The morning was sunny and cold as the first Tram left the dock. The Faithful made and early push for the residual goods, but the uphill capacity of the chairs kept the pace fast and furious. Mineral Basin was offering perfect carpets on the Lupine Loop side of things, but the off trail was very stiff and had a lot of rumble and static that made it a rough ride. Lewis and Clark was out of sight, with silky smooth lines that were vacant and perfect. Here is a shot of the Twins and the wide open bowls filled to the brim.

The front side of the hill was also offering carpets that let you dial in some high edge angles and feel the full arc of the turn. Some clouds moved in around 10:30 AM, which cramped the visibility a bit and made the lights go out, but the consistent quality of the Groomers let you rely on the smooth despite the visibility issues. Lower Primrose Path was out of sight and offered ground pounding fun all day. Here is a shot of Team Gnar Haus, who read the site daily and were soaking up the warm rays when the Sun came out again in the afternoon.

Tomorrow, look for another cold sunny day, with the off trail continuing to be tricky and stiff. The Groomers will be offering those insanely buffed lines that will keep you getting those high edge angles. Look for some additional lines to have been prepared, especially on the Road To Provo.

In closing, here is a shot of Flyin’ Brian Beck taking advantage of the opening of the Main Chute into Alta. It is really rare to get it this smooth and perfect. See you tomorrow for the ground pounding fun. Lay it over like Ligety!!!

Residual clouds held the peaks as the sun rose this morning, but moved off as the Sun peaked over the ridge. The Faithful were in FULL attendance, with high stoke for the goods driving the push. Most of the hill was open first thing, with Mineral Basin opening a bit later in the AM. The air was cold and the surfaces were super smooth after the wind has worked it’s magic on the high density product. Here is a shot of Upper Silver Fox illuminated in that morning Sun, which is a very rare site with such a smooth face. All the rumble and interference patters were gone.

With the high traffic I was pulled to the Peruvian Chair, which was pumping the folks up the hill quickly, and made two runs on Lower Baldy, getting Eye Of The Needle in the totally smooth mode. That is very rare indeed. I was joined by Danielle, who was making turns with snap, crackle, and pop on the perfectly smooth wind blown lines.

When Mineral Basin opened, there were perfect wind blown lines top to bottom, which were supportable, clean, and epic top to bottom. Tomorrow, look for still smooth lines to be found all over the hill after the Spackle resurfaced the entire Dance Floor. The Groomers will be off the chart perfect as this product was the very best for industrial smoothing. I expect lighter traffic, but I will be getting there early for the shred fest. Speed Safely.

The Canyon opened today around Noon, with a full push for the goods. From the few social medial shots I saw of the few who were able to get up on the hill, it was a full on shred fest with smooth creamy supportable surfaces that looked amazing. This last cycle really Spackled the hill in a big way and the wind did a fine job sanding the dance floor to perfection. All those interference patterns and rumble will be just a foot note for the next couple of days. Here is shot of Pipeline that I took last season when it was fully fat to illustrated the look I expect when I get up there.

Tomorrow, look for smooth lines as the areas open. The Groomers will be off the chart insane as the material delivered is perfect for industrial smoothing. It should be sunny and perfect temps, so expect a full on amazing day on the hill. The season total topped 400″, so this is one of the seasons to log into your memory for years to come. See you there to see the hill after it’s face lift. See the Line, BE the Line!!

Still the weather pounds the Wasatch Front and has produced a Code Black situation where interlodge was still in effect and the Canyon remained closed with numerous large slides having crossed the road, leaving deep deposition. The snowfall has fallen off a bit, but there are still impulses coming in and more snow expected tomorrow. We’ll still have to see how it all shakes out. Here is a shot that illustrates the scene, and has an interesting juxtaposition.

Even though I have sat out that last two days, I will be taking tomorrow off as well and we’ll have to see what is what. These are the days that we imagine during the Summer. Thanks to all the crews that are working the road situation and the hard working folks who make the Bird turn during this epic time. One for the books. IBBY!!!

A solid stream of moisture flowed over the Front bringing high density product, which closed out The Canyon for the day and had Inter Lodge in effect. Very volatile avalanche conditions exist, and, as the flow continues, it will keep the situation in flux. Tomorrow, expect the Canyon to be closed, so check the road reports for access and details. Since the day was so visually dismal, here is a shot of clarity that Neil sent the other day when the visibility was crystal clear.

I’ll be playing it by ear in the AM. and will be in no hurry to get in line like today. See you there when the conditions permit. Enjoy the tranquility of the Storm!! IBBY!

There was a light dusting of Essence on the dance floor for this mornings offerings, with very difficult visibility, still cold temps and smooth groomers on all sides of the hill. Mineral Basin was an abyss with Zero Zero visibility back there so I avoided it. The wind was blowing hard on the peak, making the chair rides fairly chilly. The front of the hill offered smooth groomed lines that let you feel that full platform engagement throughout each turn. That was gold. The off trail was still tricky with that rumble still fully reverberating through the new accumulation. Here is a shot I took yesterday during that short window of sunshine.

