Wild Texture
As anticipated, a high cloud deck kept the Sun from shining through in full force. It tried to peak through from time to time, so I went out to Mineral Basin to get another look at the area after so much traffic. The Sun, wind, and traffic has revealed most of the hazards, leaving some obvious lines to follow. However, the Interference Patterns developed rapidly in the guts of the open areas. The Baldy Express and Lupine Loop are tricky as you go through the middle section,with the South facing cliff bands being totally bare right now, so keep that in the back of your mind when that area opens after the next big dump. Regulator was extremely firm, with only sparse dust to use for traction with which to control the speed. I was in full glide mode, trying to just guide the direction without setting an edge. They have changed the rope line around the Snow Gun at the bottom of Regulator, so give that some extra room going around that corner. There is going to be some fresh overnight, so use your knowledge of the existing lines to get the most out of the hill. Any addition to the snow pack will help out greatly, but expect variable exposure to the now existing firmness to create some issues in line consistency. Most of the lines will become available as the consolidation of the old snow will keep you from punching through in most areas, though I saw an individual land a jump only to break through the old layer and was still digging his skis out of an enormous hole three runs later. He finally got them, so he dodged a bullet. See you for first Tram. BE well!! Ciao!!