After all those days of spring type temps, this morning felt like a day in January, with a cold North wind that was working the new accumulation, depositing it in the guts and South facing aspects.  Extensive grooming had been prepared for the faithful who showed up for the festivities, offering alternatives on all areas of the hill.  The North facing aspects were getting worked by the wind, making some of the filled in areas a mix of stripped off sections interspersed with deeper areas of somewhat grabby freshness.  The underlying crust was fully in play, making the off trail very challenging with crustitudinous variability wall to wall.  A much slower cadence was required to negotiate the sections that threatened an immediate slam dunk if you got the least bit cocky with it.   After 1:00PM there was some softening of the firmness as the Sun worked the direct aspects, but the temps remained quite cold preserving the quality as the day progressed.  Tomorrow, look for more grooming that will make the morning session a lot more fun.  The off trail crust is still resident, and real caution should still be taken to avoid a knee tweak, or a full on body slam on the hard pan which has zero give.  Ouch!!!.  I drove around all day off trail to test the severity of the different shots, finding very little to recommend, with the exception of the low angle shots that seemed to cushion the crunch a bit better than the steeper shots.  Tomorrow should be a bit warmer, so the snow quality will go South quickly, making awareness of aspect most important.  Still, much fun is to be had, so get there early for the morning smooth, as there is usually many choices to keep the interest going  until softening occurs.  Here is a shot of a pitching lip of one of the hollow snow sections that were breaking on that one reef.   Nice!!!  IBBY!!

THROWING LIP

Fashion Maven

This morning lived up to the April Fool’s spirit on a number of levels.  I parked in the lot at 8:05 AM with some rain on the windshield, and no accumulation on the hill.  By the time I got suited up, one of the hosts told me it was dumping outside, and by 9:00AM there was 2” of fresh Spackle covering the frozen crustulation on the hill.  I was fooled into thinking there was not going to be any snow.  Next, the Groomers were frozen solid smooth with the untracked skiing beautifully, cushioning the turns, but straying off the main runs was absolutely gnarly and problematic, sending be back to the dead center of the run to avoid the jarring crud.  Fooled again!!!  The snow kept falling all day, but it did not build up enough to keep the cushion going.  Regulator was very difficult, with tiles and piles making the consistency of each turn impossible.  I just had to make a hasty retreat to the Forklift Chair to assess the rest of the day.  Tomorrow, look for some additional accumulation, but expect the underlying frozen crust to still be in play.  With a bit of luck there might be more cushion over the ubiquitous crust, but use extreme caution in your line choice, as the hidden ice chunks can interrupt a turn in a radical way, so be aware.  The Grooming should be a little softer as the new product gets mixed into the mat, which will make the early runs the best of the day.  Perhaps the Sun may come out, so the quality will be short lived as the heat works the new snow.  Stay ahead of the Sun for best results.   Here is a shot of the stunning Victoria Von Sanderson sporting a fashion forward look that will be sweeping the ski world very soon.  So Hot!!!  I’ll see you for the first Boat.   Peace Out!!

RARE BEAUTY

It was just too warm today.  These conditions are more in line with the middle of May than the last day of March.   The antenna array was blow completely out of whack by the heavy South Wind, which will take me some time to sort out next week.  The ridge tops were indicating wind transported snow in the back lit morning Sun, so those North facing exposures were getting filled.  The high temps. definitely softened the dance floor, as it did yesterday, so after this cold front moves in tonight we can expect the off trail to be frozen solid.  The forecast is not encouraging in terms of accumulation, but anything can happen here in the Wasatch, and I am holding the image of another dose similar to what we had two weeks ago.  Now that might seem a bit like wishful thinking, but I like to dream, and if it turns out big, all the better.  The lack of traffic during this past week, in addition to the small accumulation, has gone a long way in mitigating the interference patterns over most of the hill.  The High North aspects were the smoothest lines, and will be the go to choices in the event of a small accumulation associated with this front.  If there is a significant accumulation it will expand the choice factor markedly, but the underlying crustification will still be in play.  Remember the long rocky approach to the Upper Cirque if it gets covered by new snow, which could be somewhat problematic if you were to charge the approach and reef out.  Just sayin’!!  The weather is getting stranger and stranger everywhere, so we might just luck out and get a big return to Winter.  I can dream can’t I?    Here is another shot of the beautiful Snow Mushrooms.  I just love those fungi!!  IBBY!!!

