It was a cold morning as the overnight storm clouds lifted just in time for the First Tram to hit the peak. There was the usual push for The Tram, so The Morning Crew took the wide open Peruvian Chair up to the Tunnel to get first tracks on that Lewis and Clark section that had ,as yet, not been touched for the Season. The overnight accumulation was fully 4 to 5 inches of light fluff, which made those wind open lines very smooth, with only occasional reverberations of the substrate. With no push for the goods we made several laps there before the line on The Mineral Chair built up.

High Baldy also opened with this morning’s offerings, delivering smooth lines top to bottom there as well. The lower traverse from The Peruvian Chair is very difficult and should be avoided till we get more snow. The Groomers were amazing as well, with some sections offering that coveted full platform engagement that I seek to find whenever I can. Regulator was offering smooth groomed lines, and the off trail section there was much improved with the recent accumulation, offering a much appreciated series of lines that I have been avoiding, but now delivered the goods top to bottom.

Tomorrow, look for more snow for the festivities, with smooth lines on the Groomers, still fresh lines to be found if you look for them, and lighter traffic. There may also be a bit of overnight accumulation.

We’ll see you there for the smooth cruisin’ and fresh terrain to ply. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!

I guess I haven’t been watching the weather closely enough because I never saw today’s light flurries coming. The morning was overcast to start, the light was flat, but the Groomed lines were good to go and consistent and fully trustworthy. Here is a shot that I took the other day when Mineral was obscured, but the Sun was trying to punch through.

Tomorrow, look for a bit of accumulation overnight, with partly cloudy skies. The Grooming will be offering the best lines in the AM. I will venture into Mineral Basin and get a first hand look at things and report for the next post. More storms are predicted for next week. We’ll have to see how it shakes out. See you there dark and early for the start of a great week on the hill. IBBY!!

It was a clear cold morning, with bright Sun, ultra blue skies, and the opening of Mineral Basin as well as Baby Thunder as a holiday treat. While the morning temps were cool, the strong unfiltered Sun warmed up the air, however, it remained cool enough to preserve the pack. That is a very nice feature of this time of the season. Here are a couple of shots that Jake sent of his recon mission into the Basin for a look see.

Tomorrow, look for a return to the Mineral Basin, Sunshine to light the way, and great Groomers on all sides of the hill. I will be taking my usual Saturday off to get some details and chores taken care of. For today’s festivities, I made a couple of Quiches for a festive breakfast. My good friend Sully taught me to make these back in the Golden Cliff days. All those cooking assignments come in handy all these years later.

Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

It was a clear and cold morning as The Faithful were waiting for the first Tram to open for the day. The recent delivery of Product had set up fairly tightly, making the off trail a bit bouncy, with the interference patterns rising quickly in the brisk traffic of the past days. The Groomers were quite firm on both sides of the hill, but there was ample loose dust to maintain traction on the steep sections. I was keeping the pace a bit slower to make the most of the runs and dial in the maximum juice from each turn. Who Dunnit was really fun with the high relief terrain features fully in play. Superior was reflecting some serious Sun back on the North facing aspects, making the detail stand out in the early morning shade. Here is a shot of Superior with a full frontal assault of the Faithful working the freshness.

I stopped on the Summit to get a look into Mineral Basin in anticipation of an opening sometime in the near future. The coverage is looking good, with the machine worked lines prepared on the Lewis and Clark area. I am so excited to get back there and get some of those sweet wide open lines.

Tomorrow, look for some warming temps, great Grooming efforts on both sides of the hill, and bright sunshine to light the way. The off trail will still have interference patterns building amplitude in the high traffic areas top to bottom, but there are plenty of good lines to circumvent the gnar. Perhaps traffic might be a bit lighter during the Holiday morning. Enjoy the gifts of the day, delivered for your enjoyment. Stay Frosty!!

A perfect delivery of Essence fell on the hill, with just the right elements of quality that made it the best day of the year so far. The front moved in with a bang yesterday, with heavy, cold, dense accumulation that really stuck to the old layer. As the storm cooled, the density lightened up, and by this morning was offering blower dry dust that put the icing on the cake. Here is a shot of Scott Markewitz on the action side of the camera, getting the goods when one of the traverses opened up.

The faithful were in full attendance, and fair waits were the norm all around the hill. The temps were quite cold, keeping the product very refrigerated all day long. Here is a shot of Doc getting the first lines of the season in Wilbre Bowl.

The depth of this delivery went a long way toward cushioning the ride and mitigating some of the more sever elements of the substrate. Slick spots did crop up in places and some of the high elevations that were exposed to the wind were a bit slabby and wind scoured, but lower down on the hill, the sheltered lines were off the charts perfect. I stopped on the Peak and got this shot of Mineral Basin basking in the morning light and displaying some serious Sun effects in the bowl.

Tomorrow, look for more great lines to be on tap with some looking around, and amazing carpets of AHHHH on all sides of the hill to keep you dialing it in top to bottom. Still, there may be some slick spot still cropping up here and there in the high traffic areas, so be ready for anything. I expect a cold morning and will be dressing for the condition. Watch for openings as they may occur. There is no telling. Enjoy the new freshness, it is Go Time!! Don’t touch that dial!!!

