There was a significant turnout for first Tram this morning , where the energy level and anticipation of a rare occurrence brought the faithful out to partake of the waning vestiges of the ESSENCE. Mineral Basin was fully ready for the first push of eager fun seekers, with soft carvey untracked Grooming that was nicely consistent, but well on it’s way to saturation. 9:00 AM saw Little Cloud breaking into a perfect granular feel, which once again, made me slow down to pretend I was getting the Red Baldy drainage after a long hike to get to that stair step treat. Regulator went off at 9:45 AM with nice dry corn crystals building up as each turn added to the material to grab hold with my dull edges. The open, melted off area on the upper Cat Track had been filled and was fully good to go. On some of the lower Cat Tracks there is some fine rocks mixed into the snow that might seem to be problematic, but at this stage of the season does it really matter? Tomorrow, look for a similar timing for the breaks, so getting an early start will pay off with a much longer window. Many folks exited the hill by going to the bottom, but there were precious few lines to get close.
FIRST TRAM
BULLWINKLE J MOOSE
Both sides required walking to some degree. The lower bottom area, under the Tram, got you the farthest down the hill, but the ultra thin cover made that line tricky and tough to negotiate. I chose to take the Tram to the bottom to avoid the situation all together. Still folks were having fun with the adventure. Here is a shot of the full First Tram that kicked things off, as well as a shot of a Moose that was hanging out by the pond across from the parking area. Fun stuff!!! Ciao!!
hi dave. i now see what you meant by the boulders being moved down the creek. holy moly. we are at the cliff this weekend and i am sitting here. and i heard something. thought it was thunder or a rock bank warming up. when my husband asked a little later if i had heard the boulder. oh my ! it’s so cool ! i will be looking for your smiling face in the am, my friend.
hi Guru Dave, I really enjoy you posts! living in NYC and not getting in nearly as many days on snow as you do, I live vicariously through your daily updates..Btw,what does ibby stand for? georgia
IBBY stands for I’ll be blasting you, which is an obscure saying from my childhood.
Hey Dave – It’s funny, I didn’t like Major Mudd much when I was a kid because it offended me that he was impersonating an astronaut. I took the moon race sooo seriously! Still remember the theme song music though with that thumpy, loping bass track.
You must remember “Boomtown” too. Did you know Rex Trailer is still alive and going strong? His wife Cindy passed away recently, though. I think she was also part of that show.
Anyhow, congrats on your epic season, the longest ever! All Hail Snowbird!
Wow!!! Rex Trailer must be like 100 Years old by now. Childhood…… seems so long ago, but just like yesterday. Time is just crankin’ and it won’t slow down no matter how much I try and hold it off. Fortunately, seasons like this keep me in that childhood WOW state, where everything seems new. Fresh Essence is like a new toy every time!!!