Tomorrow, look for overnight accumulation with more snow on tap for the day. Expect a full on storm riding day with continued cold temps. The off trail rumble and static is still in full effect, so look for the smooth lines and prepared lines for the best ride. I drove around off trail a bit today and was sent promptly back to the smooth. Visibility will continue to be challenging, so stick with the trees for the best reference marks and reflected light. Getting very close to the 400″ mark, what a season!! Don’t touch that dial!!

It was a very cold morning with temps well below Zero and a clear blue sky to begin the day. Mineral Basin was open first off and the traffic was pulled fully in that direction. The faithful were making turns that were leaving cold smoke trails of glory as the last impulse left such light density product. With all that traffic going to the back, I took advantage of the lull on the front side to work the perfect carpets of AHHHH in the Peruvian Gulch, which was offering a ground pounding line down Lower Primrose Path that was vacant and exquisite. Not a bad trade off for the powder in the back I must say. I looked around for some smooth off trail lines but was drawn back to the smooth prepared lines that gave my knees a break and I was able dial in some full platform engagement with each turn. Bonus! It was cold and I dressed for the conditions and made sure I covered the exposed skin. My nose has pealed twice already this season. It was such a cold morning, and the air was so dry that it was crystal clear. Here is a shot that Neil took of The Twins from the peak.

Some clouds moved in as another impulse is slated to move in tomorrow with more accumulation. The off trail is still rough with some wide spread rumble, and the interference patterns are building in the high traffic areas. Expect increasing clouds and variable visibility. It will also remain cold so dress for the chill. The Groomers will be offering the dry chalky lines that will let you explore your inner Ligety.

The clarity of the air was stunning this morning and you just had to take it all in as you stood on the peak. See you there for the smooth prepared lines that will be sure to thrill. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!

There was well over a foot of light Essence covering The Trailer this morning and the horses were snug in the shed looking out at the new perfection. Up on the hill, only around 5 to 7″ of 8% had accumulated and was dumping heavily all day. Most of the hill was open with a couple of areas closed due to the wind and snow fall. The underlying substrate was fully in play, making the ride on anything less than smooth a bit tricky. There were pockets on the hill that accumulated more depth and were worth looking further afield for those lines. Here is a shot that speaks to those deep lines that were on tap.

I kept trying various lines that I had scoped yesterday, but the rumble was working my knees, so I went back to the smooth Groomed lines that were blastable and were resisting becoming harbor chop. It was snowing gang busters when I left, and there were at least 6″ new covering the Star Cruiser. Tomorrow, look for more accumulation to be on tap, with the closed areas still waiting in the wings. The rumble is still real and widespread, and this light density product did little to cushion the ride. I expect Mineral Basin to be incredible as the wind was carrying product over the ridge into the bowl. The Cirque Traverse is very scoured on the high side so stay low to avoid some of the Gnar that is crowding the line. See you there for the endless possibilities. IBBY!!

Today was a special day on many levels, one of which was this date, which is a very unusual date. On the hill, the wind was nuking out of the Southwest. The Groomers were offering amazing lines of dust covered corduroy that let you dial in your inner Ligety, and with the wind holding you back in the fall line, you could really work the angles. There was a bit of Sun in Mineral Basin to start things out, and open lines top to bottom. The wind really picked up around 11 AM and the Tram, Little Cloud, and The Peruvian Chair closed due to the conditions. Gad Zoom remained open, but I bailed to start Game Day out early. Here is a shot of the new 71 Restaurant up at The Cliff.

Tomorrow, look for very heavy snow fall as the front is slated to move in overnight. The road may be an issue in the AM. so plan accordingly. The hill is in great shape overall, with fairly smooth lines worked by the high winds today. Expect storm day conditions and dress for cold as the temps will drop dramatically. We’ll see how the morning shapes up, and how much snow we get before opening. It is going to be great in any event. Stay Frosty!

It was a beautiful day, and unseasonably warm. The Groomers were offering perfect carpets wall to wall with some very nice fresh, steep lines to work for the morning session. The rumble off trail continues to intensify and interference patterns are building in the usual high traffic zones, but overall the hill is remarkable smooth. There is big weather in the forecast that will make that old substrate a footnote in the next few days. Here is a shot I took yesterday when there was a bit of Sun on the subject.

Tomorrow, look for more great Grooming on all sides of the hill. They will be providing some serious ground pounding fun for the morning session. With this approaching low pressure, I expect some wind to be in the mix and that may be working the hill overnight. I will be looking for some wind worked lines to add to the machine worked lines. Storm signals are sure to be happening, so go dressed for any eventuality. See you there for the beginning of another building set. Remain Standing!