This morning was Cadillac smooth on the Groomed runs, with the exception of Regulator, which took the heat from yesterday’s Sun and came up crusty and slick. Mineral Basin was offering some very nice smooth sections that just begged for deep carving. Baldy Express felt like a private resort with only a handful of folks taking advantage of perfect scrumptulecence. I think back to two weeks ago when everyone had written off the hill, we were taking advantage of that gem of terrain with my closest friends. This rarity let you place a trench next to the trench you just laid down. Again, you have to appreciate perfect when you find perfect, even though it is not deep. The off trail is still fairly smooth, with some wind affected slab that just took a bit more of a floaty arc. The Sun was warm and quickly began to affect the direct exposures, making them begin to become a bit mankey. Remember that tomorrow will be overcast, and the Sun will not soften these aspects, so steer clear of those crusty lines. More weather is coming in for the next few days, so look for visibility to be marginal, but hopefully new snow will help smooth the ride. Entrances to the big shots are still quite tricky, as they have been worked over down to the rocks with undercut ledges to deal with, so enter with caution. Dress for weather as the warm days were short lived, though there seems to be some Sun coming back later in the week. Here is a shot of Mary Ellen Gulch which is the future terrain that is being prepared. See you in the AM.. IBBY
MARY ELLEN GULCH