Visibility was fairly good this morning before the mountain opened for public, but as the First Tram left the dock the snow started much earlier than predicted. Visibility was at a premium, so I had to ply the abyss that was Mineral Basin just for drill. The Grooming job was fully trustworthy back there, with Lewis and Clark offering easily 4″ of fresh Essence as it began to fall at 2″ per hour. The low angle lines were the best, but the steeper sections were trustworthy as well.

The front of the hill offered much better reference points with the trees and nicely prepared lines were offered there as well.

The crowd really built up, so I retreated to the Forklift to assess the options.

Tomorrow, look for a clearing day with a bit more accumulation as the storm moves East. Look for the groomers to offer the smoothest lines, with the off trail still feeling crunchy and variable. Still, judging from these shots that Mikey M sent along, the hill is in pretty good shape and soft snow will still be happening with lots of lines still left over. See you there dark and early for the festivities. IBBY!!!

It was a filtered Sun kind of day, with a high cloud deck that let plenty of illumination on the hill, but the intensity was decidedly affected. The Groomers were still the place to be to get those first tracks on the morning corduroy.. There has been some great wide open lines happening, and it has been easy to get around the traffic. Off trail continues to be good, with considerable rumble, but soft snow on the Northern aspects. There is, however, wide spread crunch from earlier last week that persists.

Tomorrow, look for the beginning of a stormy stretch that should increase with the day and really hit hard later. With variable visibility, staying with the known smooth is key. I think visibility will be pretty good to start things out, we’ll see. There should be some super tasty steep lines prepped for the opening bell. What is going to be the first call for you?!! Straight Ahead!!

It was sunny and smooth today, with wide open prepared lines offering up some ground pounding fun for the morning session. White Diamonds and Lower Silver Dipper were just killer with that fresh till and bright sunny visibility. On the front of the hill, Anderson’s and Lower Primrose Path had been given a fresh till, which put together one of the longest continuous stretches of vertical on the hill.

Traffic was fairly light, with walk on Trams going off all morning long. The Mineral Chair did back up for a bit, but that is to be expected. The Peruvian Chair was ski on open, so max vertical was available and the quality remained excellent all day. Tomorrow, look for more wide open lines to be happening on all sides of the hill. Coverage remains great, and the smooth sections will be fast and fun right out of the chute. I’m taking the day off so dial it up for me. See the Line, BE the Line!!!

It was a fast and fun morning, with bright Sun, little wind, cold temps warming quickly, and amazing carpets of AHHHHHHH prepared on all sides of the hill. The wind had moved and affected much of the loose snow, making for some deeper sections that were a bit slabby and tricky with inconsistent substrate that is still in play. Traffic was fairly light and wide open ground pounding lines were there for the taking.

There were still untracked lines to be had if you were in the hunt. Sometimes it is worth taking a bit more time and getting the fresh lines.

The crowd got spread out and the Tram became walk on fast, and making back to back laps was easy to do. Tomorrow, look for more fast and smooth lines to be in the offerings. Perhaps the wind will do a bit more transporting again. The hill is in great shape and snow is in the forecast soon.

There are still lines to be found, so keep your eye out and go get some. Stay Frosty!!

There was fresh frosting covering the dance floor, which felt amazingly sweet underfoot. The Groomers were just off the chart perfect with the coating that seemed line a fine desert topping. It had just that right amount of richness to make it memorable. Mineral Basin had a bit better visibility for the first Tram, and the wide open lines out there felt great. On the front of the hill, smooth lines were happening and extra special smoothing treatment on Think Young was a real treat. I was working with the known smooth in the variable in light, and was staying close to the trees for reference.

Tomorrow, look for better visibility. There should be plenty of soft snow around, but I will be staying with the smooth as the substrate is quite variable. I think traffic will be fairly light, and max vertical will be easy to rack up. Keep it tight!!

As anticipated, the morning dawned sunny and warm, with Mineral Basin offering wide open corduroy perfection. This last installment provided excellent material with which to work and the consistency was amazing. Lewis and Clark was offering vacant lines with no one taking much interest in the low angle lines.

The front of the hill was also offering very nice grooming efforts that let you work on your inner Legity. Untracked corduroy top to bottom with the dry chalky feel that just felt like velvet underfoot.

Clouds moved in around Noon, making the lights go out. Tomorrow, look for some accumulation on the hill as the front is moving in. I will be remembering the smooth lines from today to keep the ride smooth and avoid the off trail rumble. Look to the low angle lines for the best ride. The hill is improving with each additional installment, so keep rechecking the lines. Straight Ahead!!

A big blue sky set off the new coat of fresh frosting on the hill this morning. The Faithful were present and ready for today’s festivities. The new Essence was cold and dry and was really blowing up. Some of the out lying sections are still perhaps a look.

Tomorrow, look for a fair morning, however, a storm is approaching, so I expect wind, and increasing clouds later. I’ll be looking for the outside lines for remaining soft snow, and the Groomers for the full corduroy experience. Coverage is great and entrances are improving. I am going to dress for cold, just in case. Speed Safely!!

The Faithful were on deck early, however, there was a wind delay on the Tram and the weather was looking dark. It started snowing around 9AM, with some heavy intensity as the lifts began to open. The Tram opened shortly after the opening bell. With all the Sun and warm temps the past few days, the pack had been very affected and had frozen up underneath the new accumulation. The consistency was extremely variable. I was staying on the known smooth to keep things consistent in the difficult visibility. The new product felt fluffy, but had a bit of density going on.

Tomorrow, look for more unsettled weather, with some light overnight accumulation. I am looking for the smooth lines and this new accumulation should mix into the mat, making the traction much better. I will have to look around after this past weekend to get a closer look at the outlying areas. More snow is in the forecast and the conditions can only improve. It has been great getting these new additions to the pack. IBBY!!!

It was warm and sunny this morning as The Faithful were ready for more right out of the chute. The Grooming Crew has been working the hill with all the new material they have to work with and the carpets have been as good as they get. Almost gone are any echoes of the old hard pack, and the velvet feel is great to feel underfoot. The Sun is high in the sky now, and paying attention to the aspect is becoming more important every day.

All aspects have improved and access to some of the more tricky lines have much better cover, and the higher density of this past installment will help build up the cushion as we get ready for more that is upstream.

Tomorrow, look for some overcast to be in the mix as the next system moves in. Be sure to think about aspect in the AM., as the Sun was working and that heated up pack will be interesting. I’ll be looking for the smooth velvet carpets of AHHHHH for the early laps. Remain standing!!!

It was a cold blue sky this morning with the Sun really setting up the contrast. The wind was blowing huge plumes of snow off the peaks that were amazingly back lit early on the drive up. The Groomers are soft and dialable, which it such a treat first thing in the AM. Lots of out lying areas were available if you were paying attention.

Tomorrow, look for more bright Sun, wide open lines, soft snow, and tons of fun on all sides of the hill. The consistency has improved so much over this cycle, which restores the full fall line confidence. What a treat to have such great conditions and more is coming! Straight Ahead!!!