The prepared lines were the call for the opening bell, with a much more consistent feel on all sides of the hill. After the other day’s exposure to the Sun’ effects, aspects that froze up and were covered by the new product were challenging with variation dynamics. The High North and East facing aspects had a much better substrate that was softer and much more dialable. Still not able to post a photo, though I do have them to post. Stay tuned. Tomorrow, look for more variable visibility as the pattern remains unstable The machine worked lines will be prime with the deep cold still in the mat and will offer some nice carving surfaces. I’ll be looking for more of those rare lines to have been prepared, so check the grooming report for details. Still working to fix issues on the site. Speed Safely!!!

It was a super sunny morning with lots of amazing fresh Essence wall to wall on all exposures. After yesterday’s wind storm which smoothed out the pack, it did not matter where you went or the line you chose it was going to be spectacular. In Peruvian Gulch, The Big Smooth – upper, middle and lower Primrose Path- was given a perfect smoothing treatment which held up most of the day. I got to hit that shot when everyone was working Mineral, so it felt like I had it all to myself. What a treat. The quality remained quite good till around 1 PM when the Sun facing aspects began to get a bit manky. Well, here there would have been a photo here, but I am still having trouble uploading photos. I’ll get it straightened out soon. Tomorrow, look for weather moving in for the next few days. The hill is in great shape for the added accumulation, which should push the YTD total over 500″ and counting. I expect more stout traffic for the occasion, so take your time and enjoy the powder vibes. There were lots of hoots and hollars echoing in the air all day long. It is fun to hear that from all directions and you got to know it’s quality time. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!!

It was a windy sleeper today with very light traffic, high wind, and smooth surfaces as the pack got smoothed out. It was a free refills kind of day and those who showed up for the festivities were rewarded with excellent quality, however the visibility was marginal. With good internal mapping, that was not too much of an issue for the intrepid who got the goods and made the day all come together. I am having issues uploading photos to the site as I am still having glitches. I will post these shots when I get it straightened out. Tomorrow, look for overnight accumulation, a very stormy day with variable visibility, and increased pressure for the goods. Dress for storm sliding and use caution. The forecast is for unsettled for the next few days, so get ready for fun. Thanks Mikey M for sending the great shots of today’s festivities, I will get them up ASAP. IBBY!!

This morning was quite cold on the peak, keeping the fresh snow soft and sweet while The Faithful went full on for the goods in Mineral Basin. All of the Bookends and Sunday Cliff were wide open and perfect. Other amazing lines had been prepared which really were special with just a light dusting to top them off.

With the cold temps, the quality remained quite good and stayed consistent and fast. The hill is still in fairly smooth condition as we move into another active weather period beginning tomorrow. Tomorrow, look for approaching storm conditions, with some wind, and some overcast. The prepared lines will be offering amazing quality and will let you dial in your inner Ligety. I had some site maintenance happening the past couple of days, so I could not post yesterday. Thanks to all at MYSTIC MEDIA for all the support of the site and hosting domain. I am woefully lost in the computer world and I so appreciate all they do to keep me getting the posts out to the world. See the line, BE the line!!!

The day began with a sunny skies, deep fresh Essence wall to wall, and moderate temps that kept the snow from baking the new product. I dropped into Mineral Basin to start things out, which was offering the full array of aspects that felt luxurious and knee deep delightful. What shot to choose was the only issue as they all were offering great quality.

Clouds and flurries moved in later in the morning, making the visibility and issue for the remainder of the day, with some very heavy impulses dropping accumulating goodness by the minute. The new installment was medium density though soft and buoyant, but began to develop the harbor chop texture that demanded a lot more torque to negotiate. Roundness is key. Tomorrow, look for a little more accumulation, machine worked lines on all sides of the hill offering stellar carving surfaces, and continued unsettled impulses moving through. There are still lots of soft lines and treasures to find, so keep your eyes open for possibilities. Looking at an unsettled week, so more goodness in on tap. Dial it up, Dial it in!!

This storm moved in with a lot of juice and dumped a fresh supply of Essence over night. More than a foot of freshness covered the dance floor and The Faithful mounted a full court press for the goods. The old layer was still an echo under the new installment and seemed to be a tad deeper in the Peruvian Gulch, which was feeling soft, smooth and dialable. Visibility was marginal as flurries were still moving through all day.

