The front was delayed moving in by a couple of hours, leaving the Canyon road good to go top to bottom. Big lacy flakes of Essence were falling on The Trailer as I left for the hill, where there was an inch of fresh in the parking lot and more coming every minute. The Faithful were on deck early for the new installment. On the hill, there was between 3 to 5″ of medium density product covering the Dance Floor, but the substrate was crunchy and crusty, so turns were quite inconsistent. Those smooth off trail lines were nice, and here is a shot of Mikey M out on the smooth lines on Baldy.

The Morning Crew did a front side attack to start and jumped on The Peruvian Chair where there was no waiting for the second run. We took The Tunnel to Mineral Basin, where the visibility was variable and had few takers, making those low angle lines wide open and consistent. Here is a shot of Brian Beck out in the Exotic Trees.

I left after Noon due to the dust on crust consistency. Here is a shot of The Afternoon Crew suiting up for the second shift.

Tomorrow, look for the storm to have moved off and, perhaps, some residual clouds, but expect Sun. The Grooming Crew will make good use of the fresh accumulation and the fresh lines should be sweet with a soft flannel feel. There will still be some lines waiting in the wings, but the dust on crust thing will still be happening. See you there for the fresh fun. Dial it up, Dial it in!!

There were overcast skies, and some stout wind out ahead of the front that is predicted for the early morning hours. I’m sure the smooth was working on all sides of the hill. Here is an interesting study in light and dark.

The hill is in great shape and it will be great to get some fresh snow. I’ll be working the lines I memorized last week, where the wind had worked the pack. The road conditions may be challenging in the AM, so check the road reports. See you there for the new installment!! Stay Frosty!!

This morning felt like Spring, and I went with Sun glasses all day long. The Sun was bright, and the prepared lines were smooth and consistent on all sides of the hill. Lower Lone Star and White Diamonds were prepared in Mineral Basin, with Middle and Lower Primrose Path the featured smooth on the front of the hill. Mark Malu was also really perfect, with wind deposited dust in the gut, and dry chalky traction top to bottom. Here is a shot of me that Neil sent where things get interesting on Lower Lone Star.

The Sun did bake those due South faces, but the North aspects maintained the dry chalky feel all day long. Tomorrow, look for those South facing aspects to be very crispy and difficult. The Groomers will still be offering the best feel and ride. With a storm making it’s way in for Sunday, look for clouds to be in the mix, with some variable visibility. Temps should be warm, with wind out of the South. Perhaps we’ll get some wind transported smoothing. We’ll see. Take the time to scope out the lines on the hill, so you will know where the smooth can be found. I’ll be taking the day off tomorrow to rest up for the coming week. Don’t forget to SIZZLE!!

It was another beautiful morning, with much warmer temps, sweet machine worked lines on all sides of the hill, and fairly light traffic. The prepared lines had quality that let you dial in that full platform engagement. Here is a shot of one section with some serious lacerations in the mat.

Mineral Basin was drawing the crowd, and after a few hot laps back there, The Morning Crew worked the vacant lines of the Big Smooth, which was offering top to bottom fun lap after lap. Here is a shot of the fresh line out on Mark Malu just waiting for Go Time.

The temps warmed up nicely, but the snow quality remained excellent with the still low Sun angle. Those due South aspects will have absorbed a bit of heat and will be crunchy in the AM. The North aspects are holding cold and are still very good. I went out and about, but made my way back to the smooth after bouncing around a bit.

Tomorrow, look for more Sun, smooth prepared lines on all sides of the hill and warmer temps. Look at the Grooming report for new and exciting additions to the prepared lines. Stay Frosty!!

A much warmer morning greeted The Faithful, who were on hand and ready for a great day on the hill. Extensive grooming efforts had been employed on all sides of the hill, with stellar carpets on Lone Star, White Diamonds, and Lower Silver Dipper that offered chalky treats top to bottom. Those smoothing efforts return the pack to that big mountain smooth that lets you experience the lines as close to natural smooth as you can get. Got to love that. While the temps did warm up, the quality of the pack remained well refrigerated, and held up well into the afternoon. Here is a shot of one of the wind formations out on a Lewis and Clark lap.

I went looking around off trail and found still chalky dry lines, but the rumble and static is widespread, however, a slower rounder approach made the lines fun and interesting.

Tomorrow, look for another warming day, with plenty of prepared lines on all sides of the hill that will keep you dialing it in. Those North facing aspects are still the best quality off trail with some natural smoothing taking place with the lack of traffic.

See you there tomorrow for another amazing day of wide open lines, hard charging possibilities, and fantastic cover all over the hill. Remain Standing!!

Still cool temps were on tap, with bright Sun, dry chalky lines on all sides of the hill and fairly light traffic for the festivities today. Lone Star was, once again, perfectly prepared from the very top, offering super steep chalky lines that let you dig deep for the stamina to keep it tight top to bottom. Lewis and Clark was offering smooth prepared lines that let you dial in your inner Ligety, and we did quite a few laps there to take advantage of the vacant lines. We got on Chair #1 on the Baldy Chair this morning for our first ascent.

