There was a pea soup fog shrouding the hill this morning as the first Tram left the dock.  The visibility looked problematic, and the prospects seemed dim, but as we pushed off to Mineral Basin it was evident that the Basin had it’s own micro climate going on, with bright Sun, a fresh coat of frosting, and some of the best carving of the recent past.  The small accumulation seemed like butter as the covered groomers provided absolute perfection for the very few faithful who showed up for the festivities.  Off Trail was also soft, but there was a slight touch of crust, that gave way to a bit more forceful approach.  The front side of the hill was still frozen solid, but the clouds were breaking up, letting the Sun begin to work the dance floor.  Regulator did not break until Noon, before which it was a real test of edge control to deal with the diamond plate surface.  The lower mountain is melting off very quickly, with lower Silver Fox and Primrose Path beginning to look mighty peaked. The pack got very soft as it will, so tomorrow, look for the same basic timing on the hill, with Mineral Basin offering approachable groomers for first Tram.  10:00 AM. will begin the front side softening, so plan for that if the early program does not thrill you.  There is still plenty of snow on the hill and those few melted off places are not ubiquitous, so you are good to go for the bottom.  Here is a shot of Macaroni looking good, with the lower section smoothing out nicely.   See you in the AM.  IBBY!!

It was  very noisy in the trailer as the rain pelted it last night, which translated to a fresh installment on the hill.  Unfortunately, I had to miss today’s festivities to deal with the perturbations from the Galactic Core that was slamming my interface unit, but that is the nature of the beast.  Up on the hill, there was a sparse turn out given the murky morning skies and low report on the web.  My inside source said the upper mountain was offering some creamy cover, with plenty of lines to be found in the peripheral areas.  The lower mountain was sticky and grabby, making the upper elevations the place to stay.  The weather system is slow moving and will remain unsettled for the next bit, so bring the appropriate gear to be able to deal with whatever you find.  The interference patterns have been going away as the traffic has abated largely, but the underlying rumble is still problematic when frozen, so wait till significant softening occurs before venturing off the prepared lines.  I did some poking around here and there, just to see if I could, and I found it unpleasant, except for the smoothest lines.  In the frozen state the off trail can be treacherous, so tread lightly.  I will be on deck for the festivities in the AM., so I will have a first hand look and report. Things on the Galactic front is a different matter, and that does not really affect the snow quality, though maybe a little.   Here is a shot I took the other day with the Sun refracting through the mist, revealing light’s circular nature.   IBBY!!

It was 20 Degrees on the peak this morning, with bright Sun bathing Mineral Basin.  The front side of the hill was very crispy, though tenderizing efforts had been implemented giving some tooth to the runs, but any variation from those worked lines left you skittering for  purchase.   Mineral Basin was really perfectly soft on the East faces, with the South facing aspects holding off for a bit.  Very little traffic made the back side a treat, and I could not help thinking of the days before the Mineral Chair, where to venture back there was a full on back country exercise.  Here we get to lap those dreamed of lines with lift service.  These sections were so sweet in some areas, I slowed way down to get as much of the perfection as I could, reflecting back on the old days when this was a dream.    So good!!!   The front of the hill held off softening for quite some time, with the breeze keeping the ambient temps from building up too fast.  Toward Noon some high clouds began to fill in, filtering the Sun’s rays, holding off the softening a bit as well.  Regulator was still bullet proof when I left to work on the antenna array, which is still off kilter from the high wind of last week.   Tomorrow, look for some weather to be moving in, so expect overcast skies, and perhaps some precipitation to begin at some point in the day.  Once again, the off trail is still very difficult in the frozen state, and I do not expect to see too much in the way of softening if that cold front moves in.  All the soft snow from the last installment is worked over and has been affected by the warmth, so it is very tough sliding to be sure.   Here is a shot of the big dance floor out on Mark Malu, where you can drop the line with all it has to offer, here, looking very smooth and rippable.  See you for the early runs.   Peace Out!!