The Canyon was closed at 1:30 PM for Mitigation efforts, so you got to know it a was full on storm sliding day. Tomorrow, look for more accumulation overnight, a slow start to the day and some wonderful snow to play in when you get there. I’ll be checking the road access in the AM to determine my ascent plans. More snow is on tap for the week, so get ready for more soft snow and great turning. See you in the AM. Straight Ahead!!!

Overcast skies, stout winds, and visibility issues sent some storm signals out ahead of the front that is moving through right now. This will be a long run of unsettled weather for the next few days. The wind got wild today, with wet snow falling, and plenty of wide open lines to work. It was important this past week to get a good look at the pack, looking for static, rumble and the interference patterns that have been building up, but also have been mitigated by some of the wind work in the past days.

Tomorrow, look for some fresh Essence delivered overnight as the meat of the storm is moving through. Stay with the smooth lines that have been prepared, and the wind worked lines that have developed recently as well. The old layer will still be in play, so expect variations and inconsistencies from turn to turn. Visibility will be a concern, so stay close to the trees for best contrast and reference points. Dress for storm riding and prepare for wind as well. IBBY!!!

It was a warm morning with bright Sun, many great prepared lines on all sides of the hill and fairly light traffic. Silver Dipper and Lower Lonestar were given the industrial smoothing efforts in Mineral Basin that were spectacular and just getting the break from the early morning rays. It was great to get a look at the entire hill with high resolution to get a handle on all the smooth wind worked lines that will come into play when we get fresh Essence in the next few days. The front of the hill was a bit firm to start, but as the day warmed up, the prepared lines became soft and dialable top to bottom. Got to love that.

Tomorrow, look for clouds, developing weather as the next low pressure works it’s way into the Front for the next couple of days, which will deliver over a foot of fresh Essence and more upstream next week. Winter is not over yet by any stretch. The hill is in great shape top to bottom and it is great to have all the entrances and traverses with plenty of cover, but there are small sections that need to be given care while treading the fringes. Remain Standing!!!

Sunny skies were on tap as I parked the car in the lot this AM. and I prepped for another day of driving with top down. When I got to the Tram deck snow had begun falling, and by the time we all got to the peak it was snowing like crazy. There was an inch of fresh that had fallen in minutes and I was caught flat footed with no hat and sun glasses. That flash front delivered and canceled the visibility I had hoped for. DOH!!!! That front was looming in the Valley, but I thought I’d get at least a lap in Mineral Before the hammer came down. The pack was really firm and quite crispy, so staying with the known smooth lines was the call and slow and steady kept you standing upright. What a wild couple of opening Trams. Visibility improved with time but was in and out.

Tomorrow, look for better visibility as partly cloudy skies are predicted. Look for the prepared sections to be offering the best feel, though the inherent firmness is still in play. I’ll be looking toward Mineral Basin if visibility is good, and I expect some smooth prepared lines to be on tap and ready for fun. There is big weather in the forecast coming this weekend, so prepare by checking out the pack and aspects for beta for the coming precipitation. The hill is in great shape, and Winter is not over yet. Keep it tight!!!

I was driving with the top down right from the first Tram and there was no turin’ back all day. White Diamonds was given the fresh till for the opening bell, offering untracked corduroy on the right side which made dealing with the morning crunch a bit easier and the smooth was consistent and breaking slowly. On the front of the hill, that Anderson’s Hill – Lower Primrose Path combination was stellar and totally uncrowded as everyone was in the back bowl. Regulator was not going to budge till 2:30 PM, so I stayed clear of that pitch. Pipeline was open again today and was getting a lot of attention.

There are still a lot of dry chalky lines with low amplitude rumble still available if you look on those North aspects, but the aspects that see the Sun first thing are the go to lines to start out the day. The prepared lines in Peruvian Gulch were still quite carvey, but you wanted to have it dialed back when you hit the transitions.

Tomorrow, look for some cloud cover to have moved in, with some snow showers later in the day. I am hoping for a glimmer of Sun for the opening bell to get a look at the pack. Go for the prepared lines and give those direct aspects a wide berth as they will be quite crispy in the AM and will not soften if the Sun does not shine. Coverage is excellent top to bottom, and I expect light traffic. Stay Frosty!!