It was quite warm this morning as the first Tram crew hit the peak.  Mineral Basin was looking bright and sunny, and had been given some more extensive Grooming runs to present some smooth, sumptuous, velvet to carve through.   I had to keep lapping the lines to get the most of the rare morning perfection.  The front of the hill was offering some really nice lines on the High North faces, where still dry cold sugar was available on the upper half of the hill.  The day warmed up quickly, so following the Sun was mandatory.  The bottom of the hill finally started developing  the sticky spots, which really can put the breaks on unintentionally, so a cautious deceleration BEFORE you hit the flats is a good call to avoid hitting the glop at high speed.  Better to be going slowly when the breaks come on suddenly.  Tomorrow, look for another beautiful day out ahead of the next installment that is coming in later in the weekend.  The Groomers will again be offering the  smooth lines, but the High North is still holding up for the hard charging big lines.  Again, follow the Sun, with the West facing holding out the longest, which

Snow Mushrooms

also extends the options as you move through the day.  The lower mountain will develop the stickies again, so the early runs give you the best quality.   I don’t expect any serious increase in the traffic, so it will take a bit longer for the lines to get chopped up.   Here is a shot of some rare mountain Mushrooms, which graced the hill today, here pictured with the Snow Goddess who loving tends and nurtures these crystal treasures.   Thank You Snow Goddess!!!   Peace Out

That little impulse that moved through last night left a nice coating of high density, cold, dry essence that offered a bonanza for the light turnout during the early hours.  The best aspects were the North facing shots that benefited from the wind blowing extra depth onto the slopes, which cushioned the crunch that was ubiquitous on all aspects.  The already smooth shots were best, with the low angle slopes feeling almost bottomless with the cushion.  The steeper shots were very nice, but the bottom was fully in effect.  The Sun began to work the product that was exposed to the direct Sun, but cool temps., and some high clouds, lowered the temps after 1:00 PM preserving the quality.  Light snow and wind moved in the late afternoon, but there will not be the accumulation as we had today.  Another Sunny day is on tap, so get there early for the best of the day, and follow the Sun to stay ahead of the damaging rays.  The High North aspects will still be holding some cold snow, and the Groomers will be velvet smooth as the new product gets worked into the mat, so we have some serious ground pounding to look forward to

Fresh coating

in the Morning.  The reduction in traffic has backed off the interference patterns a bit, making the lines much less impactful with the fresh cushion working the magic.  Take advantage of these low traffic, great sliding conditions, before we get the next storm, which will draw the traffic.   Here is a shot, however out of focus, of the Upper Cirque I took from the Tram as I stuck my hand out the window.  I did my best to chronicle the smoothness, and you get an idea of the coverage and mitigated bumps.   Nice!!!   Ciao!!

As anticipated, this morning offered the opportunity to mine the gems that were left over after this last installment.  The Upper Cirque was offering some thin lines of deposited goodness, however, as a note of caution, the entire approach to the drop in has been stripped to the rocks, leaving 20 to 30′ to get across.  That can be somewhat problematic, but not a deal breaker.  Mineral Basin was also offering some very nice smooth deposition that required a delicate, feathered turn to schmooze the best consistency from the turn.  A more abrupt, edge heavy turn would send you deeper into the depth, which would slog the turn unnecessarily.  The wind continued to blow out of the South, continuing to fill in the  low guts with goodness.  Regulator was very crispy until Noon, after which it softened, offering some smooth arcing.  The lower half of the hill was crispy as well, after yesterday’s late warming zapped it, but after Noon it began to soften as well.  Tomorrow, look for the High North to be still holding the cold, but the lower two thirds of the hill will be crispy for sure, so look for the tenderizing efforts to mitigate the glaze.   There is a cloud deck moving in now, so the Sun may not be counted on to assist in the softening, so plan accordingly.   I took a lap out to the Exotic Trees to see how things looked over there after this last addition, finding the highest North East facing sections still sugary, but lower down the warmth worked the pack, leaving it very punchy and challenging indeed.  It is that time of year that quality goes quickly, and is very sensitive to Sun rays and ambient temps.  Here is a shot of the Bookend buttresses being hammered by the wind on the traverse  out to the Sunday Cliffs.  IBBY!!!  P. S.  This pitch looks flat, but it is just the funky way I was holding the camera as I snapped the shot on the fly.

