The Faithful were on deck dark and early this morning in anticipation of the opening of Mineral Basin that was waiting in the wings for today’s festivities. High Baldy was also on tap and there were lots of folks waiting for their favorite line to open. The Groomers were amazing, offering velvet smooth textures that let you dial in the turns that felt effortless and silky. Here are some shots from Mikey M’s tour out to High Baldy where the goods did not disappoint.

The crowd made the jump to Mineral Basin as soon as it opened, which opened up the lifts on the front of the hill and left them walk on fast and fun. Here is a shot of the turns that Neil and Jake scored out on the Baldy Chair before the word got out.

Tomorrow, look for another great day, with still some soft lines to find on the hill. The traverses remain difficult and care should be taken on route. I think we’ll get a bit more Sun, so visibility will be 2020. The Groomers will also be offering great lines, but may begin to firm up as they get worked. See you there for more of the good stuff. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!!

The Faithful were in full attendance, dark and early, for this morning’s offering of fresh Essence. The new accumulation was very dense, cold, and dry, making it feel like frosting a cake with a paper knife. It was buoyant and smooth, which was a real treat. I was able to attain full platform engagement turn after turn. The wind was really nuking, taking the Tram out of service after 10:30 AM. The Cirque Traverse opened, where lines that I have been avoiding were filling in nicely. The 3.5″ overnight report seemed a bit low, as there was well over 10″ up high and some of the low hollows and gut had a bit more. Here is a couple of shots from Mikey M that show some of the down the line fun.

Traffic was high, so pressure for the goods was coming from all directions. The snow fall backed off around 11AM and full on sunshine took over for the day. What a treat. As the new accumulation got worked over, the ratchet chop built up quickly with the high density product, which sent me packing. Tomorrow, look for a nice day, with areas that did not open today to open after mitigation efforts are complete. Since the wind was so strong, expect some wind affected surfaces, which may be inconsistent. The Groomers should be off the chart smooth and plush. See you there for the morning fun with new snow, great visibility and fun with friends. Remain Standing!!

It was a cool clear morning, with the Sun warming Mineral Basin for the early risers. There was fair pressure for the opening bell, but getting to the peak and into Mineral Basin kept you out ahead of the crowd. Overnight wind work and smoothed and filled the low areas, filling many of the lines I have been avoiding. While the big sections looked smooth, they were still sporting the underlying rumble of the crusty substrate, requiring a lot more caution than one would expect by the surface. On the prepared lines, the dry chalky feel was a treat, but there were still some surprise slick spots that kept me on my toes despite the soft general feel. Here is a shot of Doc that Mikey M sent of Route 5 shot 1, which was smooth and filled with soft wind transported snow.

The chairs were pumping the Faithful up the hill quickly, and getting vertical was fast and fun. After breakfast, the Sun had moved the temps into the comfort zone and brought much more light into the dark zones on the front of the hill. Here is a shot of my good friend Terry, who was rippin’ the smooth lines on Regulator.

Tomorrow, look for a storm day to be on tap as a front will be moving in overnight and well into the day. Expect difficult visibility issues with the storm conditions and dress for storm riding. I will be revisiting the smooth lines that I was finding today, and avoiding those sections where the higher amplitude interference patterns live.

A big shout out to Wynonna, who was on deck early for her birthday celebration. She and the Morning Crew Ladies were out ahead of the crowd and could not be caught. Many try, …….and fail. Happy Birthday Wil !! Straight Ahead!!

An inch or two of very dense accumulation greeted the Faithful for today’s offering. The ne product was not a wet type of dense, but rather an accumulation of very fine granules that made for an very nice frosting on the other wise firm pack. With visibility at a premium, I went with a first line down the Peruvian side to take advantage of the wide open runs, and the trees to help with the navigation. Mineral Basin was the call to get away from the crowd, where the Groomers were offering consistent lines and that soft accumulation seemed a bit more luxurious.

Off trail continues to be tricky, with widespread rumble and interference patterns, which are difficult to see in the storm conditions. Solid, averaged turns work best then dealing with the variable surfaces. There were some very slick spots that crop up in the main lines, so expect excitement from time to time. Tomorrow, look for improving visibility as this impulse moves off in anticipation of the next impulse predicted for the next couple of days. Tomorrow promises a short window of clearing. It is still precipitating here at The Trailer as I write this, so I expect some additional accumulation on the hill. Remember the smooth lines from the past couple of days for the best ride. Stay Frosty!!!

A high cloud deck moved over the Front today, with some openings in the deck that let some Sun peak through now and again. Conditions remain unchanged, offering good traction on the prepared lines, significant interference patterns in the high traffic off trail areas and overall firm pack.

Tomorrow, look for weather to move in as a light front moves in ahead of more significant precipitation as the week progresses. You may get a last chance to locate the features before they get covered by new accumulation. I will be looking for any wind transported lines as well as the Grooming to offer the smoothest lines on the hill. I will be dressing for storm riding, and will be looking to the chairs for the fastest uphill options. See you there for the first lines of the New Year…. for me. Remain Standing!!!

