The morning of the Winter Solstice was cold and still. With the light so low in the sky, the dark side seemed just that much darker. Prepared lines were offering excellent traction, however, there were some slick spots in the usual areas. The Peruvian Gulch was delayed for just a short time and was just opening as I topped out for my second run. The snow guns were blazing on that side of the hill and long lines of Gun Powder were offered up and down the hill, which were silky soft and dialable. Down on Chips Face, that fresh snow made those sections a delight and I made a rapid push to get another line before it got worked over.

I stopped in to The Summit to see what was going on in the nosh department, and I found that the Pizza was going fast and they were making more.

The Groomers held up nicely all day and the crowd was well dispersed, making uphill access quick and fast. The off trail is becoming quite inconsistent, so staying with the prepared lines is a bonus. Tomorrow, look for increasing clouds to move in as the next storm is on the door step and will be delivering the next installment soon. The hill is prime to accept new product, and it is going to get really good. Be sure to scope out your lines now that you can see them.

See you there dark and early for another day of ground pounding fun. Keep it real!!

Peruvian Gulch opened today as my second Tram unloaded and was offering a wide range of conditions. The Groomers were amazing and they put a lot of effort into getting them buffed for the opening. Off the beaten path was some very soft and turnable powder, however, it would change consistency with aspect and angle. I found the best feel was on the Groomers, which were perfectly dry chalky carpets that let you lock and load your turns. These runs were the first time this season that I felt like I made a real turn.

The day warmed up as the Sun got a bit higher, but temps remained chill and kept the snow soft and unaffected. Tomorrow, look for more beautifully prepared lines on both sides of the hill. The Snow Guns are blazing and are offering some amazing dusty lines that call one to dial it in a bit to extract as much juice from each turn. Dress for cool temps in the AM, but tomorrow should warm up as well. There are still soft lines to find if you go looking. Enjoy The Ride!!!

The day dawned clear and cold with the snow guns blazing full force top to bottom. A fresh till and fresh Gun Powder covered the prepared lines, which offered a dry, chalky, silky feel underfoot. Off trail has been developing interference patterns, which are still fairly low amplitude and easy to negotiate.

The Faithful showed up in a big way early, so I took the opportunity to visit The Forklift to continue the 50th anniversary festivities. Tomorrow, look for more sun and fun and a bit lighter turn out. I expect great grooming efforts and continued Gun Powder accumulation to make those early morning runs silky and sweet. I will be keeping my eyes open for a possible Peruvian opening, but I did not hear any rumorings, so I’ll just keep my fingers crossed. See you there dark and early for the start of another week of the start of the next 50 Years!!! Straight Ahead!!

After a long stretch of storms and overcast skies, we received a Blue Bird day to kick off the weekend. Cold temps kept the fresh essence nicely refrigerated and fluffy. The Road To Provo opened with large expanses of deep powder that was a real treat for The Faithful who have been waiting for the opening and the Sun to illuminate the Dance Floor.

Tomorrow, look for another sunny day with cold temps to start out the day. There should still be some fresh lines off the Road To Provo. The Groomers will offering exquisite carpets of AHHHH after all this snow and a couple of days or working the mat. I expect fair traffic, but the crowd should spread out quickly and there will be plenty of room to explore now that more terrain has been added. Keep an eye out for other openings as they may occur. Don’t touch that dial!!!

Stout winds blew today and with a solid try for the peak, the Tram backed down and unloaded the first car of the day. Up high the winds were whipping and the snow was falling, however, it was not really accumulating as fast as one would think. Regulator was wide open, with the sides offering very nice cushion, with good coverage. I was thinking that at least all the wind was filling up Peruvian Gulch just that much more. Gad 2 was open again, and The Faithful were focused on that area to get the goods that were waiting.

The Groomers were smooth and feeling fine, though, with traffic, the pack began to get a bit choppy. The Wilbre Chair opened up and there were very nice lines to be found there as well. With the added terrain, and all the new snow, the hill is coming into it’s own. Tomorrow, look for more accumulation as this impulse squeezes out the last of the energy on the hill. Keep and eye out for a possible opening of the Peruvian Gulch. They are working hard on getting the requisite work done to get it open, we’ll have to see if that shakes out. I’ll be taking the day off tomorrow, so get those turns for me. Watch your SIX!!

