The start of precipitation was a bit delayed, with even a Sun window out ahead of the front that came through around 11AM. With big wind and heavy precipitation, it was a free refills type of day for The Faithful who were treated to this rare event. Last night was the first of the Pizza tasting parties at Kazoodi’s, with Mikey M providing a parade of new topping sensations. The pies kept getting better and better. Thanks to Kazoodi and Mikey M for making such an amazing event possible!!

The hill is deep and getting deeper as this cycle is really kicking in big time. There will be significant accumulation tonight and into tomorrow, so expect delays in the road and the hill as this big dump gets under control. These are the days that we talk about in the days leading into a new season, and here is the read deal all lined up and ready to unload. The hill is awesome wall to wall with astounding conditions, big base, and the new Essence will be legendary. Remain Standing!!

A big blue sky and bright Sun welcomed the Faithful to an amazing day that movies and magazine photos are made of. A bonus accumulation of Lake Effect snow turned a 3” prediction into 12″ of light Essence that did not disappoint. After a slight delay, the Peruvian Gulch opened with blower powder that had the air filled with hoots and hollars that echoed off the walls. Here is a shot of Mikey M getting the goods under the White Cliffs.

Mineral Basin opened around 12:30PM with wall to wall ultra deep. It was just a matter of choosing which line to take. The wind had affected certain aspects and the one I chose was thick, but a straight fall line power blast approach worked best. Here is a shot of the goods on the Chamonix Chutes.

Harbor chop really cropped up after 1 PM, so I bailed to save my knees and start my day off early. Tomorrow, look for another storm to be moving in for the next few days. Look for the Groomers to be offering the smooth as the off trail was still feeling that old substrate, but with wind and more accumulation the ride should be smoothing out with time. Look for some wind worked lines early before the accumulation takes over for smoothness.

There were some great views as the Canyon was filled with low clouds that seemed like heaven. Have a safe, fun day, and I’ll see you Sunday. IBBY!!

Light density Essence covered the dance floor this morning that was real treat for the Faithful, who showed up on time and ready for fun. With the light density, the underlying substrate was still in play, but a direct approach made the variations a bit more negotiable. Mineral Basin opened around 10:30AM, which offered much deeper accumulation as the wind moved the product to those aspects. Here is a shot of Mikey M getting in deep on Baldy when it opened.

The Groomers had the smooth ride, and that Anderson’s Hill-Lower Primrose line was over the top, with that new accumulation covering a perfect grooming job. Regulator was a bit slick as the wind had moved a lot of product to the East facing aspects. The Crew stopped for the Forklift Recon. meeting and compared notes on the morning. Here is a shot of the stellar presentation that Buzzy Skigrin received for his breakfast.

Tomorrow, look for improving visibility, soft snow wall to wall, and perfect machine worked lines to explore your inner Ligety. The will be some areas that will be waiting in the wings, so keep your eyes and ears sharp for opening. There also may be some residual accumulation as the impulse moves off.

A big shout out to Tram Rat, who took this month off to get the Sun, fun and long shots in the Arizona climate. The Crew misses you. Stay Frosty!!

Traffic was very light today, with walk on Trams all morning long. The expected front took a while to get rolling, but there was a nice accumulation on the Dance Floor to start that made the groomers extra special top to bottom. I worked the Peruvian Gulch to begin, taking advantage of the visual references and reflections in the difficult visibility. By 11 AM., the heavy stuff moved in and was snowing at an inches per hour pace that made the accumulation get deeper by the run and an, almost, free refills situation. The off trail was improving with the accumulation, but the underlying rumble was still in play, and with the visibility issues, made it difficult. I stayed with the prepared lines to maximize the vertical and give my knees a break at the same time. Here is a long shot of Steve F taking advantage of the deepening lines.

I avoided Mineral Basin all day to avoid the very marginal visibility back there and stayed with the front of the hill. Here is a shot of Mikey M getting the fresh line yesterday in the side country.

Tomorrow, look for more accumulation on the hill as it is snowing briskly here at The Trailer as I write this. Traffic may be a bit more brisk and there may be some morning Canyon restrictions, so check and see before you go. The hill is in great shape with only the very high traffic choke points still holding some features. I think the old layer will begin to fade as the accumulation cushions the ride. This is just the beginning of a big week of continuous impulses lined up and taking aim on the Wasatch. Remain Standing!!!

Formidable lenticular formations clung to the peaks this morning as I was driving up the Canyon. By the time it was First Tram the clouds had moved off and it was a clear morning with only some of the residual clouds still hanging on down Canyon.

Incredible grooming efforts had been done on all sides of the hill, with this last blast of product the perfect material with which to work. Anderson’s Hill and Lower Primrose Path were offering ground pounding smoothness with no traffic as every one was pulled to Mineral Basin and the sunshine. The air stayed coolish and the off trail continued to stay soft and unaffected by the Sun. Here is a shot of Team Dynastar getting ready to hit the new day with next year’s designs.

With the low traffic, the machine worked lines remained smooth and arcable, with the Peruvian Gulch offering top to bottom lines that kept the motor running. Here’s a shot of the New Mayor of Brighton enjoying his first day of work at Snowbird.

Tomorrow, look for a storm riding day, with dropping temps, variable visibility, accumulation throughout the day, and great lines to be had as the Groomers will be flannel delights. The off trail may present difficulty in the failing light. Look for some wind work for natural smoothing on all sides of the hill. We are in for a nice cycle over the next days. See the Line, BE the Line!!!

