With Mineral Basin open, a great start to the snow pack, and most of the hill accessible, the hill is wide open for full on rock and roll. The Faithful were on the case and on site early to continue the explorations of the new terrain access. The Grooming crew did a great job of preparing some delightful lines that let you stretch out and dial up some juice, making the sliding devices come alive. I have been waiting for this time and have been paying attention to the centrifugal forces underfoot, which are quite elusive when the pack is firm.

Tomorrow, look for a bit lighter traffic on the hill, wide spread machine worked lines, still soft off trail magic, and fast turnarounds. High pressure is building in, so I expect even more clarity of visibility as those thin high clouds have moved off. I also expect fairly cold temps to still be in the mix and I am going to adding that extra layer for those AM laps. With the wide open feel, I am looking forward to relaxing in the turns and bumping up the juice. IBBY!!!

There was a solid showing of The Faithful this morning, which was cold and clear and perfect for the season’s opening of Mineral Basin. The Tunnel was open, with the feed from the Peruvian Chair feeding the seekers from that approach. The snow back there was blower with all the accumulation we have had after the heavier density earlier in the week. Hoots and hollers were echoing in the bowls as the fresh terrain was being sampled after a long anticipation. It is great to have all sides of the hill now in play, which will go a long way in spreading the traffic out more spaciously throughout the boundaries.

The machine worked lines were offering amazing carvalicious quality, that made all that training come into focus and paid off with each arcing turn. Tomorrow, look for more excellent quality on all sides of the hill to remain in play as the Sun angle is still very low and won’t really be working the pack too much, but still, there may be some variations due to wind that might come into play. Expect the unexpected. I think we can confidently deem the hill ready for prime time. Keep your head on a swivel as the the pent up demand is bringing out some intense send vibrations. I’ll be there dark and early to get back to the turns at hand. Speed Safely!!

It was clear and cold this morning, with the last vestiges of the storm clouds clinging to the peaks to start out the day. There was a brisk wind, great visibility, and wonderful quality snow on all sides of the hill. The Groomers were offering amazing carvability, with Think Young getting the first machine worked effort of the season, which was a real treat. Off trail was very nice as well, with still soft snow offering plenty of cushion to mitigate the rumble that had built up over the last days. Traffic was moderate, but the crowd got spread out quickly, leaving fast turnarounds as the morning moved forward.

All sides of the open areas are standing up nicely and the cold temps have been keeping the fresh product in good shape even thought the Sun is out. Those low angle rays provide very sharp definition to the pack, and it is nice to have such stunning clarity after chasing after details these past couple of days. Tomorrow, look for still cold temps in the AM, but with the High Pressure building in, temps should be improving while the Valley remains cold with the inversion layer that is beginning to kick in. Be careful in the lower Canyon as black ice may be lurking as the moisture gathers on the road. Keep your eyes and ears dialed in for changes in openings, they can sneak up on you if you are not paying attention. I’ll be taking the day off tomorrow, so look for the groomers to offer the smoothest turns on the hill. Remain Standing!!!

There was fully 5″ of fresh Essence refreshing the dance floor this morning, making for some very nice turns top to bottom on all sides of the hill. This new accumulation was quite light and let you dial through the turns with no deflection and super soft transitions. A fresh till on the main lines offered absolutely smooth and dream like carpets that made those few inches feel much deeper. Traffic was strong for the opening bell, however the chairs really got the flow going up the hill, leaving very short turnarounds. As the pack gets worked over, those features are getting covered over and the hill is really looking like it should. You can take plenty of confidence to the line these days. What a treat to have the conditions come together so quickly.

Heavy flurries began around 11:30 AM, which were very intense and began to deliver some serious accumulation with every hour. Of course, visibility became challenging with that kind of intensity, but the great snow quality and consistent pack let you hold the line with no problems. Tomorrow, look for a break in the weather, though I think there will be some lake effect if the dynamics kick in. Coverage is getting better and better with each additional installment, so it is happening just as we need it. See you there dark and early for the morning’s offerings. Lay it over like Ligety!!!

Clouds hung low on the peaks this morning as the next system begins to move into the Front. Visibility was good, but the low hanging clouds made the light extremely flat with only marginal details available for the reference, which required using the inner vision to fill in the blanks. Fortunately, the nicely prepared lines offered super consistent carpets of AHHHHHH that made each turn a velvet soft treat. The Cirque Traverse opened with the first Tram and most of the interest was focused out there, where very nice turns were waiting for The Faithful who have been patiently waiting for access. Reports from both aspects indicated excellent, smooth, consistent lines that were well filled in and deluxe top to bottom. I was sticking with the carpets to take advantage of the vacant lines.

There are a lot of very good skiers on the hill and it is fun watching some of the sends I am seeing all over on many aspects. Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation on the hill as it is raining here at The Trailer as I write this. The hill is prime for the full season run now, and all indications are good for some super installments ahead.

Be sure to check The Bird site for up to the minute info on road access, wind, and accumulation totals. The next installment is on the doorstep and ready to unload. IBBY!!!!