I am glad I dressed up for the first Tram this morning, because it was very cold on the peak with temps in the low teens.   Even though I put on my cold weather gloves, they were insufficient to deal with the back to Winter feel.  Mineral Basin offered dry chalky smoothness on the Groomers, but the light was flat with the overcast skies.  The Peruvian Gulch offered Groomers that were Winter smooth and velvety top to bottom, as the cold from yesterday, the cold snow temps, and the sharp grooming crew provided a return to January for the morning session.   The Sun began to take over after 11:00 AM and the softening began to cover the dance floor.  Regulator began to soften last, and that exposure always is a delight when it is set up for smooth cruising.  Got to love the velvet buff.   Tomorrow, look for there to be still good snow up high, but expect the lower elevations to be crispy and noisy.  Mineral Basin will, again, be offering the best shot if the Sun is out, but if there is no softening it could be a touch problematic back there.  The off trail has set up and is not really all that fun, but be adventurous if you feel the need to explore.  There is some melt off on the lower mountain, so look out for some of the rock reefs to be reappearing in the middle of the main runs.  Lower Who Dunnit is going away quickly, so watch the roots and snags that are sprouting up wall to wall with a large island of shrubbery in the middle.  There is some more weather on the way, so expect continued variations in the temps and visibility issues.  See you dark and early.   Ciao!!

It was seriously cold this morning with the peak temp of  15 Degrees and bright Sun shining.   The ride up the first Tram offed temptations to sample the front side, but Mineral Basin was bathed in Sun and offered a multitude of exposures to sample in quietude without the charge for powder.  Yesterday’s wind had worked the North facing aspects in some sections and left some of the other North facing aspects quite a bit softer, but the old crusty layer was still fully in play as the new snow did not offer much in the way of cushion.  The snow was dense and cold, resisting the rays of the Sun for the entire morning, and the temps were slow to move up.  It really seemed like a winter day, and I am glad I wore the extra gear.   The Groomers were very crisp, but some tenderizing efforts had been implemented, giving some tooth to the dance floor.  Road to Provo opened, also offering some variable aspects, ranging from breakable slab to soft sections of fluff.  Here is a shot of a section out in Little Cloud that illustrates some of the quality that could be found with a bit of guess work.  Tomorrow, look for another nice morning that will offer more good grooming, but the off trail might be becoming a bit more challenging ahead of any warming.  The cover is still holding up pretty well, but until it softens up a touch, the off trail will be interesting at best. The quality should improve with warming, but the early starting time will be pushing that time back, leaving room for a later arrival.   The overnight freeze should be hard, so look for the direct Sun aspects for earliest softening, then just follow the rotation as the day progresses.  IBBY!!!

That front came through like a freight train last night, with the wind and rain hitting the Trailer hard.    7” of new freshness covered the dance floor with some high density cushion.  The wind had worked the higher elevations, leaving the lower elevations a bit more consistent.  The Groomers offered the best ride, as the off trail was still suffering from the chaotic rumble that had frozen solid in the returning cold temperatures.  The faithful were definitely paying attention, backing the Tram line out on the Plaza, mostly because the up hill capacity has been scaled back, so the only way up now is the Tram.  There are some nice photos of today’s festivities, so I know I missed the window, but I needed to get all the  Transmitted information focused for assimilation and later implementation.  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to be offering the smooth mix of freshness, however, there may be some residual kitty litter mixed in to the mat, so get a feel for the traction that may prove a bit inconsistent.  Cold temps will continue as the Northerly flow will still be flowing through, and there may also be some associated instability with the flow, so be sure to dress for a more winter like environment.  Those June temps are gone for the time being, so don’t show up under gunned.  Here is a shot a smooth clear runway, just waiting to be rocked.   See you in the AM.  IBBY!!

