The stoke was high as the early risers lined up for the Tram and Gad Zoom to get this party started. With the inversion socking in the Valley, there were much clearer skies and just some high clouds for the morning session. The snow guns were blazing top to bottom, delivering dry chalky gun powder to add some traction to a very firm base that has been built up with the Snow Crew concentrating efforts to make the coverage very good top to bottom. I did not see any rocks at all, though one needed to stay on the prepared lines, as off the prepared lines was very thin indeed. Traffic was brisk, but the up hill capacity made the turn around time quick and easy.

Tomorrow, look for more cover to have been added to the pack with the ongoing snow making efforts, a refreshed grooming job, and dry chalky lines to be on hand for the early risers. I expect similar traffic for tomorrow’s attendance, so be sure to use care and watch for fast movers.

There were very thick clouds in the inversion layer in the lower canyon, so expect possible black ice in the AM as temps will be cold again. See you there for the early season training session. Stay Frosty!!!

It is go time tomorrow as The Bird opens for the ’23 ’24 Season. That Summer flew by so fast I am just amazed. Temps have been cold, here in the valley as the inversion has set in, and warmer temps up high but not warm enough to affect the pack. I drove up yesterday to check it out and top off the locker for opening day.

Looking at Gad Valley, there seemed to be good cover on the main prepared lines. Gad Zoom and The Tram are going to be opening, so I am looking forward to a fun opening. I’ll be getting an early start and am looking forward to seeing all my friends an fellow slider for the opening day. Be careful of black ice in the lower canyon with this inversion happening. IBBY!!!

The Summer and Fall season passed like a runaway freight train, and it is just a few days till the next Season begins. After a smattering of a few storms during the past weeks, this last installment brought a bit more depth to add to the pack and more is on the way up stream. The hill is looking good, and snow making efforts are ongoing with every window of cold temps. The snow guns have produced some significant accumulations which will be pushed around and spread out for the opening.

The morning crew will be dedicating this season to The Chairman of The Board, who passed this fall after a lifetime of skiing the Bird. He was a mainstay at the breakfast table, and an early riser who made suiting up and talking about the coming day a joy. He will be greatly missed.

I am sure Walter will be doing some great recon work for the rest of us in the Cosmic Powder fields in the great Beyond. I’ll be posting more often now up to the opening and then daily as we get the party started. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!!

I have come back to the Valley from a long stretch in the High Desert to connect with friends, catch up on details, and get up to the hill to check things out. OktoberFest is in full effect each weekend and it has been quite busy as I have heard. Here, at the end of August, we have reached that turning point, where it is all down hill from here as we blast through time and begin yet another season. My good friend Andrew from New Zealand sent me some great shots from the season they have been having down in the far South, where the season is in full swing as I write this.

I have had the pleasure of skiing with this shredder many times on his numerous visits here to the Bird, where he never stops getting the goods and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. I am hoping that he will make his way back this season. A big shout out to all my friends who come here from all over the world to join us for the festivities here in this powder wonderland. I will be making my way back to the High Desert to continue my Cosmic investigations, but it won’t be long now when we will be getting on our Tram to take us to the steep and deep.

Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!!

The Bird opened for 2 bonus days and The Faithful were in full attendance in numbers that were over the top. Available terrain was only the Road to Provo and Regulator, which offered good cover, with heavy sun cups and a section of prepared surface down to the Little Cloud Chair. The energy was high and it was a very festive atmosphere, which was a fitting send off for an amazing season. It was startling how much snow had melted off the lower section of the hill, with no way off the hill, so folks had to download on the Tram at the end of the day.

I opted to hang at The Forklift and enjoy breakfast with the gang and assess the options. Reports from the peak were encouraging and the Plaza was ready for music and a BBQ for the Apres festivities.

What an incredible season, which will go down in memory as a hallmark occasion for a very long time. Thanks to all the Snowbird Teams that worked so hard to make it all work out under very trying circumstances. I will be heading to the High Desert where The Trailer is already set up for the Cosmic explorations. Have a great Summer and enjoy the stoke!!! Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!!

It was a Sunny Sunday, with some cooler overnight temps, which set up the front side of the hill a bit. Mineral Basin was ready for prime time from the get go ,with The Peruvian Gulch not far behind. Grooming was minimal and Regulator did not get the treatment, so it was not recommended. The break was perfect, offering some sumptuous sorbet sections that made those steep pitches feel like back country and I dialed back the speed to extract the maximum amount of juice from each turn.

There was great energy on the hill, with the stoke factor high and folks were in full Spring mode. The water feature at the base of Anderson’s Hill is open and ready for pond skimming for the grand wrap up. Tomorrow, look for another early break which will hold on at least till Noon before the sticky zone kicks in. See you there for the last day. Remain Standing!!!

The thunder was loud this morning and the rain was heavy on the skin of The Trailer, so I was debating about going up. It was blue sky in the west so I headed up and found already soft lines, and slick granular sugar to dial through. For the morning session, the snow was consistent, but became quite sticky later in the day.

There is still plenty of cover on the hill, with the cat tracks and flat areas still well covered and trustworthy. Full platform engagement could be played with, as the turn were easy to dial. Tomorrow, look for much the same as today, but with more of The Faithful getting the last of the turns. See you there for the festivities. Remain Standing!!

It is a very good thing we had a lot of snow this season, as the pack is going fast, but the cover is still excellent. Access lines are still rock free and there are no areas to negotiate on any side of the hill. Mineral Basin was the first to break, which was early and ready for prime time from the get go. The front side was breaking around 10AM, offering nicely prepared lines that became sorbet carpets as the break settled in. Full platform engagement was easy to feel on every turn when the pack hit the sweet spot.

There was fair traffic on the hill, with a large percentage of very strong skiers really taking advantage of the smooth conditions. I had to keep my head on a swivel to keep all fast movers in awareness.

I think there is plenty of snow pack to make it well worth being here for next weeks festivities. All cat tracks are still well covered with no problems top to bottom. Great music on the Plaza apres, with lots of high stoke to keep the party going. See you next week. Remain Standing!!

It was a soggy day for this, the last day of the regular operating season. The clouds hung low over the hill this morning, with showers on the hill, which made things a bit damp and the pack soft and wet. Traffic was very light, but there were still plenty of folks who showed up for the festivities. The clouds moved off as the lifts closed for the day and there was music and good times on the Plaza deck for the intrepid folks who were on hand for the wrap.

Thanks to all the members of the Snowbird Team for making this season turn. It was a relentless season, with more snow than the hill has ever seen, and all the team elements persevered to stay on top of the situation. We can look forward to this coming weekend, where more turns await, with plenty of snow pack to ply, and sweet turns to dial in. See you next weekend for the Spring fun. IBBY!!!

There was an unsettled sky today, with showers threatening most of the day. There were a few sprinkles here at The Trailer in the AM, and it was fairly balmy. Up on the hill, the Spring conditions were in full swing, with the break going off despite the clouds.

With all this snow we received this season, the pack is still in amazing shape with no melt off spots to deal with. The big sections are amazing, with smooth surfaces that are great after the break has gone off. Tomorrow, look for more excellent Spring conditions, more clouds in the forecast, and music on the Plaza deck apres ski. With some luck, we might see some Sun, we’ll just have to see how it shakes out. Dial in the Juice!!