With the recent installment, and today’s 4 to 5″ of medium density product, the pack and hill are beginning to shape up to offer some real deep lines. Gad 2 opened with deep lines for The Faithful and high stoke for the new terrain. The Tram opened on time and the lines off the peak had been prepared with the off trail offering a deeper feel. I was finally able to experience that full platform engagement in the turns, making each turn a treat and very consistent.

Snow continued to fall with some periods of heavy accumulation, which started piling up for a storm day experience. Traffic was fairly light, but the push for Gad 2 made that lift back up for a bit.

Tomorrow, look for more accumulation as the impulse continues to produce fresh Essence. This new snow is much lighter and will be even more explosive for the morning session. Colder temps are forecast, so dress for the weather and look for still fresh lines. The harbor chop did crop up as the day wore on, but the fresh overnight accumulation should mitigate that. See you there dark and early for more soft and silky lines. Speed Safely!!

A wonderful installment of fresh Essence fell overnight, piling up 19″+ on the hill. This addition to the pack should go a long way toward establishing the base that will open the entire hill up in the next while.

The product here at The Trailer was fairly dense, but still cold and dry, and it took me a fair while to clear things off. There was quite a turn out of The Faithful as one would expect, and I took the day off in anticipation of the push.

By the looks of things, the quality was very good, but decidedly heavier than that Ultra Light fluff we had from the Lake Effect last week. More snow is in the forecast, so we can expect more goodness to be on tap. I will be looking for some great lines to be offered up in the AM. The Grooming should be as good as it gets and the side lines will be much more consistent and trustworthy. This cycle is turning out just dandy.

Keep those visualizations going!!! IBBY!!!

The nuking South winds herald the incoming installment that is now on the door step and will unleash on The Front tonight. Rain is already falling with the southerly flow, but the cold air is just few hours away as I write this. The wind has been scouring the hill for a couple of days now, moving what whatever was loose to the other side of the hill, adding to the cover there. This is predicted to be a pretty good producing storm, which will bump the coverage up, so that more of the hill can be opened up.

Tomorrow, look for new product on the hill, a cautious start to the day, and high stoke for the fresh Essence. The Canyon may be delayed, so check the reports for access in the AM. Openings will still be limited, so keep your eyes open and watch out for each other. See you for the new installment. Remain Standing!!

The wind was nuking this morning, closing the Tram and a hold on the chairs to start. Wind gusts were 80mph at the top of the Gad 2 chair, so with that report, I made my way to The Forklift Chair to assess the options.

The Mid Gad chair was open and shortly thereafter Zoom began spinning, so there was uphill access for the folks who showed up. The wind was working the pack, and the prepared lines were smooth, dry and chalky. Some of the slick spots were coming through, though the consistency was still good to go. The forecast is still holding for a pretty good dump in the next couple of days. Looks like high winds will continue until the front passes, so check the Bird site for status in the AM. This installment may well be enough to get more of the hill opened. DREAM BIG!!

Much warmer temps were on tap this morning as some high clouds obscured the Sun for the first couple of hours. The new product had been worked into the mat, making for some tasty turns top to bottom. The Road to Provo and Gad 2 opened, offering fresh new terrain for the Faithful to explore. Those areas had fresh lines that were soft and dialable. Lower on the hill, the Bass Highway was open, making it possible to return to the Tram base. It was well covered and consistent top to bottom. It was nice to do laps on the Tram. Traffic was fairly light to start out the day, and the Sun came out as the high cloud deck moved off.

Off the prepared lines the interference patterns have been building and were becoming quite abrupt.

Tomorrow, look for continued mild temps and Sunshine. The Groomers are much improved and carving is easy and smooth. I am going to go out to the far reaches tomorrow, and check out the quality. I have been sticking with the prepared lines while getting back in the swing of things. IBBY!!