Yesterday’s impulse delivered a bonus blast of Essence that was a total surprise. High winds moved material from slope to slope with the East, Northeast, as well as the South East aspects filled up with more depth than the reported accumulation. After a short delay, Mineral Basin opened and I was able to get an untracked line down Silver Dipper top to bottom, which was a very rare event. Ski Patrol Gully also opened and I worked the chairs to get as much of the goodness before it got skied out. The Groomers were amazing with a light dusting on top that made them deluxe. Lower Primrose Path was given a fresh till, that had 3″ of Essence on top of the corduroy that was like 40″ of Zero%. Here is a shot of Team Excitement who were out in the Exotic Trees looking for the goods and they hit pay dirt.

After Noon, I went looking out and about and found some overlooked lines in the Exotic Trees. I went back to the prepared lines as the pack began to get some static going. Tomorrow, look for another amazing day on the hill, with Grooming efforts happening on all sides of the hill. Look for fresh prepared lines on the some of the steep pitches in Mineral Basin. I expect a fairly clear day and the temps seem to be on the rise, so I may dress a bit lighter. There is still plenty of soft snow to find if you look and those deeper sections today still be offering the soft feel in the AM. See you there for the goods and the ground pounding fun. Watch your SIX!!

A beautiful morning sky treated the Faithful who made the early Trams, with a bit of Sun streaming through the high thin clouds as a storm was approaching later in the day. Here is a shot of the long view to the South with several layers of cloud deck making the sky a delight to behold.

Amazing grooming efforts were employed on all sides of the hill that were silky smooth and had a bit of wind transported snow covering the corduroy. Ski Patrol Gully was opened early, and I got a couple of fast laps there before it was discovered. The quality was very dense, but very consistent, however, down toward the bottom , the low angle sections were very wind slabbed, but were of no concern as the exit was easy and well covered. On my laps I took advantage of the opening of the Upper Gate beyond The Chamonix Chutes and hit the apron, which was a tad dodgy and required some very controlled round turns to keep the torsion forces in check.

Clouds kept lowering and the lights went out, so I kept working the front side carpets, which included a fresh till of Lower Primrose Path. Perfect!! Tomorrow, look for some fresh accumulation as that impulse was dumping when I left. The Groomers will be offering the smooth goodness, while the off trail has set up and the rumble is difficult to negotiate. We’ll see how these next impulses soften the ride. See you on the first bucket! IBBY!!!

It was an overcast morning with a high cloud deck that filtered the Sun for a while, till the deck moved off and it got a bit more sunny. Huge plumes of snow were glowing as the big wind transported the product. I was not on the hill today as I was resting up for the week that promises some more installments of goodness. Here is a shot of Old Ladies just after the rope drop that Ricky Rev sent along.

Tomorrow, look for wind transported lines to be happening, Groomers to be deep shag perfect, and soft snow to still be found in pockets. The hill is in great shape wall to wall and, at this time of the season, all aspects are delivering the goods. I’ll be back on the hill in the AM. Speed Safely.

The Sun was a bit late appearing this morning as the clouds hung on the peak, with brisk winds blowing out of the North and visibility a bit dodgy. Mineral Basin and The Road To Provo were delayed opening, leaving the Faithful to work the front side of the hill to extract the goodness from the overnight accumulation. I went out and did the far reaches of the Cirque Traverse to check it out and found some new wind stripped areas that should be taken into account, and a good line if you stayed low on the traverse. Mineral Basin opened around 11:00AM with a wide range of consistencies depending on aspect. The Faithful were pulled back there and the Tram line diminished. The medium density went a long way to smooth out the rumble, but the larger areas of interference patterns persisted. Lower Primrose Path was given another smoothing treatment and was offering amazing flannel soft lines that let you dial in your inner Ligety. Here is a shot of the Bingham Mine in the morning Sun as the Clouds began to move off.

The Road To Provo opened and offered good quality lines that were very consistent and luxurious. The area was tracked out very quickly, but some lines were hiding out of site and were holding up nicely. Tomorrow, look for some clouds back in the mix, fair traffic for the goods, and amazing lines wall to wall still soft and fun no matter where you look. Look for some wind worked lines to perhaps be happening, and look for the Groomers to be offering perfect carpets on all aspects. I’ll be taking the day off to rest up for this coming week. Straight Ahead!!

Yesterday’s storm and the overnight accumulation delivered a heapin’ helpin’ of luxurious Essence. The hill opened on time with much of the hill opened and ready for prime time as the medium density product cushioned the old layer and made the turns surfy and magical. With a strong turn out by The Faithful, it was wise to work the chairs as they really dealt with the traffic quickly. I was looking around and checking out lines I had been avoiding till we got more cover and was delighted to find good cover and smoothness. Here is a shot of Doc that Mikey M sent from their Baldy runs.

As the pack got worked over, the harbor chop began to build, requiring a strong blasting turn to punch through the variations, but gone were those slick spots that had been pesky last week. Tomorrow, look for more great conditions to be on tap, amazing groomers to be offering deep pile perfection, and some un tracked lines in spaces that folks missed in the variable visibility. All the traverses and entrances have improved markedly, though caution should be used on the steepest, high traffic spots. The hill is good to go into the New Year and the base is fully in prime time mode. Don’t forget to SIZZLE!!