A fantastic installment of fresh Essence was delivered to the hill overnight, or should I say, early this morning, as the real intensity did not commence until a couple hours before opening.  The faithful were treated to a luxurious dose that carried a lot of water, which made the hard frozen slush underneath a non issue.  Had the density been lighter, it would have been a totally different situation.  I just barely hit the bottom on the entire first run.  Face shots were blasting up with the sumptuous offering, making it seem more like Winter than deep Spring.  This, however, is the Wasatch, and April can serve up this kind of wonder regularly, which is something I count on.   I have skied some of the deepest days on the 28th of April with no one around.  Well, the Faithful were there in force and getting all of it as fast as they could, so that by 12:00 Noon things were skied out and the vague rays of the Sun were beginning to bake the product quickly.  I had to give it up at 1:00PM to save my knees from a serious ripping.   There is another wave of weather is coming through overnight, so today’s instalment will provide a very nice first coat for further accumulation.  Tomorrow, look for more freshness to be covering the hill for another day of Spring time Powder.  The bottom crunch was beginning to show through after it had been worked over, though I think that the crunch factor will be but a memory for the morning crew.  One note of caution, which I found out the hard way, is to watch the high points and sections close to the rocks, as there are some ledgy reefs that had melted off.   Core shots can be repaired though, but just keep an eye out.  Here is another shot of that wave from deep inside the pit, where you know you will not make it out.  Doh!!!    IBBY!!

We saw the last of the Sun for the next few days as the weather in the Pacific begins to work it’s way into the Front.  This morning was quite balmy, though the wind made the temps feel a touch brisk.  The front of the hill had frozen solid, with only marginal tenderizing efforts making the traction sparse on the easiest runs. Mineral Basin was offering the Sun softened groomers that made the morning a blast, with Baldy Express offering the private resort feeling.  There, were some very carvacious groomers that let the skis slice luxuriant turns which felt like back country corn.  I keep mentioning the back country feel to impart the high quality of the lines made available by machines, which bring you very close to that experience that a long hike brings.  The front side of the hill began to break by 11:00 AM when the previously diamond plate nastiness slowly transformed into the sensual carpet of corn goodness only spring can bring.  There is a perfection to that kind of corn surface that draws hikers to begin early, then wait for the proper moment to taste the delicacy.  Here it can be accessed with a bit of patience and an attention to the movement of the Sun.  By 2:00 PM the entire mountain had thawed just as clouds were moving in, cooling the pack, and holding off the stickies.  Tomorrow, look for some accumulation, but be aware that it is going to take some serious depth to cover the frozen slush piles on the off trail expanses.  The hard pan will present some very tricky problems, especially if it is hampered by some visibility issues.  The High North was hit with the heat, and was a bit crispy, though the smoothness factor there is still holding up.  This is looking like it could be an interesting cycle, so keep you fingers crossed for another LCC Miracle.  Here is a shot of that crystal wave that keeps braking in ultra slow motion.  IBBY!!

There was ballroom dancing on the first Tram, where I was doing a tango with the irrepressible  Stella Westerhausen, taking advantage of the spacious room where we scored big points with the judges.   In Mineral Basin, the few early risers were treated to another treatment of Chamonix Chute, which offered a super steep breakfast dessert of sweet sorbet that became more sumptuous as the Sun worked the section.  Lapping that felt like dropping the middle Tri Chute off Red Stack in pitch, so I just imagined that I was getting all of that by dialing back the speed and digging deeper into each turn to extract the maximum sensuality from the Vortex that that Mazola Goodness offered.   The Goodness Of Maize!!!! The front side was still pretty firm, though the higher temps made the breaking point go off much earlier.   Mineral had gone by the peak after 11:00 Am, and the front side took over from there.  Upper Silver Fox and Primrose Path were still holding some interference patterns, but the dry chalky feel was still holding tough, beckoning many seekers to that section, but I avoided that line to preserve my knees for later in the day.  Tomorrow, look for another warm morning before the next system moves in, and with it some stout South winds.   I am still not sure if the cloud cover will come in and flatten the light, but we will see.  The early morning is the best of the day, as the sticky effect really begins to kick in after 12:30 PM, so make your choice of the particular quality of spring like conditions you prefer.  More snow is on the way, and I have high hopes for this next cycle.  Keep your fingers crossed!!!  Here is a shot of Team Dirty, who I met mid mountain.  They were just gathering together after killing the upper section of Little Cloud and loving it.  Those folks rock!!!   Peace out!!

