The temps were still frosty this morning, but I was sliding in sunglasses and a hat, which was great. There was no shortage of amazing choices for prepared lines on all sides of the hill, so it was a matter of approach that made the decision. Lone Star and White Diamonds were on tap and perfect for the opening bell, with a totally vacant Peruvian Gulch to work, back to back and non stop. The untracked corduroy was impeccable, calling for repeat visits. Side country was open and folks were taking advantage of some rare lines.

With light traffic, back to back walk on Trams were on tap, with top to bottom smooth which kept me comin’ back for more. The pack held up for a long time as the cold temps held up the break. Tomorrow, look for more great prepared lines. The Cat Crew has been doing a stellar job of making the hill better than ever. Carpets of AHHHHHH! I expect light traffic again tomorrow, so get ready for a vertical extravaganza. IBBY!!

It was a cold morning, with some clouds moving in and out, but with larger windows of Sun to balance out the mix. As anticipated, the machine worked lines were just amazing as the new product got worked into the mat. Chips, Anderson’s Hill and Lower Primrose path were buffed out and smoothed to perfection top to bottom. It was likely the best quality I have ever experienced on that combination….Ever. No kidding. I needed a cigarette right after that first run. Mineral Basin was offering great lines as well, but I opted to hit up Peruvian Gulch as it was totally vacant. With the cold temps, the quality held up all day long and did not become manky. I was on the peak for the eclipse, just to be there for the event.

Tomorrow, look for more amazing lines to be on tap on all sides of the hill. I think the temps preserved the pack, so the prepared lines should be really good in the AM. I expect continued low traffic and wide open top to bottom hot laps. The high north aspects are still holding the dry cold, so those lines should be good to go for off trail action. I will be looking for that perfect velvet again on all those prepared lines and, perhaps, another fresh till on Lower Lower. See you there dark and early for the warming trend. Dial it up, Dial it in!!

Fresh essence covered the hill over night, adding to the cushion and quality. The clouds and cold morning temps, help preserve the quality of the new product and kept it from the morphing too quickly. With the recent slow build up of pack, the substrate is quite smooth overall, making for some full on top to bottom drive lines that I have been waiting on all season long.

Tomorrow, look for still soft snow all over the hill, but some aspects that caught a shot of Sun may be variable. The prepared lines will be off the charts delightful on all sides of the hill right out of the chute. Check the grooming report for new and exciting lines.

Look for some still active weather to be happening, but I expect a stellar day. See you there dark and early for the vast array of choices. Speed Safely!!

A fresh Spring installment of Essence was delivered and The Faithful were on deck and ready for fun. It was great to have the hill in such smooth overall shape so that the new cover got worked into the substrate. Visibility was an issue, but staying with the trees payed dividends.

Tomorrow, look for more overnight accumulation and excellent conditions. Forecast looks like an active pattern for a couple of days, so there will be refreshed lines. A little at at time is just fine. I’ll be back on the hill in the AM. See you there for the festivities. IBBY!!

The wind was blowing this morning, and the clouds were moving mighty fast. Windows of sunshine passed quickly, so the visibility was pretty good though a bit flat at times. The prepared lines were smooth and firm, however there was enough dust and velvet in the mat to get enough traction. On lower aspects, tenderizing efforts had been done, making the mat much softer and sugar like. The front moved in around 1PM and the storm was on. Good to have got a good look at the hill before it gets covered up.

Tomorrow, look for overnight accumulation to be added to the mostly smooth pack. That old surface was pretty crusty, so expect some feedback. I am hoping it comes in a tad wet to cushion the ride. Dress for storm riding and have fun with all the freshies. Remain Standing!!

The Sun was shining this morning, but it was filtered to varying degrees with some flat light periods and other sun lit openings. With the overnight freeze, those direct aspects and off trail was going to be crispy and stiff. The prepared lines were nicely tilled and plenty of traction. On the front of the hill, there was plenty of traction there as well, check the grooming report and know which big lines have been prepared. Fresh tilling on Who Dunnit was sweet and offered full platform engagement with each turn. Regulator was very firm in the AM and would take a long time to break.

