It was a training morning, with tricky visibility, a small accumulation of fresh Essence, and a back to back tram to get you worked up for the storm that was moving in to the area.  Off trail was still choppy with the left over rumble, covered only by the few inches of medium density snow that covered the dance floor.  Mineral Basin was a milk bottle, and I challenged myself to drop into the abyss just for grins.  I guessed at a groomed White Diamonds, and was treated to a smooth surface, but all reference indicators were non existent.  Later in the day the visibility improved as the clouds lifted a bit, but the front moved in around 1:00PM, when the wind and maelstrom kicked in big time.  I bailed at 2:30 PM to get ahead of the traffic, as the intensity of the storm was formidable and the road was already getting greasy, so it was only going to get more interesting, which, by reports, it did indeed.  Tomorrow, look for continued accumulation to cover the interference patterns, and with the higher density snow coming in first,  the overall ride will be much better off the beaten path.  Be sure to check for road conditions in the AM, as the storm is predicted to last through Saturday.  The coverage is good overall, so expect a great day, though it may be a touch crowded.  Look for the chairs to offer the fast line up the hill, as the new Little Cloud Chair is a great addition.  Here is a shot of Toad Hill I took the other day when Mineral Basin had some vis.  Radical rocks.   Rock ON!!!

This entry was posted on Friday, February 8th, 2013 at 6:36 pm and is filed under Snow Reports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.