It was raining lightly on the Plaza deck which did not bode well for the day.   At the top it was much colder and snowing down to 9000′ where it turned to rain.  It is interesting to encounter the abrupt transition from Essence back to the liquid state.  This lower elevation rain lubricated the snow, making it seem like a refreshing Slushy.   The mountain began to break offering very nice corn goodness on the groomers, but was a bit punchable off trail as the freeze was dubious.  I am late getting this posted due to some deep research I have been doing, so I got behind a bit.  The front came through very powerfully and rain is now pounding on the Trailer, so we can expect some accumulation in the AM.  I think it all started as rain, so I think there may be another morning like we had a while back, where the cushion will get you over the worst part, but that is a wait and see proposition.  You can only know by showing up.  I have to take tomorrow off to collate the recent down load of information, and begin to work with the data set.  Watch the unseen chunks that are all over the hill after this melt down, just use your inner knowing to stay clear.  See you very soon.   Here is  a shot of the rock band out in Little Cloud looking quite mossy.  IBBY!!

It was an overcast morning with the warmth still holding on the peak.  Mineral Basin was awash in flat light, with little definition to illuminate the groomers, and the off trail was much too bouncy to be fun.   The South facing aspects are melting off in a hurry back there, and here is a shot that shows how melted off the lower cliffs have become in just the past couple of days.   The front of the hill was breaking early, however, there were some crunchy aspects that seemed out of place in the overall feel of the snow pack.   The early opening bought many more quality turns as the timing was similar to yesterday, though the lack of Sun did let the goods hold up just a touch longer.  The off trail on the front side is smoothing out, but it requires the big fatties to make the ride negotiable, and for me, the buff smooth tilling job was feeling too good to venture off just for the challenge.   Tomorrow, look for weather to have moved in overnight, so the temps will be dropping, freezing the dance floor, but there may be just a touch of new accumulation.  We will see.  There is no telling this time of year, but I am still holding the vision of a big cycle settling in and making another legend.  Again, we will see.  There are some rock points beginning the crop up in the middle of some of the runs.   Lower Men’s Downhill Chute is one such spot,  Anderson’s hill has an edge ripper right in the middle of the groomer just short of the top, so watch that closely as you fly through there.  Be careful of the hard icy lines, as they do not offer any speed dumping opportunities, and a long line to maintain is required.  See you for the first Tram.   Ciao!!

There was another 50 Degree morning on the peak, as the first Tram discharged the full car.   Mineral Basin was very soft and sensual, but really past prime.  The front of the hill had a full assortment of conditions top to bottom, with some silk on the top, diamond plate in the middle, and some dessert sorbet on the bottom.  All this in one run.  It all depended on exposure to the Sun’s rays, aspect, and elevation, but it kept you on your toes until it began to break, getting in the sweet window of goodness.  There is something about perfect Corn goodness that only happens in the spring, and it is another kind of perfection.  There is actually  a bigger window than a powder day, as the powder goes in one hour, here you can get 3 to 4 hours of scrumptulessence.  When things get too sticky it is very tough on my knees.  Tomorrow, look for another spring morning with an advanced opening time of 8:00 AM and a closing of 2:00PM to offer a larger window.  That extra time in the AM will give additional good time, with Mineral lasting longer.  See you on the early Tram. Here is a shot of the melting – freezing cycle held in a suspended moment.  Be sure to click on the photo to get the file, then click again and it will fill out full screen.  With that resolution you will see the crystal matrix!!  Seek Out!!!

It was 50 Degrees on the peak as first Tram arrived at the dock this morning.  Mineral Basin had already gone away, being much too soft and sticky right off the bat.  The front of the hill had a soft dessert sorbet feel, as the groomers offered that smooth sumptuous feel for the first 2 hours.  The lower part of the hill was still holding on at Noon, but any later was going to be problematic.  I had to call it when the stickiness made my knees scream for mercy.  The off trail is still smoothing out, but the rumble chop is still an issue with the thick clinging drag on the bottoms.  Tomorrow looks like it will be much the same as this morning, so get there early for the best of the day as the quality does not wait for long.  The late comers will have to deal with the slop issues, which were not fun…. for me.  Others were still having a fun time.   Gad Zoom is now closed, so going lower than the rope line on lower Big Emma will leave you walking  a long way.  It is best to just go with the flow and head back to the Tram for another lap.  Here is a cool shot of an interesting cloud formation that looked dramatic and out of place in the sky.  See you for the early lines.  TTFN!!