It was a beautiful morning with mild temps at the peak, but the Gad side of the hill had some serious firmness going on, with the Peruvian side offering some nice cold dry caulk all the way down to the bottom.  It was firm, but it did have very nice carvelicious lines down the groomers.  I opted to work the soft, back country like feel of the groomers out in Mineral.  With the low traffic, it was a rock and roll fantasy, where the wide open goodness offered consistent traction and flow, which really seemed luxurious.  I was lapping those lines till breakfast, after which the softening on the front side kicked in and let the back to back pace dial in the vertical for the few who were hitting it hard. The Peruvian Chair, and Gad 2 Chair are now closed, so it makes those areas seem very vacant, with the traverse off the Peruvian Chair softening quickly.  This will also mitigate the interference patterns on the popular upper lines, so look for improving smoothness as we get more accumulation.  More accumulation is predicted later in the week, so take advantage of these spring like conditions before we transition back into a snow cycle.  I guess it’s feast or famine, but we have a solid snow pack overall, so we  won’t be starving for fun any time soon.   Tomorrow, look for another extensive grooming effort, with tenderizing efforts on both sides of the front, which will give you traction despite the firmness.  Mineral Basin will, once again, be offering another great morning of corn goodness, were you can load up your edge as deep as you please.  MMMM Good!!  The High North is still holding the last vestiges of cold fluff just on the upper most sections, but they will be getting hit with the even higher temps that are predicted  out ahead of the next system.  Here is a shot of an old tree with Old Reliable looking ominous in the background.  See you on first Bucket.   IBBY!!

It was a beautiful Easter Sunday morning, with the sunrise service attended by hundreds of folks who got a perfectly clear shot at the sunrise, though it was a tad brisk and windy.  The opening bell for the faithful, offered some very nice grooming in Mineral Basin, with the front side of the hill having held the cold and many North facing options were soft and dry.   The shots in Mineral Basin included another working of the Chamonix Chutes, that was just perfect with the sun softened snow pack, but you had to be on it fast to get the goods before the word got out.  White Diamonds was also back country perfect after the Grooming crew cut a new line, and laps there were sensational, as the lower section was included in the mix to make the Down Hill Course feel like it was all yours.  I was mining the perfection for the velvet feel, getting as many deep feeling turns as I could, once again pretending I had hiked to get the goods.  Since it was that perfect, I felt fully sated by the line.  The front side of the hill was fast and furious, with a dry chalky consistency right down to the last 200′, where it got just a touch crispy.   The day warmed up, softening the back side and quickly began to work the front side, but the sticky feel was holding off for quite a while.  Tomorrow, look for the off trail to still have some soft feeling fluff in the High North aspects, but all other exposures will have been worked by the Sun and will need the warming to kick in.  The Groomers will still be good in Mineral Basin as the Sun works it first, but I expect some serious crispiness for some time in the AM.  A warmer day is on tap, so get there early for the smoothest of the day, and avoid the grabby later day slush that tears at your knees.  Ciao!!!

High pressure moved back into the area after the last installment, though the temps. remained a bit on the nippy side with a Northerly Flow.   The Junior Extreme Competition was given a nice backdrop after the past few days, where the competitors had to really earn the points on an extremely  gnarly snow pack.  The addition of the recent installment added a welcome cushion for the kids to work with, and the visibility to give them the best opportunity.   I was off today, so my first hand observations can not be presented, but after the yesterday’s offering, the conditions have improved greatly from just a couple of days ago.   Staying ahead of the Sun was important today,

REFORMATION

as the Sun was going to turn the new snow to paste on the direct exposures, but I think the High North was spared the damage as the temps never really got that warm up high.  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to be still offering the best lines for the smoothness seekers, but watch out for the damaged exposures until some softening occurs.  I am going to give Regulator a bit of time till I venture in that direction, as the firmness there Friday was diamond hard.  I will have a much more detailed report for tomorrow, as I just have to be there to really know and that is what this is about, accurate assessment after all.   Here is a shot of some of the Essence making it’s metamorphosis from the crystalline stage, though the liquid stage, and finding itself, once again reformed as it makes it’s way back into the BIG CYCLE.   More of the crystalline accumulation is on tap, so do not give up on the season yet.   IBBY!!!

