It was quite cool this morning, with a light turn out for the first Tram of the day. Stoke was high, and the usual suspects were the first group in line for the festivities. The sky was quite overcast, with very flat light and high winds working the peak. The main face had been worked with industrial smoothing efforts, but some variations in moisture content coming from the snow guns had cause a super slick section of vertical to start the pitch. Everyone was working left to circumvent the section, where the snow was much more dialable on the steep sections. There were some good turns to be had, however, the marginal flat light visibility made a deliberate approach a wise choice. It was great to be back on the peak, and I absorbed as much of that energy as possible.

I also took some time to sit in the silence and tranquility of The Summit watching the wind drive plumes of driven snow past the windows.

Tomorrow, look for still challenging conditions off the peak. Take your time and feel out the pack when hitting the vertical pitch and plan a more left hand traverse to get around that slick upper section. Coverage on the prepared lines is still quite good, and very consistent grooming efforts make the lines smooth and dialable. See you there for the morning session. It is very good training for when the deep arrives. Stay Focused!!

Traffic on the hill was quite light this morning, which made for walk on chairs right off the bat. There were overcast skies, with some open spots that let the Sun shine through now and again. The pack held up nicely from yesterday’s opening traffic, and the retilled mat was offering a very carvey and consistent feel under foot. Laps were fast and, with a lot fewer folks, let you keep your focus on your turns and feel. With the overcast, the light was very flat, making any surface details hard to see, but the smooth prepared lines took all the guess work out of the equation.

Tomorrow, look for another light traffic day, I think the overcast will have moved out, making the visibility much better. The pack has held up well, with very good coverage on the prepared lines. The off trail is looking very sketchy, but has been very worked over revealing much of the features that had been covered. Tread carefully. Temps are warming up for the next few day, which will make those early morning laps not quite so brisk. Keep a sharp eye out!!!

The Faithful were in full attendance this morning to usher in the opening day of the 25/26 season. High energy was electric with full on stoke about the fresh installment that had been delivered. That last dump made all the difference in the quality, as it had enough moisture content to create a nice cushion over the earlier layer. Extensive snow making effort added a generous footing, making for a rock free main run. Coverage was surprising good on the prepared sections and made turning a breeze with plenty of traction top to bottom. Off the prepared lines was not recommended, but was being strongly explored. This is a good time to take a look around for the features that will be good to keep in mind as the pack builds.

Tomorrow, look for lighter traffic, smooth reworked lines down the open run, and very dry and chalky snow quality, with no icy spot at all. Be most cautious off to the sides. It is great to have the hill open again as reconnect with friends after a long Summer. I’ll see you there dark and early for the smooth carpets. KEEP ON CHUGLIN’!!

The mountain crew has been working feverishly getting ready for the opening. They are making snow, moving snow around from stashes to add to the bottom elevation, and with the addition of 6” of fresh recently, the hill is shaping up for an opening. There is a solid storm incoming, which promises to bring a significant installment to bolster all the efforts of the team. That precipitation is predicted to begin later tonight and extend through Saturday. It will be the shot in the arm that is needed to get the season rolling. The Yellow Jackets were really getting after it from very early in the Summer, which has often been a sign of a heavy weather winter. Still, I am doing my best inner visualizations of deep face shots, with the associated feeling of the snow wrapping around my body as I move through the medium. I feel good about the prospects for a great season ahead.

The hints I have been getting is of an opening Saturday. Stay tuned to the Bird site for official additional information. Think Deep Thoughts.

Wow, it has been an interesting trip around the Galaxy after the sight burned down very late in the season. A huge thanks and gratitude to Chris and all of his team at Mystic Media for sponsoring and working the tech side for so many years. Also, thanks to Kuhl and their team for sponsoring the site going forward. I will be having to relearn how this new publishing page works so bear with me as I tackle the leaning curve. Going into this holiday season there is still insufficient snow to open, but there is a storm upstream which may deliver a shot for the hill to open on. We’ll have to see how that shakes out. I’ll be going off grid for the next few days and will post again with more up to date information as it becomes available. Stay Frosty.

The South winds were howling this morning, with bright Sun shining, wide open lines in Mineral Basin with just the right amount over overnight freeze to make the surfaces smooth for the opening bell. The front side of the hill was offering machine worked lines that offered that frozen corduroy, which kept me turning to keep things real. A high cloud deck began to intrude ahead of the front that will be moving through tomorrow. The pack broke early with the high temps and began to get sticky in places down on the lower elevations.