The winds were nuking this morning, blowing close to 100 MPH in the early hours, putting the Tram on delay with the chairs on hold. The Gad side of the hill opened on time with a big crowd waiting for the opening bell. The Peruvian Chair opened shortly after that, which began to pull the crowd to that chair and spreading the pressure out. The Tram opened around 10 AM, with the winds having backed off a tad, but the peak was really getting hit as we docked. The front was coming fast and you could feel the static in the air on the peak. Here’s a shot of a wall of voodoo coming across the range, heading for the peak.

That impulse let loose around 11AM as predicted, bringing very heavy grauple that was piling up quickly. With the visibility going South, I took the opportunity to leave the Canyon before the road got bad. The density of the new product was sure to stick to the old layer, cushioning the old pack, so I am confident the quality was going to improve quickly. Tomorrow, look for new accumulation, prepared lines on both sides of the hill and much improved cover off trail. There was not enough to fill in the high traffic interference patterns, so stick with the side lines for the smoothest lines off trail. I was working some tree lines and found very workable turns where the snow had been pushed up out of the gut. Precipitation will continue into the morning, so dress for weather and cold temps. See you there for the fresh product. Watch your six!!

It was a sunny and warm morning, with wide open groomers that were smooth and consistent top to bottom. Being the shortest day of the year, the light was a tad flat, but there were reflections lighting the dance floor from Superior across the street. Here is a shot The Chef sent of his Solstice sculpture in his garden. The sun is right there on the money. There was still quite a bit of pressure for the hill, with all the snow we have had, so I worked the chairs to get up and around quick and easy. Here is a shot of the Bingham Mine across the Valley in the early morning light.

The Groomers were offering very carvey carpets that let you dial in some solid turns, but it was still quite firm from the high density product that was just delivered. That was great material to build the base and has filled in a lot of terrain, which is beginning to look inviting. High amplitude interference patterns have developed in the high traffic areas on the upper mountain, requiring full attention through the sharp transitions. I was sticking with the smooth and fast for consistency.

Tomorrow, look for some weather to be moving in for the day with light snow showers and some light accumulation. Visibility will be at a premium, so stick with the smooth for the best ride. See you there dark and early for the morning shred fest. IBBY!!

The temps were very mild this morning with a high cloud deck obscuring the morning Sun. Winds were calm and visibility was good, however, the light was quite flat to start out the day. The Grooming Crew did a great job preparing the main lines, which had a nice soft pile carpet feel. Even though the light was flat, the prepared lines were trustworthy and fast. I ventured off trail to test the consistency, finding the dense accumulation from yesterday had set up quite a bit and was rough and bouncy. I bailed back for the smooth to dial in the high edge angle turns. Jake sent this shot of the Tram from an interesting vantage point.

The traffic was brisk, but the chairs were handling the flow and waits there were short. Tomorrow, look for improving weather as the last of the weather moves East. Great Grooming will be the treat of the day, but look off trail for some sections that might have been missed. The off trail consistency may be a tad grabby. Gad 2 was looking much better from the peak perspective and I will be headed over that way in the AM to get a closer look at the cover. Speed Safely!!

It was a cool morning on the hill, with high clouds in the sky, which filtered the Sun a bit. The Groomers were off the chart smooth, with full dialability underfoot. Still, there are some slick spots here and there. Here is a shot of Tomi Mc Carthy from yesterday when a Sun window opened up.

Today offered a much better look at the hill and how the pack is shaking out. I will be getting a first hand look at it tomorrow, but I am fully going to break out the new sticks. Here is a shot of Mike McCarthy getting one of the pockets on the hill that still was as good as it gets.

Tomorrow, look for a great day of fresh snow on the hill. The Groomers are going to be even more consistent with a second till, more off trail to be found, and warmer temps. See you there for the dark turn in the AM. Straight Ahead!!

After a delayed start of the storm, nature served up a heapin’ helpin’ of goodness overnight, with very cold, dry, dense Essence going a long way toward covering the old layer. The Faithful were in full attendance early on and were all so stoked to get back on the hill where the goods were waiting. There were hoots and hollers echoing in the air as The Faithful dialed in full on turns in the deep accumulation, which delivered that full platform engagement I have been craving. No slip, no slide, just full on power turn after turn.

Pressure for the goods was stout, but thinned out a bit as folks got scattered on the hill. The Sun began to show windows of light in the post storm skies. Here is a shot I took of Mineral Basin when I reached the top of the Little Cloud Chair.

Tomorrow, look for lots of great turns on both sides of the hill. The off trail should be going off, with the high density product cushioning the old substrate, and filling in the rumble and static. The Groomers will be offering perfect carpets of AHHHH for the morning session, and the consistency of the snow will be preserved by the very cold temps in the clearing air. Dress for cold.

Flyin’ Brian Beck and Mikey M hosted the first Pizza tasting party of the season, which featured never before tasted super thin crust in this cast iron pan format. It was sooo good and delicate that it was impossible to eat just one.

Have a great time on the hill tomorrow, as I will be taking the day off to rest up for the next week coming. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!!