Scoured

The first Tram was a wild one this morning, with very high winds, scoured slopes, and some very firm conditions.    The wind was blowing so hard at your back that it literally launched you down the hill like having a rocket on your back.  Wow, what a ride!!!.  All the stripped snow did not seem to be collecting anywhere, but Anderson’s Hill had a beautiful coating of transported snow that made the entire day worth the time.  The Tram shut down after the first one, and I rode the Peruvian Chair trying to find a consistent line.  There were some nice deposits along the tree lines, but there was some serious glaze in spots as the high winds continued to strip the hill.   Tomorrow look for some more firm conditions to cover the entire hill.  The High North is still offering the dry chalky smoothness, so look for those few lines to mine.   Also, look for what the wind deposited today and during the night for some early rarities.   Here is a shot of upper Silver Fox showing the interference patterns, the thin lines of smooth, but also the thin sections of the upper part of the shot.  There are many faces on the hill right now, so keep an eye out for some of those interesting variations.  I will have more insight as I get a better sense of the hill after the wind work.   I will be there for the first Bucket, see you there.   TA!!

With the past few days having been so warm and approachable,  this morning’s stout South wind kept the temps. on the brisk side, which did nothing to soften Mineral Basin much until very late in the day.  I was running without a hat after Noon, but I was always on the verge of a brain freeze, but didn’t quite.  The heavily traveled off trail sections are holding some very well defined interference patterns, with deep troughs, but are still dry and chalky on the North faces.  The big open bowl sections are quite scoured and, while edge-able, are a bit rough and sometimes punchable. The big entrances are quite tricky now that all the available access lines have been worked to death, so access is a test of intestinal fortitude in many cases.  The high wind did not transport much to fill in the rough sections, but there were still Gems to be found here and there with a bit of looking.  Those Gems  paid some sweet dividends, if you approached the perfection each held withing the parameters of the right appreciation.  I was mining those few lines time after time leaving the goods again for tomorrow.  Speaking of tomorrow, look for the Grooming crew to have once again tenderized the big runs, but the early morning is very dark with the time change.  I still have to get used to the timing that the Sun provides, but I expect another slow softening day.   Take the long look for the little Gems that still are available, and mine the rarities that are out and about.   Don’t expect a heat wave, and under dress, as it is better to take it off than need it and not have it.   See you in the AM for a rock fest, no pun intended.  Here is a shot of the scouring of the off trail which can be found in most places, but there are still many lines of goodness.     IBBY!!

Relief patterns

The temp. was warm on the peak this morning, so I took a chance and dialed in Mineral Basin to take advantage of the Sun.  The time change made the front of the hill extra dark to start things out.  The first hour took advantage of the smooth and granular Grooming which really felt luxurious.  Things got progressively more skied off after the traffic got on it.  The Front side of the hill had been tenderized, with smooth steep offerings top to bottom.  The warm days make the direct exposures soft and spring like later in the day,

Pipeline

while the North faces are still holding the cold dry chalky winter feel.   You get a very high contrast, especially after the back gets soft.   Tomorrow, look for the a similar timing, which includes the entire day from bell to bell.  It only matters the order of your aspect selection, so follow the Sun.   It will be a quiet morning as the the traffic will have fallen off with the firm conditions, but there are still plenty of really good lines to choose from.   I was able to go with out a hat all day long, but check the AM temp. for verification.   Better that then brain freeze.   See you in the AM  for fun.   Peace Out!!

Pagan Bowl

It seems like spring here in the Valley, as I worked in just a T shirt and shorts while I washed the winter dirt off the trailer.   There was a hard freeze overnight, which left Mineral Basin quite frozen for the morning session.  The Chef went ripping out there and took the White Diamonds shot, which had been mowed yesterday but not last night, finding it frozen, chunky, bumpy, and not the kind of surface you want when you have made that kind of commitment to the fall line.   He pulled out the line with out incident, but he was wound up tight when he related his experience, so expect more firmness in the back first thing in the morning as well as Regulator.   The North facing aspects are still holding the cold, dry, chalky consistency, but be vigilant as the aspects change, as you might suddenly find an abrupt change in the ride.   No doubt, the back side will soften up nicely as the warmth works the bowl, so time your visit to the back side with that in mind.  The hill is still holding some very smooth lines, so you can expect much the same tomorrow as today.   I will get a close look for tomorrow’s post after I drive around a bit.  Here is a shot of Pagan Bowl from the Alta boundary.   See you in the AM.   Ciao!!