The report said 3” this morning, and that just did not register with the faithful, who looked out their windows and saw just a skiff on the lawn and went back to bed.  The depth in the parking lot at 9:30 AM, when I parked, was all of 12” and snowing so hard I could not believe it.  Up on the hill there was fully 15” plus  of some of the most sumptuous Essence on certain aspects.  The frozen crust underneath the new installment was fully in play as the density was light enough , even with the added depth, to keep the crunch factor just a nuisance.  The wind was blowing hard and the snow was falling harder, keeping the accumulation fresh and cold.  There were walk on Trams all day with the fake out of the report, so you could take advantage of the casual pace.  Upper Great Scott was looking much better today after the wind had blown more of the product into the shot, but those large bump sections were still making the entrance a bit tricky.  The snow kept falling until around 2:30PM when the Sun came out briefly before another lake effect impulse moved in.  Here is a shot I took of a cool wind wave that I just happened to  pass by as the Sun popped out.   Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to be really plush with the new material to work with, the off trail still should be soft and blastable until the Sun begins to work the new snow over, and the traffic to still be on the moderate side.   Stay ahead of the Sun to get most of the softness, and keep in mind the under lying crunch that will still be in play, though the consistency got better as it go skied out.   My day off will find me realigning the antenna array that was so worked by the wind this week.  See you Sunday!  IBBY!!!

WIND WAVE

SKETCHY

It was down right cold this morning after the cold front moved thought, leaving windy conditions and a quasi Sunlit sky.   Tenderizing efforts had been done to the main Groomers to give a bit of bite on the frozen solid glaze.  Off trail was very difficult, and I felt for the kids who where competing in the Junior Extreme Skiing event.  It was extremely hard for them, and I just had to give them props for charging those lines.   Mineral Basin was just beginning to respond to the Sun’s rays for the first Tram, with White Diamonds offering some sugary cushion.  I lapped that line many times before heading back to the front of the hill, where I survived the ultra glaze where the tenderization had been blown or scraped off.  The temps. remained cold all day, with the lower 500′ of the hill beginning to soften at 2:30PM, so the upper elevations were going to be very late if at all.  I tried all permutations of the hill, but did not find much to get an edge into, with only the turned up sugar to aim for.  Tomorrow, look for some new accumulation, which is predicted to accompany this system, so there may be some respite from the crustitude, but expect some difficult crunch on the off trail areas, unless we get a significant amount of accumulation.  It is supposed to remain cold, so dress for the conditions.  I dressed a bit light this morning and paid the price when I jumped on the Mineral Chair.  Watch those West facing shots in the early hours, as they were super glazed, and required sharp edges.   HMMMMM!   Here is a shot of the upper entrance to Great Scott where the gnarliness is quite evident, and turned me around for smoother lines.   Peace Out!!!

This morning seemed warm, but the front side of the hill was frozen solid wall to wall.  Mineral Basin was calling with bright Sun, though a stiff South wind was blowing and the peak temps were colder than expected.  I caught a gimps of a land mark grooming path cut right down the steepest part of Chamonix Chute, so we lapped around and got the first tracks ever on this present sent from the Grooming Crew.  The aspect was taking the early morning rays of the Sun, which had softened it to corn goodness top to bottom.   MAZOLA!!!  It was as good as any back country line I can think of, so I kept lapping the line until the breakfast bell.  The front side of the hill was slow to warm, but once it got going the lines went off in fine order, keeping a back to back pace an easy option.  The off trail did soften up finally, broadening the line choices, but there were some sticky spots at the bottom of the hill as the day progressed.  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to have been given the tenderizing treatment, and the warming may take longer if this system begins to block the Sun.  You can back off your start time significantly to avoid the morning glaze.  Watch the steeps, where the crusty funk could make the decent very tricky.  The High North has not been spared the warming damage, so chose wisely.  It looks like we might get some fresh in the next couple of days to get thing going once again.   See you on first Boat, then I will decide if the Forklift Chair calls me in early.   Ciao!!!

FACES

It was 21 Degrees on the peak when first Tram arrived on the peak.  Extensive Grooming had been done on all sides  of the hill.  Mineral Basin beckoned with Silver Diamonds buffed perfectly top to bottom.  I lapped that perfection all morning long to take advantage of the rarity.  Out of area was open, and I was tempted to do a tour, but Mineral was so good, there was nothing out of area that would have been any better than those shots prepared just for us.  I slowed down on the steep section to pull more out of each turn,  savoring the carvalicious quality of the lines.  I was thinking back to the days, before the Basin was open to the public,  we used to dream about what was back there, and if you had dropped that line we were lapping to day, you would have thought you died and went to heaven, even thought you would have to slog out of there after the run.   So, needless to say, I got all of that and then some.  The warmth took over and began to soften up, going past good at 1:00PM, when the consistency got just too sticky back there.  That was when the front side of the hill started to shine as the warmth moved around breaking the crispiness, becoming back country smooth.  Yummmm!!!   Tomorrow, look for the groomers to be the place to be as the day begins, though the High North is still holding up, but all other aspects are very affected by the Sun, so follow the Sun again and keep dialing in some of the best spring corn goodness.   Here is a shot of the snow sculpture on the top of the Peruvian Chair, which is quite interesting in the Sun.   Peace Out!!