The fresh snow of the past few days, combined with the Man Made product, has gelled together to provide the Groomers the best material of the past opening days.  The ride was smooth, consistent, ice free, and prime for arcing the turns I have been dreaming about.  This consistency enabled the runs to resist traffic deterioration.  I was drawn back out for more runs after riding the Forklift Chair before they close breakfast service.  The off trail is continuing to get traffic, compacting the base and exposing the obvious snags.  The only drawback being the abrupt interference patterns that dominate these open areas.  The Snow making efforts continue full force top and bottom.  Here is a shot of the Regulator Narrows with the Big Guns kicking out the cover for that notoriously rasty corner in anticipation of Thursday’s Tram opening.  Reports from the upper mountain are much more encouraging, though it is evident that any sojourns off the main run will be mighty thin.  There were some treads here and there that could be seen from the Chair, but for the most part the lion’s share seems impassable. I will try and get a more detailed evaluation of the upper mountain for tomorrow’s report.  Tomorrow, look for continued smooth riding on the machine worked runs, with low traffic in the morning hours.  The traffic increases a fair bit after 11:00 AM, when the uphill pressure begins to become and issue to be reckoned with.  A sharp eye, and an ear for fast movers will keep you dialed in to the proximity of the fellow participants.  Another sunny day is in store, so be there early for the best of the day.   IBBY!!!

The patter of rain tapped continually on the skin of the Trailer all night long.  I woke up and fell back to sleep with the knowledge that there would be fresh Essence on the first runs of the morning.  The Monday morning traffic was light, and the turns were silently sweet as those who assembled made their way though the smooth lines.  Off trail, the high traffic of the weekend had worked up some rather abrupt interference patterns where ever there seemed to be an open shot, so I stayed with the tried and true for the morning session.   The Tram was running for work missions, which was a very encouraging sight, along with the rumored reports of a Thursday opening.  Snow making on the upper mountain has been ongoing during the past days, with reports of much improved cover up high.  That is also encouraging.  It was snowing briskly when I left, and there is still the patter of raindrops on the Trailer as I write this, so it seems we are headed in the right direction.   The light traffic on the hill relieved the pressure from the fast movers, making the runs much more relaxed and predictable.  The Snow guns were a bit tricky, as the marginal temps. covered my goggles with mist as I past each one, but the continued application is making those reef sections a non issue.  I could have taken new skis out and they would have been fine, as I have not hit one rock in all these days.  Tomorrow, look for continued fun on the available runs, that may have some additional accumulation on them, and another morning of low traffic.  I really love these early season days, with calm vibrations and the chance to absorb the gift of being here.   See you in the AM.   Peace Out!!

It was snowing when I left The Trailer this morning, which was a surprise, as I thought the storm was over.  There was an inch of fresh on the run that seemed to add more than an inch of fluff to the experience.  I was totally wrong with my prediction of moderate traffic yesterday.  Today was more like what I had in mind.  Walk on chairs, with only fair traffic on the open runs, made it a much more realistic session. I still had to be keenly observant of the uphill traffic at all times, but the serious pressure was reduced markedly.  The off trail has been getting a surprising amount of traffic, with folks charging the obvious features, landing in mine fields.  I guess it has to get packed out sometime or other, so they might as well have at it.  Here is a shot I took of the true nature of the off trail situation. Be sure to click on the image twice and see the real size of the hazards here. They are not insignificant!!! Next time it snows a foot, remember this is the reality of the chosen line.  It will take a lot of snow to make this realistic. but hey it’s your line.  The main runs have very good coverage and I have not hit one rock.   Progress is being made on the Tram as they were doing some testing.  Good sign, though the cover up high is very sketchy from all reports, so even if they get it going soon, we will need some cover to get us up there.  Tomorrow, look for a nice refresh on the groomers, with light traffic and an much more casual pace.  That is a much better situation if you want to

ROCK BOTTOM

get some vertical in and get the turning more syncopated.  It is tough to get a solid rhythm going when you are worried about up hill traffic.  See you there bright and early.  IBBY!!

The overnight snow alerted the Faithful to be on hand to

Groovalicious

get some of  the first freshies of the season.  The groomers were perfectly smooth to start, with nice consistency, but the high traffic in a confined area chopped it up fairly fast.  The off trail is still a mine field with hazards at or just below the snow surface, so it is a roll of the dice right now, so be wary for the next bit until we get some more snow.  The main machine worked runs are nicely covered in all the correct spots.  Sections, that years ago would have been very bony, are trustworthy now.  Thanks to the snow makers.  I worked my way through school making snow back East, so I know how hard it is.  Tomorrow, look for the early runs to be the best, taking advantage of that carpet smoothness.  Yes!!!  I am including a shot of a different type of perfect, which to me is MMMMM  Good!!!  See you there bright and early!!  Ciao!!

It was a light but enthusiastic turn out for first chair this morning  under gray skies and wind ahead of the next installment coming in tonight through Saturday.  A loud chorus of hoots and cheers went up as the first chair loaded just a few minutes before 9:oo AM.  The snow making had covered the main runs available with plenty of cushion to keep the rocks well out of play.   The Bass Highway is good to go all the way back to the Plaza thanks to the snow making that was installed specifically to build the base on this previously sketchy section.  Now it is just a cakewalk!!  The severe terrain features on the main runs have been smoothed over, making the transitions very predictable. Off trail, however, was quite thin, but that did not dissuade many folks from exploring the fresh sections just off the groomed runs.