It was a blue bird powder day, with the Gad Valley offering incredible freshly tilled carpets of AHHHHH that just let you dial in every turn with confidence, consistency, and feeling!!! The off trail had developed quite a bit of harbor chop, but keeping a direct line let you punch through the variations without much deflection. The Peruvian Gulch opened, offering a perfect accumulation with the high density product feeling very floaty, topped with increasingly lighter accumulation, which finished out with perhaps 4 or 5% density that just blew up with spectacular delicacy into the air. Sublime!! There had been a lot of slide activity on the old layer that remained from earlier days, and will need to be replenished before it is good for prime time, but there is plenty of lower angle lines that were offering a feel that is as good as it gets.

Traffic was strong and everyone was going hard to the hoop top to bottom all over the hill. It was great to see some strong skiing on all sides of the hill. The Gad 2 lift opened yesterday and was offering amazing lines that have the full terrain package going before a significant coverage averages out the terrain features.

Tomorrow, I’ll be looking for the refreshed machine worked lines that promise to be unbelievably deluxe with all this new product to work with. Dialing in wicked turns has been my goal during the early training days and now I am reaping the rewards of the hard work of getting ready to slice and dice. There may be some cloud cover moving in as the next system begins to move in for Thursday. Get a good look at the features that need to be noted before they get covered, and scope out the lines that will offer the best power blasting this snow can deliver. Remain Standing!!!

After a rather slow build up of the pack and plenty of training conditions during the first part of the season, its ON with these last installments of high density product. There was fully 2 feet of fresh Essence after today’s dump. The Snowbird Crews were working hard at all levels of operation, managing the swift build up of high density snow. It was fully evident on The Plaza as crews were clearing the accumulation revealing the solid depth right on the deck. What fun to see the hill getting filled in and poised to expand terrain access in the near future. The Faithful were on site early and ready to get the goods, which were falling with intensity during the morning hours. The intensity began to back off as clearing began to move in for the afternoon.

Tomorrow, look for the Teams to get a handle on the recent installment, which promises to provide expanded areas open on the hill, more confidence in dialing in the lines we have been scoping out in recent days, and potential to get those dreams of overhead power blasting coming true as even more big weather is waiting upstream. It is a very exciting time as we charge into the New Year. Stay Frosty!!

The winds had backed off overnight leaving a light addition of fresh essence on the hill. There were only a couple of inches, but the higher density offered a silky feel that was great underfoot. There was an initial surge for the first Trams of the day, but, with the addition of the Peruvian Chair to the mix, the push was dealt with handily leaving walk on Trams happening before 10AM. It was a good day to stretch out and get a look around. The visibility was marginal, but good enough to see the features that will be in play as the cover improves with more accumulation.

The “CHEF says, “With great patience comes great rewards. The Promise of The Wasatch is just that. A Promise!!”

Tomorrow, look for weather to be in the mix with quite a bit of accumulation expected for the next couple of days. Our patience is paying off and the reward in on the doorstep. Expect weather and dress for the occasion. Having a good look at the hill will be paying off as you explore the larger pallet of choices that are becoming available. Keep your eyes and ears open for openings as well a closures as the accumulation demands. We are poised to enjoy the mountain getting very close to prime time. See you there dark and early for the morning explorations. Check the Bird’s site for up to the minute updates. Keep it real!!

There was a brisk wind blowing this morning, which put The Tram on hold, but the Peruvian Chair opened for the first time of the season, making the terrain choices open up on that side of the hill. The prepared lines were offering very nice carpeted turns and off trail was offering much better consistency than last week. Little by little the hill is shaping up just when we need it with more storm energy still upstream and coming this way.

Tomorrow, look for more nicely prepared lines on both sides of the hill, with the better traction happening on the Peruvian side with the fresh product offering a softer feel over all. Wind may still be a factor as the pattern remains out of the South, so prep for chairs if that becomes the case. With the weather pattern looking strong for the next while, the conditions will continue to improve by the day and more terrain will come into play. Get a good look at the pack and the features yet showing, so you will know where, when, and how to tread as the hill fills in. IBBY!!!

The Faithful made a full court press for the goods this morning getting a very early start and were ready to rock. With the fresh accumulation and the still holiday vibe happening, everyone was ready to get their share of the goods. Who can blame them after these days of waiting for the deep. The fresh product was quite dense, but skied nicely with a direct line. Visibility was an issue, so holding an inner vision was key in maintaining a power line. Rotations are penalized in that kind of snow when the lights are out.

Tomorrow, look for some clearing to get eyes on the overall scene, which was lacking today. This new accumulation is going to go a long way toward expanding the terrain choices as we move forward. I will still be sticking to the gut areas and avoiding fringe lines for a bit longer. I am looking forward to getting those slick variations out of the equation, so I can begin relaxing the grip and stretch out and arc ’em. Clawing and scratching for grip has been very taxing. I expect continued heavy pressure for the goods, so keep your head on a swivel, and expect the unexpected. More terrain may become available, so keep your eyes and ears open for variations on a theme. Dial it up, Dian it in!!!