29 degrees on the peak, beautiful Sun pouring over the hill, let me go without a hat from the word go.  The Grooming crew prepared some very sweet surprises for the morning crew.  Mineral Basin had some sweet  drops that are not often treated, so I spent time ground pounding the goodness before it was discovered.  The High North is still holding the smooth, dry, chalky, wind buff, which is resisting the traffic, remaining solid and trustworthy.  High traffic areas are becoming more highly worked, creating some very abrupt interference patterns, but there are good lines on the boarders to skirt the rumble.  The Sun worked the direct exposures, and will be very crisp in the AM, but will soften quickly with the warmer temps predicted.    Big open rippers really draw the fast movers, so a vigilant eye uphill is mandatory, as the unbridled enthusiasm is in full effect.  West facing is still a bit rough, as it escapes the softening that help other aspects, so go with an eye for challenge.   They are certainly not undo-able,

Bookends

but they are variable.   There should be a bit more traffic tomorrow,  making the early morning the time to get the best of the day.    Here is a shot of the Bookends looking formidable, which they are.  I am taking a day off tomorrow, so I will see you Sunday.  Peace Out.

It was quite chilly this morning for the first runs, and I was glad to have worn the extra layer, but the Sun was shining brightly pushing the temps North.   Perfect prepared surfaces revealed the distinct tracks of the Carvasaurous Rex along with Trenchzilla, that were laid side by side in the fresh corduroy.  I have never seen them personally, but those tracks don’t lie!!!    The front side of the hill still was favoring the High North, with the Grooming crew providing some exquisite drops on the lower mountain that kept me lapping the Tram to get as much as possible.   The smooth held up all day, with the exception of the due South facing aspects that got soft and pliant.   Those aspects will be frozen in the AM, so plan on working the Sun angles as the day progresses.   Wind slab goodness is evident on many faces, holding up to full on edge sets without breaking  through.  That is just another kind of perfect, with no pressure, no lines, and continuous Groovelocity all day long.  Tomorrow, look for the wind slab lines to still be holding up, the Groomers to be Hydrovelvet smooth, and the traffic to be light.   These days are a combination of Spring and Winter all at the same time.  I went hatless after lunch, which was still a bit brisk, but not a brain freezer.  With the exception of the West and

BOOKENDS

South facing aspects, the off trail is still offering some nice dry chalky lines, but there is wide spread wind rumble to deal with in between those smooth lines.   Just a bit of bounce, but not bad for exploration purposes.   Here is a shot of the Bookends looking big and smooth.   See you in the AM.    Ciao!!!

There was 3” of fresh Essence here at the Trailer this morning, but only a half inch on the Hill, which made it look like a fresh coat of White Wash all over everything.  The wind pushes some of the freshness into the low areas, but over all the high density quality made the ride much better than yesterday.  Bright Sun made Mineral Basin the place to get things going, offering quiet uncrowded runs all morning long.  The West facing exposures really got crisp, with the Cirque Traverse holding a high glaze, fast snow, and some freshness in the troughs to let you scrub off some speed.  The Wind also laid out some wind lines on various aspects, which were naturally buffed to perfection.   I was hitting those lines too, as the movement through the rotation made them available.  Clouds moved in after lunch, obscuring the Sun from time to time, and I left after the lights went out in the later afternoon.  Tomorrow, look for warmer temps as the High Pressure moves in, but the early runs still will be offering some dry chalky lines on the High North and North East aspects, but expect those South and West facing lines to be crispy until after lunch.   The Exotic Trees are fairly well worked over, with some tough exit issues as you get lower in that area.  Here is a shot of the Morning Sun and great visibility out in Mineral Basin, just before I went out to sample the smooth and fast.  It looks like heaven to me and feels like it too.   See you in the AM for the morning session.  IBBY!!