Wednesday

The recent snowfall, along with the snow making, provided a firm, though not icy, carpet to work out the cobwebs.  I took out my special skis with the 150 day bottom patina, which allowed me to shwag each turn without catching edges or experiencing any weirdness.  For me, it is no time to be sticking my turns until I get my legs dialed in.   I spent a fair amount of time at the local skate board park this Summer to keep my timing sharp, and that non attached moment pays dividends on these first days.  The Tram is still undergoing mechanical maintenance, but they are working hard to get it going for us.  Tomorrow, look for some fresh snow  to have fallen overnight, with continued precipitation through tomorrow, so the conditions are going to improve markedly as the Essence accumulates.   I don’t anticipate a huge surge of attendance tomorrow, so there will be  no waiting as the chair really puts the folks up the hill.  Be aware of the fast movers as you work the limited terrain, keeping an eye uphill for the situations that collect behind you.  I was using my ears to hear the proximity of the fast movers, which gave me a heads up as to their presence.   It is going to be a great season, and today’s opening was really fun, so I will see you there. Here is a shot of the hill last Wednesday so you can get an idea of the coverage.   Peace Out!!

Once again, it is futile to try and hold back time, as it just blows by.  Here we are again on the threshold of the new Season, with a storm on the doorstep and all the stoke dialed up and ready to go.  The snow making has been going all week, so the main problem areas will have some cushion, but off trial might be dubious.  The new storm will bring a quick buffer to the existing conditions and launch The Bird into flight.  I can’t really give you the first hand account till I have been there, so stay tuned tomorrow for a better evaluation.  Yea!! It’s here!!!   IBBY!!!

The beginning of the Season is just days away.   It is hard to believe that is is here so soon.  It seem we were watching the water boil down the Canyon yesterday.  The hill is looking marginally covered on the off trail, but a new storm for the weekend looks like it will bring the necessary fortification to make things much nicer.  Snow making is going on regularly covering those trouble spots.  The machine worked areas look pretty well covered down low, but be aware of some of the variation.  Speaking of variations, the off trail is in full relief,  the hard terrain features are unforgiving, so keep that in mind with your line choice.  I am going to try to get some more detailed info, so stay tuned for updates.   It is shaping up nicely!!      On another note;  I would like to express condolences to Jamie Pierre’s family at his passing this week.  It is a tragic loss of such a great representative of the spirit of Free Ride.  He will be greatly missed.   Be Well all!!

The BIG CYCLE has returned again as the storm track  began moving though the Front.  There have been some Face Book shots of powder at Alta posted with glowing reports of goodness.  That is really good news as we move toward the opening dates.  Snow making is still being pushed hard, and along with the natural installments should give us something nice to work with.  There is another impulse moving through tonight, with a predicted 10″ accumulation, so we are well on the way as the Essence returns from it’s long and morphogenic course.  If snow flakes could talk it would be interesting to hear of the travels and adventures as it made it’s way around to arrive again just in time!!  I was going to go up and get a shot today, but the clouds were hanging on the peaks, so there would not be any really good photo op.  As soon as the Sun breaks out I will get a fresh shot of the hill.  I did get some shots of the last two prime coats, but they just seemed so thin that I wanted to wait for a more exhilarating image.  We seem to be in the flow zone now, so I am amping up my visualizations.  Please add to my efforts, as the more mind focusing the better.  More soon.  IBBY!!!

That first smattering of snow early in October did not get me too interested, as early snow like that can be problematic.  Some friends of mine got some nice turns in the high grassy spots, and the snow got The Faithful thinking in the right direction, but the return to a dry pattern calmed my apprehension.  Right On Time the pattern changed, with a nice cold front moving through the Front leaving the hills once again frosted.  This time, the timing reflects a much better scenario for a good launch into the season.  More storminess is on tap for later this week, the snow guns are working to develop a head start, building up the cushion on those pesky main run reef sections.  I am feeling much better about the prospects now.  I have been experiencing some computer problems due mainly by my ignorance of some of the obscure details of data entry, so I found myself at a loss as to how to get things going again. But, now I have the lion’s share of the issues resolved, leaving only some hardware details to wrestle with.   I have been assisting The Chef in fabricating another pair of WINGS, as his flight with my pair last season really got his attention, so we set up a makeshift work area in his garage and struggled our way through the process.  The highlight was the first fire up of the Hot Wire, which was a Darwinian exercise  setting off circuit breakers, and me holding the vibrating surge of Juice as it lit the wire on fire.  Wow!!!  That would have certainly made for an interesting back page news item  ” How could they be that stupid”!!!  Needless to say I survived the experiment and we took a more Low Voltage approach to the problem, getting much more realistic results.  So I will not be the only one pushing the boundaries of intense excitement this season with funny looking silver things in his hands.  I will be making much more frequent posts as we get closer to opening, now that I have some of the computer problems ironed out.  Be patient, keep the visualizations going, and get those tools waxed.   IBBY!!!   P.S. this is posted on Nov. 1 and the post date on the site reflects problems I was having.  My Bad!!

The first installment of Essence fell in the last two days, leaving the hills looking beautiful.  The fall colors, new snow and clouds made  it fun to look around.  Some folks have been getting some turns up high, making it unofficially official as the Cycle has returned from its sojourn, bringing , as the Chef would say, “The Promise Of The Wasatch”.    I am very  excited about the season, so I hesitate to get too anxious about early snow, which can become problematic.  I tried to get some up to date shots, but the clouds were uncooperative.  I will get some soon, in the mean time I am getting ready for fun.  Soon we will be getting all of it!!!  Peace Out!!