The wind really began to howl out of the South ahead of the front that is on the door step. I am hoping we’ll get some good natural smoothing overnight to buff out the pack. Look for the North and East aspect to get the accumulation. Dress for changing and storm like conditions. Again the prepared lines will be the best feel till the pack gets covered with the new installment. See you there for the Spring powder experience. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!!

The Sun has been working the pack with direct rays beginning the Spring thing. Mineral Basin was offering the bright visibility and machine worked lines that were a touch crispy, but still had a bit of the cold chalk mixed into the mat. Lone Star and Silver Dipper were on tap, and with a super light traffic day, let you dial in hot laps with no waiting and wide open lines. On the front of the hill, Peruvian Gulch still had the dry chalk up high, but the lower aspects were crispy till warming occurred.

Regulator was going to take a while to break as per usual, but the rest of the hill had plenty of options to keep you working the back to back walk on Trams. Tomorrow, look for increasing winds as the next low pressure gets closer. There may be some high clouds moving in as well, but I expect visibility to be good. Mineral will be offering the first break in the pack, and going for the smooth machine worked lines will be the call for that ground pounding top to bottom fun.

It feels so great to have the photo posting capability back as a picture is worth a thousand words. See you there dark and early for the morning hot laps and spring feel. More storms are upstream, so get ready. Straight Ahead!!!

After a long storm cycle, we got a day of wonderful Sun to light the way. The pack was still soft and fluffy on the shaded lines which have avoided any direct ray exposure. There were still smooth lines after all that wind work and it is still holding up. Temps are warming up now as a high pressure builds in, so the pack will be changing with this time of the year, which we seemed to have avoided for these last cycles.

The machine worked lines were offering much more consistent quality as a second till took some of that punchiness out of the mat, so you could trust the arc of the dynamic. I just love full platform engagement. Tomorrow, look for the prepared lines to be offering top to bottom stellar quality and lighter traffic. Top to bottom, back to back hot laps should be on tap. Mineral Basin will have been affected by today’s direct Sun on the pack, but I think the prepared lines will still be holding some of the dry chalk at least for the opening hours. It is that time of the year now, so attention to aspect is key and staying out ahead of the break will pay dividends. A huge thanks to MYSTIC MEDIA for all the help with getting my page up and working. I would not be able to do it without their generous assistance. Keep it tight!!!

There was 5 or so inches of light fresh essence on the dance floor this morning covering a wind smoothed mountain in almost every direction. It was really amazing to see such smooth substrate wall to wall. Visibility was very difficult in Mineral Basin, but there were sweet lines there and a slow to gather crowd, which let you dial in a few hot laps before the line began to build up. On the front side of the hill, The Peruvian Chair moved the crowd up the hill in quick fashion, making back to back laps on the chair fast and fun. The Tram also backed off as folks got spread out, making the wait much quicker. The prepared lines were really nice, but, with all the new snow in the past few days, the pack was a bit punchable and care needed to be exercised to avoid breaking through and getting twisted by the variation. The harbor chop began to build up around Noon, requiring a much slower pace to deal with the lumpy bits. Tomorrow, look for a much nicer day with clearing skies, great prepared lines and still soft snow on the High North and East facing aspects. The over all complexion of the hill remains fairly smooth even after the chop build up, and you can expect great machine worked lines to be good to go on all sides of the hill. I am still working on getting my photo posting back up and running. Stay tuned. See the line, BE the line!!!

A nice overnight accumulation was delivered, making for a great day on the hill. With a very unsettled pattern, it was a stormy day and visibility was variable all day long. The prepared lines were offering the smooth surfaces, which had been cushioned by the new freshness. Off trail, the build up of soft snow began to mitigate some of those frozen aspects that were a tad crunchy yesterday. The hill is remaining fairly smooth with all the new accumulation and the interference patterns are morphing back into the pack to make the ride much smoother if you track those high demand lines. Tomorrow, look for more overnight accumulation, more accumulation during the day and lots of fresh lines to find all over the hill. I expect traffic to be a touch lighter, but still there is high demand for the goods. With the hill in such great shape, quality runs are available on all aspects and the crunch from days ago will be getting fully cushioned. Dress for stormy conditions, hopefully the visibility will improve, but take advantage of the wide spread excellent lines that are straight up good to go. Remain Standing!!!