wind working the North East aspects, making for some good wind buffed lines in places.
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.
The inversion is building back in as this shot of Provo Peak and the Valley to the East is filled with low clouds.
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.
Nice to have clarity in the valley. It is a rare sight to see the floor this detailed
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.
A clear warm morning greeted the Faithful who were on hand for the opening of the Cirque Traverse, which offered delightful untracked lines for the few who knew the way to the goods. Traffic was light, so the pressure for the fresh lines was modest, letting the ambitious seekers do some real laps for the goods. That, these days of mass consumption, was a real rarity and folks were able to really capitalize on this opening. Bonus lines. As the area got worked, the consistency stiffened up, making the turns a tad bouncy, but still blastable. Coverage was really good, but caution was still required close to those known reef sections off the ridgeline.
The sky was super blue with the Tram cables glowing in the low angle Sun light.
The prepared lines were dry cold and chalky on the Peruvian side of the hill, but a very firm situation was happening on the Gad side of the hill, where looking for the spare dry pockets was key in maintaining a grip on the surfaces top to bottom. I was working on my top to bottom, non stop, stamina today to get the flow feeling dialed in. The snow guns had deposited some very nice gun powder on the Peruvian side and Who Dunnit was open and offering a very nice dialable ride on the bottom of the hill. Tomorrow, look for more Sun and fun, with a fresh till job on both sides of the hill. Those early morning runs in the shade are a real test of your flat light perception, but as the Sun rises higher, definition improves markedly. Off trail is quite stiff and lumpy, with some interference patterns building on the high traffic lines. Great cover on both sides of the hill and nice warm days for building vertical stamina. Stay Frosty!!!
