It was a clear cold morning with some light wind stroking the hill and moving some of the goods hither and yon. Wind lines were beginning to manifest, with a few of the big drops offering supportable wind slab sections that kept you going back for more. Mineral Basin was offering that nice bright Sunshine that helped take some of the sting out of the cold morning air. The Groomers back there were the perfect place to try out a new pair of skis and lay down some trenches in the perfect carpet surface. The front of the hill was offering smooth lines with the off trail sections still holding up, but a low amplitude rumble continues to be widespread. The wind did a lot to fill in the troughs, making new lines appear as the day progressed. I am always looking for the smooth. Here is a shot of some of the goodness still waiting in the wings for another day. 
Tomorrow, look for continued cold conditions, great Corduroy, early morning Sun in Mineral Basin, and fairly light traffic after a night of New Year’s festivities. I expect the traffic to increase later as folks get moving, but the morning session should be fun and fast. There was a wild cloud formation that formed over the the Mineral Basin that looked a bit like an old timey Flash Gordon type space ship. It was there only for a minute at best. 
It was leaving a nice vapor trail behind it. One might think I used Photo Shop for this shot, but I assure you that is NOT the case, as evidenced by this shot of the same cloud taken by my buddy Neil when he was out in the Basin at the same time I was taking this. A very sychronisitous series of events placed me at the peak to get my shot off, and it seems just as sychronisitous that Neil took this one as it was such a momentary manifestation. 
Who knows, who knows!! It could have been THEM, but remember; Syrup won’t stop ‘ EM!!!
Nice shot of an altocumulous lenticular cloud. Sometimes called a mountain wave cloud. Formed when high altitude winds encounter mountainous terrain….but then again – it could be a saucer.