High wind, flat light, and some firm conditions greeted the morning crew today.   The high wind did not seem to bother the Tram as it continued to run back to back, though it did slow down going by tower 4.  The warmth of the past two days set the snow pack up to such a degree that there was precious little for the wind to transport to the waiting exposures.  Overall the ride a was a bit rough, though the Groomers were consistent and were getting what little transport that was available.  Flat light was wall to wall, with very little definition, however the smoothness made the guess work much easier.   The front finally moved through after the hill closed, so the accumulation will be fresh for the morning.   Be sure to check the road report for possible restrictions that might crop up if we get a significant installment.  Remember, the  South and West facing crunchiness off trail, which might reflect through the new snow.   Most other aspects are fairly smooth with dry chalky lines, and will not be as critical.   This is the time of year that these issues must be taken into account concerning line choice.   This approaching impulse is looking good, and will go a long way to bringing the hill back into the soft zone.   Here is a shot of

Boundary Bowl

Boundary Bowl that I took on Sunday while I was exploring the Exotic trees.  Ahhhh!  Smooth, dream like, and just waiting for some stability.    See you in the AM.   Peace Out!!

This morning was Cadillac smooth on the Groomed runs, with the exception of Regulator, which took the heat from yesterday’s Sun and came up crusty and slick.  Mineral Basin was offering some very nice smooth sections that just begged for deep carving.  Baldy Express felt like a private resort with only a handful of folks taking advantage of perfect scrumptulecence.   I think back to two weeks ago when everyone had written off the hill, we were taking advantage of that gem of terrain with my closest friends.  This rarity let you place a trench next to the trench you just laid down.  Again, you have to appreciate perfect when you find perfect, even though it is not deep.   The off trail is still fairly smooth, with some wind affected slab that just took a bit more of a floaty arc.   The Sun was warm and quickly began to affect the direct exposures, making them begin to become a bit mankey.  Remember that tomorrow will be overcast, and the Sun will not soften these aspects, so steer clear of those crusty lines.  More weather is coming in for the next few days, so look for visibility to be marginal, but hopefully new snow will help smooth the ride.  Entrances to the big shots are still quite tricky, as they have been worked over down to the rocks with undercut ledges to deal with, so enter with caution.   Dress for weather as the warm days were short lived, though there seems to be some Sun coming back later in the week.  Here is a shot of Mary Ellen Gulch which is the future terrain that is being prepared.  See you in the AM..   IBBY

MARY ELLEN GULCH

After a week of great snow, improving cover, and marginal  visibility, the hill was bathed in beautiful Sun from one end of the compass to the other.  Powder Paradise opened with some wind affected slabbiness that was a bit touchy, but responded to a soft touch.  The entire Mountain had set up on the off trail sections, with with the wind deposited guts and wind lines offering some very nice supportable wind slab.   It was such a treat to be able to follow the lines as they moved whimsically from area to area, keeping the lines interesting.  The front of the hill was offering some serious Groomers, where full commitment to the edge set was a given.  No longer do you have to hedge the line in anticipation of a glazed surprise in the middle of the turn.  Hip dropping, arc popping turns were just a living dream.   The crowd was well distributed over the hill, making the waiting very quick or non existent  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to be full tilt boogie fast, with the Sun still shining, but that Sun did begin to affect the South and East facing shots a bit, so wait for them to soften a bit later.   The High North is holding the cold dry chalky feel, so no waiting is needed there.  The road was closed today after 1:00PM due to slide activity after the warming began to stress the South faces, so tomorrow may also prove to be problematic on that front, so be prepared.  Looking for some more weather on Tuesday, which will put yet another coat on the hill to smooth over the low wind rumble.   MMMMM   Smooth!!!  See you on the Deck. Here is a shot of a rare patch of  Snow Mushrooms which come up after a long seige of snow, much like mushrooms on the lawn after a lot of rain.  Eat one of those Essential Crystals of YUMMM, and you will really get off.     IBBY!!