The morning was a perfect blue bird picture, with beautifully prepared lines on all sides of the hill, as a stout wind was blowing keeping the pack refrigerated, and light traffic on the hill. Mineral Basin had been given some extra love from the Grooming Crew, where steep lines had been worked that let you dial it up and dial it in. The front side of the hill was offering great groomed lines as well, with some North facing off trail aspects still offering fairly smooth lines that have been holding the cold and smooth now for days. Here is a shot of my friend Stuart, who has been on the hill since day one back in ’71. He seriously rips.

With the wind holding up all day, the pack was very slow to warm up, keeping the North aspect fast and fun. I went out to look for off trail smooth and found numerous lines that have been maturing with time and light traffic. Tomorrow, look for some overcast to be moving in as the weather is about to change for the weekend and next week. I have been employing my best visualizations to prime the Quantum Foam.

M & D are avid readers of the Site and I so enjoyed meeting them on The Peak. I know they had a great day. See you there, dark and early, for another shred fest. Keep it tight!!

There was a short window of Sunshine in Mineral Basin and The Morning Crew took advantage of the light to work the Lewis and Clark area, where the groomed lines were fast and fun. As anticipated, the South facing aspects did indeed take the heat, and, while the machine worked lines were very consistent, there was a distinct crunch to the mat. On the front side of the hill, The Peruvian Gulch was offering the best quality, as it seemed to be holding the cold and had a soft feel. Here is a shot of Provo Peak under thick clouds, while the Basin was bathed in Sunlight.

Traffic was very light, with walk on Trams going off all day long. The vertical program was full on and keeping a brisk pace kept the stoke high despite the flat light. The Grooming crew have been doing an amazing job of keeping the entire mat smooth and curb free, which is a very big deal when there is Zero detail in the surface of the mat and your carrying speed on to the flats. Thanks guys, makes my day. Here is a shot of Team Tennessee, who I met while waiting for first Tram. This is their first time at The Bird, and have been having a great week working the hill.

Tomorrow, look for a clear day, with Sunshine on the hill all day. It will be a very welcome feature, with the Groomers perfect for full on Rock and Roll. The hill is in great shape wall to wall. The off trail continues to be challenging, but a slow deliberate approach does make those lines dialable. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!!

It was a beautiful morning with just a bit of wind, incredibly smooth Groomers on all sides of the hill, and bright Sun to illuminate the Dance Floor. There were a few freshly worked lines that were rare and ignored, providing some vacant lines that kept me coming back for more. Here is a shot Jake sent of one of the last remaining sections that is rarely ever opened.

The Big Smooth had been prepared once again, offering top to bottom, hard driving fun. Got to love that big mountain smooth. Here is a shot I got traversing under the Bookends.

Tomorrow, look for more of those incredible machine worked lines on all sides of the hill, more Sun to keep the visibility high def, and light traffic to keep the mojo working. The off trail is still offering soft lines with improving consistency as it gets work over. The interference patterns are building in amplitude, but there are plenty of lines that bypass the issue. See you there for the dark and early runs. Speed Safely!!!

The skies were overcast all day today, with just a few open windows of Sun from time to time just to keep you hoping. The Groomers were wide, smooth, soft and ready for prime time, however, after the new installment, the mat was a tad punchable as anticipated, so care through the turn was important to avoid a tweeze. I was sticking with the known smooth lines that I had scoped out last week and they were still working well and kept the ride consistent. Mineral Basin was offering amazing groomers, low traffic and wide open lines. Here is a shot of Doc getting a nice powder pocket during a very short Sun window.

After Noon, the chop began to build up as the day warmed up, and I bailed to save my knees from the static. Tomorrow, look for a partly cloudy day, and there may be some overnight accumulation. I will be hoping for some wind work to smooth some of the higher elevation lines. Keep an eye out for some buffage. The Groomers will, again, be offering great lines on all sides of the hill. The mat will be much more consistent with the fresh retill of the mat, but I will be feeling each turn for those tell tale signs of the punch through.

See you there for the fresh prepared lines of smoothing that will be on tap. Perhaps we may see some better visibility, we’ll see. Watch Your SIX!!

With a scant forecast for this storm, The Faithful got a surprise accumulation of frosting on the hill. There was fully the 5″ the Bird site reported, but certain areas received a bit more. The Morning Crew worked the Lewis and Clark area, where the visibility kept the crowd away. The low angle lines there made the new installment feel deep and luxurious, with only a few hints of the substrate. Ski Patrol Gully opened, but the interference patterns there made the ride a bit difficult, but the new product still felt good. Here is a shot of Keith Bates digging deep and getting all of it.

After breakfast, the pack had been worked and the harbor chop began to build up, which made my knees scream. Tomorrow, look for a cloudy day, with some wind working the lines. There is still some fresh waiting in the wings and along the side lines. That old substrate is still in play, but may be mitigated a bit by the new snow. The Groomers will be offering the smooth lines, but they may be a touch punchable, so don’t stick your edge too hard to avoid breaking through the mat.

The first Pizza Night went off with another amazing sampling of off the Menu pies, compliments of Miky M of Barone’s Pizza and Kazoodi, who was turning out the traditional pies.