Chucky was rippin’ it up with the Chuckettes, with high stoke, soft snow and lots of laughs all day long. Tomorrow, look for a much different situation with the front on the door step, wind picking up and precipitation beginning later in the day. Visibility will be interesting, but, perhaps, a vestige of Sun may shine to get things started. We can hope. I am excited about this next series of storms and accumulation to get that winter feel back on the hill. There is plenty of season to work the Spring feel, let it snow. Keep it tight!

There was a hard freeze overnight, creating a seriously firm situation on the hill. Mineral Basin was offering the earliest exposure to the Sun’s rays, but, still, it was going to take some time to break. Machine worked lines were the place to stay to keep things under control, but a cautious approach was wise. There was a high cloud deck from the opening bell, but the Sun did filter through, giving much needed detail to the pack. Later, as the temps rose, the break in the pack began and it was a matter of working with the aspects for best results.

Mikey M sent this shot of his view from the top of Main Chute yesterday. It is in great shape and not too skied out. Tomorrow, expect the weather to have moved in with this next low pressure that is on the door step. Expect continued very firm conditions on all sides of the hill, which will persist until some accumulation builds in to cushion the ride. I am still staying with the smooth lines to facilitate knee longevity. There is quite a bit more weather upstream going well into next week, so I think we can expect much improved conditions as we move along. Maintain deep visualizations, I am doing my best. Deep, deeper, deepest!!!

The next low pressure moves in today, lowering the temps, the visibility and the expectations on the day. Traffic was super light, with walk on trams going off with no waiting. The hill is still in great shape, but the firmness factor still is holding tough with no Sun to soften the pack. The machine worked lines still are offering consistent surfaces, that let you work the corduroy for those opening runs, and they hold up all day long.

Jake sent this shot of him plying the corn goodness in the Sun the other day. You can see the nap on the corduroy keeping things under control. Tomorrow, look for continued stormage as this impulse hangs on and drags that upstream moisture into the Front. Look for the accumulation from today to have been tilled into the mat, making for better traction and feel. I think traffic will be moderate again even with some accumulations. We’ll see. This is the beginning of a very active week, which looks very promising. Straight Ahead.

It was sunny early, however, clouds were working their way up out of the South. Mineral Basin was the big draw, offering freshly tilled lines and bright sunshine and the best chance of softening after a cold night. There was a couple of inches of fresh Essence covering the off trail areas that felt good, but you had to deal with the direct texture of the substrate. Some places were smooth and it was ok, but other areas of static and rumble were a bit more challenging to deal with. I chose to work the Peruvian Gulch lines that had fresh machine worked pitches that make you turn turn turn to keep from the pace getting away. The fresh corduroy was feeling good and though it was firm, there was plenty of traction to keep things real.

Mineral Basin has such great terrain, and it draws the bulk of the early traffic. Those clouds moved in and the light went very flat, though the Sun did begin to burn through the cloud deck reestablishing the details that had fallen off. Tomorrow, look for another overnight freeze, perhaps some early Sun on the hill, and more great ground pounding fun on all sides of the hill. Weather is predicted to move in later in the day. I’ll be looking to get the smooth driving lines in early before any precip. begins. Dial it up, Dial it in!!!

Visibility was quite good this morning, but the light was flat with very little in the way of details on the mat. Sticking with the tree lines was key in getting any reflected light working the surfaces. Traffic was very light with walk on back to back Trams going off, and plenty of room on each car. There had not been a full freeze, leaving some very nice soft lines down lower on the hill, with tenderizing effort having been employed. The effect of that offered amazing full platform engagement turns that felt sooo sweet. Lower Primrose Path was epic, with smooth transitions that let you dial it in, despite the light issues.

Gwen was beaming bright Sunlight up in The Summit, making a overcast day so much brighter. It is always a treat to see her energy and stoke. Tomorrow, look for a storm day, with precipitation, continued visibility issues, and the pack set to offer some great fresh snow sliding top to bottom. We’ll have to see how the day shakes out, but the hill is in great shape to take on this next cycle. The hill over all has been smoothing out with this lower traffic, so the off trail will be good to go. I expect a bit more traffic, but I think it will be moderate. Remain Standing!!!