It was a Sun shine, Fun shine morning, with bright clear skies, cold temps, smooth Groomers, and a fast out of the gate for the early risers. Mineral Basin was fully illuminated, and the valleys beyond were filled with clouds, making it seem like we are in Heaven, but then again, we are.

I spent quite a bit of time working the off trail lines that I have been avoiding, and I found very variable conditions that ran the gamut form icy crunch, to soft filled pockets of wind blown powder. I took my time making my way down the pitches, taking special care to observe where the thin spots and reefs were showing for future reference. Traffic was much lighter this morning, so some fast laps were on tap.

Tomorrow, look for some clouds in the forecast, which might put a damper on the visibility. The Groomers will still be offering the smooth consistency which is key in tough visibility. The off trail will continue to be interesting, and the high traffic has really amplified the interference patterns across the hill. I will be taking the day off tomorrow, so enjoy the hill and keep a sharp eye out for the smoothest lines. IBBY!!!

It was a gray morning, with overcast, light snow falling, and a few inches of very light accumulation on the dance floor. I sensed a glimmer of light in Mineral Basin when I hit the peak and ventured down to find fairly good visibility, wide open lines that had been filled with the overnight snowfall, and the pack still holding most of the smooth that I was working yesterday. Here is a shot I got of The East Twin in yesterday’s bright Sun.

Those long sections of wind packed slab were still offering the smooth, and, with the added accumulation, made those transitions from slab to slab much more seamless. I have been keeping a close eye on the features that remain exposed so that I know where the snow snakes live when they get covered up.

Tomorrow, look for sunny skies as the weather system moves off. The Groomers will be offering soft tilled lines that should have plenty of traction and sections that will have soft accumulations of snow from today’s snowfall. Most of those smooth lines will still be available, but the high traffic lines are seeing a rapid build up of interference patterns that will keep you turning to maintain the line through the higher amplitude areas. The traverses are still difficult and variable, so use caution along the tight sections. Happy New Year!!

The temps were fairly cold this morning, but the skies were clear and blue, with Mineral Basin bathed in Sun for the opening Bell. The wind had been busy overnight, scouring large swaths of the slopes on all sides of the hill and solidifying the deposited areas to supportable slab. I went looking off trail for the smooth, finding long fingers of dry, dusty, smoothness that were bridged by some very crusty wind blown crud. However, the smooth supportable lines were worth the effort to thread an off trail line.

There was increasing pressure for the lifts, so the lines built up to moderate levels, but seemed to move quickly. The front side of the hill is still well covered, and the machine worked lines are in great shape and have enough tooth to get a fair edge in. I am still working an averaging turn approach to deal more consistently with the variations in texture. The Traverses are still very dodgy, with thread bare sections that will be very challenging. Tomorrow, look for stormy conditions for the day as another impulse is moving in. I will be dressing for cold, and plan on staying close to the known smooth lines for those training laps. Watch your six!!

It was a clear cold morning as the storm went South and did not deliver any real accumulation overnight. There was a solid inch on the ground, but all that product yesterday had been blown into the low areas and the trees, leaving firm conditions on the prepared lines and some crusty feeling lines off trail. With an early push for the Tram, The Morning Crew hit the Peruvian Chair and headed through the Tunnel to get the Baldy Chair. The wind in the Basin had blown the pack off, leaving very variable lines that kept you looking for the long treads of Essence filling the low spots.

I worked both sides of the front aspects of the hill, finding firm consistency on the prepared lines, but plenty of soft snow on the mat to get a good grip on the surface. Still, I was averaging the turns to deal with the surprise slick tiles that lurked. Tomorrow, look for another day of clear skies before more snow comes back later in the week. With a fresh till, the machine worked lines should be a tad softer for the early risers. I will be headed back into Mineral Basin first thing to get some of the lines I missed today. Coverage continues to get better, but the long traverses are sketchy and need more snow. Use caution when treading those traverses. I will be dressing for cold again, but the temps should be warming up as the day progresses. Keep it tight!!!

It was a storm riding morning, with blowing wind, low visibility, and driving snow that was not piling up as it was driven by the wind. There was fair pressure for the lifts even with the prevailing conditions, but the chairs made short work of the crowd. Mineral Basin was closed, so my foray into the Abyss was thwarted, however, that saved me from having to guess my navigation. Here is a shot of Mikey M in Great Scott on one of the first Trams of the day.

There were few takers for the more remote lines, so you could venture off at your own pace. The guts and low areas were capturing the new snow, but it was difficult to find the long threads of accumulation in the marginal visibility. Here is a shot of Professor Tom getting some of that out of the way goodness.

Temps were fairly cold, and dressing for the conditions paid off. I worked both sides of the hill, but found the variability, combined with the visibility, tough to keep the mojo working, so I took an early seating at The Forklift Chair to assess the option. On the way down that last run, we all stopped to pay tribute to all those great folks who have left The Funway. Here is a shot of #1, in his shrine on the hill.

Tomorrow, look for more overnight accumulation, continued cold temps, and reworked Groomers to dial in in the variable visibility. Look for those North facing lines to have gathered the most product from the prevailing winds. The old layer will still be in play, but look to low areas and tree lines where the blowing product has piled up. Every little bit helps and will keep the hill fresh every day. See you there for the early explorations. See the Line, BE the Line!!