Thank you Kazoodi for hosting such a great gathering. See you on the hill in the AM for the smooth cruising prepared morning corduroy. See the Line, BE the Line!!

Yes, the technical vastness of the Future is a bit like having bees in your head, but, there they are!! And as such, due to a technicality, I was unable to post yesterday. Not much had changed on the hill, so I expect it will go unnoticed. Today was filled with clouds and wind as the next system moves in for the next few days. The hill is in great shape, but is in need of more of the goodness to soften the ride and freshen the pack. Here is a shot of the Twins I took yesterday with the Sun shining on the massif.

Tomorrow, look for a stormy day as the precipitation is predicted to be in play. We’ll have to see how much accumulation, but I don’t expect much until later. And of course, any amount really helps the feel and the spirit. I was scoping out all the open smooth lines on the hill and went out and sampled the substrate, which is quite firm, but the High North is still holding the dry chalk. I will be staying with the known smooth and I will be looking for the Groomers to provide that consistent, trustworthy ride that we have been enjoying all season. That is a super important feature when the visibility goes way. See you there for the morning explorations. Big Shout out to Mystic Media for having my back!! Stay Frosty!!

The recent warm weather has really been workin’ the pack, making even the lower elevations on the North side of the hill very firm and a touch scratchy. Out in Mineral Basin, White Diamonds, and Lower Silver Dipper had been prepared as well as the lower section of Lone Star, which offered smooth cruising lines, though it was evident the consistency had changed in the last few days. I was still working that left over groomed section of Upper Primrose Path that was holding the smooth, though there was some static in the line that kept you checking the speed to maintain an even ride. Here is a shot of Grace helping folks on the peak and giving them the 411.

As the day warmed up, the pack began to soften up, making the turns feel much smoother and pliable. Tomorrow, look for another great day of rocking the smooth lines. Those due South faces were getting down right sloppy later in the day, so expect some serious crunch and chunk on those off trail aspects. The Groomers will still be offering great prepared lines, with those upper elevation North aspects still offering dry chalk.

There is a storm coming in for the weekend, but I think we will squeeze one more day of fun in the Sun before we get back into the soft zone. Check the hill for the smooth lines so you will know where they live when the pack gets covered up. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!!

While the morning was cool, the temps were much warmer and got down right balmy later in the day. The Groomers were excellent on all sides of the hill, but the pack is firming up on all elevations. Still, the North aspects are still holding the dry chalky feel, though the firmness is evident. The rumble and interference patterns are building up now with the traffic and lack of significant accumulation. I went out on some test lines only to make a hasty return to the smooth prepared lines. With a delay on the opening of Mineral Basin, The Morning Crew split up and went in search of the wide varieties of lines on the front of the hill. We were joined for the morning recon meeting by Joe from Attatash, who reads the reports daily. It was great to have him join the festivities.

Tomorrow, look for another day of warming temps, sunshine, and beautifully prepared lines on all sides of the hill. Mineral Basin should be good to go from the start. Watch those due South aspects that caught all that Sun today, they will be crispy in the AM. I will still be working the smooth lines and getting those high edge angles.

I expect an early push, but the lines have been fast or nonexistent. The vertical option is wide open and you can rack up as much as you can take. See you there for the morning fun in the Sun. Remain Standing!!

There was a cloud deck floating by this morning, but the Sun made an appearance for the morning session that made the visibility excellent on all sides of the hill. In Mineral Basin, Lone Star had been prepared from the top and was continually smoothed by the stout North wind that was blowing at the higher elevations. On the front of the hill, The Big Smooth had been given the full treatment, which offered dust covered corduroy that let you dial in your inner Ligety. Off trail was still variable, but the smooth lines from yesterday were still holding up. Lighter traffic made the back to back laps fun and fast with those big front side drops vacant and buffed. Here is a shot of Nancy, who joined The Morning Crew for the daily recon meeting. She got the 411 on the best lines to work for the afternoon session.

The clouds moved in after Noon, making the light go flat and the visibility became marginal. I bailed when the lights went out. Tomorrow, look for better visibility, still cold morning temps. and amazing grooming efforts on all sides of the hill. Look for more of the freshly prepared lines that they have been putting in without much fanfare. Golden treasures if you keep your eye out.

Here is a parting shot of The Salt Lake Twins that I took yesterday with the clean air and the golden moment of light. Straight Ahead!!

After yesterday’s storm day it was nice to get a fresh look at the hill with the Sun shining brightly, and a stout NW wind blowing to keep the morning chill going. Powder Paradise opened in Mineral Basin and The Faithful were well represented and made a bee line for the N facing aspects. I chose poorly and ended up in some serious interference patterns beautifully disguised as perfectly smooth. Ski Patrol Gully opened and The Morning Crew was on it and lapped the access before it was noticed. Here is a shot of Neil’s line off the traverse there.

There were lot of other choices for the day, with Road To Provo opening and The Big Smooth offering top to bottom perfection wall to wall. Here is a shot of Brian Beck dialing up the Cold Smoke.

Tomorrow, look for more Sun, and amazing machine worked lines on all sides of the hill. I think they will be even more consistent than they were today. Look around for new and exciting additions to the offerings. Lower Lower was especially good today. There is still soft snow all over the hill, but the substrate is still in play. See you there for the first boat.

Speed safely!!