BOOKENDS

After yesterday’s blustery installment, that left the hill very lightly worked over, where the wind continued to fill the low areas with dense graupel, a clear bright Sun  illuminated the  dance floor.  Another lightly attended morning session left the lines vacant for the few faithful, who were able to dial in the multitude of pristine lines with no pressure.   Granted there was only 4 to 5” of Essence on the hill , but the wind filled in select areas a bit more deeply.  Here is a shot I took on the fly of the Bookends that had been visited by the pre public crew.  Still there were plenty of lines to chose from.  The bottom was fully in play, cushioned only by the dense material, so going for the smooth lines reaped the best ride.  The sections that had been worked into a frozen froth delivered some very difficult variations, deflecting each turn with sharp, impacting contact with the high points.  Still, it was a very fun morning, with many fresh lines to access well toward Noon.  Clouds moved in as the day developed, dropping the temps, which preserved the quality of the snow that would have turned to glop without the break in the Sun damage department.   Tomorrow, look for the the High North sections to still be holding the sugar delight that remained after the closing bell, the Groomers to have been reworked to further massage the new product into the mat, and perhaps another morning of left over nuggets.  Be sure to watch the over worked sections of old crud, that are really difficult to negotiate with the solid frozen rumble underneath the new installment.  These were

Smooth lines

easy to spot when it was fresh, but the details were blurred by the traffic, so be aware of that little detail in line choice.  See you there,  Peace Out!!

CRAZY FRENZY

The Trailer was really rocking in the stiff pre frontal wind out ahead of the impulse that moved into the Front this morning.  It was 47 Degrees at the mouth of the Canyon as I drove up, but the rain turned to snow a short way up the road.  As I parked in the lot, there was some boisterous thunder and lightning going off with cascading graupel that was building up fast.  The Tram was only delayed 15 minutes as the static subsided and let us try out the offering on the hill.   Here is a shot of the burgeoning crowd waiting to get to the freshness.  3 to 4” of dense graupel cushioned the seriously frozen slush from yesterday, making the first runs very fun indeed, but the visibility was a serious challenge, with the wind driven snow reducing access to visual references to near Zero.  Regulator was a challenge with the wind stripping sections clean to the glaze, with sections of deposited accumulation to  turn on.  The glaze was very crispy, and did not respond to the edge at all.   The impulse moved through quickly, however, intermittent squalls and wind continued to freshen the dance floor, but it was not nearly as good as those first few runs in the un tracked.  Tomorrow, look for the off trail to still be a serious challenge, with frozen slush piles that will bounce you unmercifully.   I went out to Mark Malu to test my Zero Vis. skills, finding the milk bottle conditions a true test of my Radar Eye.  I survived it, but it threw my equilibrium for loop, sending me to the Forklift Chair for the quietude and ambiance that is always present in that special place.    Care should be taken in these conditions to avoid a late season injury.  We will probably get much better visibility, so I will have a better handle on the report for tomorrow.  Ciao!!

Today really felt like it was full on Spring time, with the flowers blooming, leaves coming out, and all the folks out doing the spring thing.  I took the day off to rest up for the week, and I was struck by the reality that the season has flown by and the weather patterns will change.  I am still holding out the vision of a wet spring, so I am still looking forward to more of the Essence.  In the mean time, it looks like the corn cycle will be developing, which is another favorite type of perfection for me.  The Sun was filtered today, but the hill is getting the softness going after Noon, however, the early morning still offers some nice lines in places.  I show up early regardless to get the jump on the day.  Tenderizing efforts really help the edge ability, but slopes like Regulator should be avoided during the early session.  There is some snow in the forecast, so tomorrow might be a touch problematic, with visibility issues as well as the firmness not softening.  Once again, the goodness is what you make it in these instances, so look for the smooth and avoid those sections that got gloppy and worked, because transiting those exposures when frozen solid is not advised.  Here is a shot of the nice elbow room on the tram during these spring days when the pressure for the hill is relaxed.  See you for the first Boat.  IBBY!!!

BALLROOM DANCING

There was more Sun than forecast today, with the morning session beginning with a break from the high cloud deck.  The mountain never really froze over night, and the tenderizing efforts were helped greatly by the warmer temps.  Mineral Basin was groomed nicely, once again providing that private resort feel.   The front of the hill had some nice lower mountain drops prepared, though it needed a bit longer to soften, however, a solid edge could be established early on, but the break was a nice treat.    I love those lower mountain drops that give you that full steep pitch right down to the lift.    I was pretending I was skiing the Red Baldy Drainage in perfect corn,

MORNING GLARE

it was that smooth.  Hey, sometimes you have to fantasize, right?   Tomorrow, look for the wind to continue out ahead of the next system, with perhaps some continued flat light conditions with the cloud cover.   The High North is beginning to feel the ambient temperature, with that dry chalk beginning to feel just a wee bit clumpy.   The Interference patterns persist, but there are still some smooth lines to get with a bit of effort, so look around.  The sticky spots are cropping up later in the day, so beware of the sudden deceleration issues, especially on the lower mountain and Cat Tracks.   Here is as shot of the surface glare in the morning Sun, indicating the Corn Cycle is beginning.  See you for the early start.   Ciao!!!