On the front of the hill. The Big Smooth had been given an expanded treatment on the upper section, making the line steeper, more direct, and a full on Vortex top to bottom. The quality held up all day as the temps kept the snow refrigerated.

Tomorrow, look for another bright sunny day with warmer temps. The Groomers will be offering perfect big mountain smooth lines on those steep pitches. Keep your eye out for new prepared lines and get the first tracks on the fresh nap. I will probably dress for warmer temps and maybe drive with the top down.

I get to meet so many great folks on the hill and on the lifts. It is a real treat for me. See you there dark and early for the big lines waiting for fun. IBBY!!

The predicted light dusting turned out to be an added bonus with 4 to 5″ of fresh Essence covering the dance floor. Snow was still falling as I hit the parking lot and intensified as the morning progressed, adding more depth to the installment. After those warm days, the substrate had solidified and was quite crunchy and rough, though the new product did cushion the ride a bit. I was sticking with the known smooth lines to keep the impact to a minimum. I bailed on Mineral Basin today due to the visibility issues, however, there were some short lived windows of visibility according to reports from other Morning Crew members reporting at the breakfast debrief.

Traffic was stout, but got spread out on the hill, making the Tram line melt and the chair lines fast. The wind picked up in a big way after Noon and began to fill in the low areas and tree lines. I went far afield looking for some smooth untracked and found it out on Hoopie’s Crotch. Tomorrow, look for clearing weather, great grooming with the new product they will get to work with, and still cold temps. This morning was quite cold, so dress for cold as it will hang in all day. The off trail is still offering soft snow, but those variable textures are still in play.

See you there for the morning shred fest. Stay Frosty!!

The morning was clear and cool, with the Sun bright and warming the air quickly. Off the top, an amazing rework of Lone Star had been prepared from the top again, offering smooth dry chalky lines top to bottom. White Diamonds and Lower Silver Dipper were in the mix as well, but I could not pass by the big drop right off the top. On the front of the hill, there were smooth reworks of Lower Lower and Mach Schnell, which were dusty smooth, but made you keep it tight with the extra pitch these sections offer. It’s great when you can drive the turn without that chance of an icy spot. Later in the day, the prepared lines began to get worked over, but the consistency was blastable and soft.

Tomorrow, look for a fast moving cold front to leave a dusting on the hill for the morning session and it will have moved off by the opening bell. I do expect some residual clouds to, perhaps, still be clinging to the peaks. Dress warmer as the temps will have fallen with the front passage. The Groomers will be offering the smooth dry chalk, but watch those due South facing aspects that saw the Sun today as they will be crispy. The off trail is still dry and chalky, with static, rumble, and interference patterns widespread, but very workable and fun. The tester lines I took were fun, but I slowed down considerably to dial in each turn accurately. See you there for the continued smooth cruising and full platform engagement. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

The morning Sun was gave way to clouds as a Low Pressure system tracks South, and the light got flat as the day went on. The Groomers were offering that still dry chalk, though those South aspects might have been crispy. This past week was amazing, and the hill has really held up well, and is in great shape going into this next week.

I got to get together with a lot of friends recently and it’s been amazing sharing the history that we all share in this place. Here is a shot from The Beach in the mid 80’s. This traditions still is alive and well.

Tomorrow, look for clearer skies, great grooming efforts on all sides of the hill. I am looking forward to some warmer temps. Perhaps we’ll get a wind storm, that would be nice, we’ll see. Straight Ahead!!

The morning was still cool, but there was no wind as the Tram hit the dock on the Peak. Lone Star in Mineral Basin had been prepared with a jaw dropping smooth line right off the cat track. The dry chalk felt like perfect flannel underfoot as each turn was dialable and accurate. White Diamonds and Lower Silver Dipper were also offering ground pounding fun with perfect consistency top to bottom. After a couple of laps I went back to The Front Side to take advantage of the The Big Smooth that had been prepared and covered with some light wind transported dust overnight. Lower Lower was also given the nod as well as a VERY rare preparation of Mach Schnell off of Rothman’s Way. These two rarities alone were worth hitting all day, but there was so much to choose from, you could get it all as the quality remained high on the Front Side. Here is a shot of Team Squaw Valley dialing up another day of ground pounding fun.

Some high thin clouds made the shade sections difficult to see with a lack of definition. The Sun soaked lines remained well it.

Tomorrow, look for more amazing lines to have been prepared for your hard charging pleasure. The off trail is still dry and chalky, however, there is wide spread rumble, static, and some well developed interference patterns all around the hill. The Coma Chute opened today for the first time since 2011. Here is a shot that Mikey M sent looking into the pit.

I’ll be taking the day off tomorrow to rest up for next week. It will be a great day on the hill. Dial it up, Dial it in!!