The Canyon was very greasy this morning, as the heavy snow fall really came fast and hard.  The 8 to 10” of Essence was perfect,with just the right amount of density to make the ride soft and blastable.  Mineral Basin and Little Cloud were held off for a bit, but the front of the hill was sufficient to keep everyone occupied until they got open.   The Tram was backed up, but the chairs were walk on free, providing rapid access to the hill, where I was able to get untracked run after run, as everyone was stuck in the Tram line.  The Sun was out in full force, but the cold temps. kept the snow from going South, remaining soft and resisting the Harbor Chop build up.  That was a nice treat indeed.   After 1 PM. the clouds moved back in ahead of the next installment, further preserving the quality for any additional accumulation we might receive. Tomorrow, look for another exceptional day, with some new accumulation and very fat coverage wall to wall.  The old crusty layer is now only minimally felt under foot, so any shot you choose will be good to go.   I did not personally get into Mineral Basin today, but all reports I got were glowing, with some folks saying it was the best of the season, and who can argue with that, considering how great the Essence was feeling.  Face shots were not at all uncommon, and the energy level was very high.  The next few days will be Utah

SIGN POST

perfect, so be there for the Goodness.  I will be there for the first bell.   Peace Out!!

Today was a transitory day, as the next system moves in.  The wind was working the hill, slowly filling and smoothing the dance floor.  It was 9 Degrees on the peak at 7:30 AM, so the day was not going to warm up too much, as the Sun was shrouded by the high cloudiness.   The Groomers were carvelicious for the folks who were streaming up the Canyon in droves hoping for the deep Essence.  The accumulation from yesterday did not hold up, and was still fairly skied out, though the softness factor was still in full effect.  The forecast is looking for, perhaps, as much as a foot, so tomorrow will be looking good.  The crunch layer will still be in play, though the severity will be mitigated greatly, so expect some variability to the full drive line.  That should not present any real issues, but  just adjust for the possible encounter.  The hill is still holding the smooth overall, but the lower elevations have developed some high amplitude interference patterns, but these zones may be circumvented if required, or charged fully for the Hot Dogging inclined.  Look for the Grooming crew’s handiwork for the big mountain smooth, which , for me, is a treasured feature, as my knees are really feeling the strain of the seasons heavy ground pounding.  We are holding off the relentless march toward Spring, so take advantage of every day of this Winter blast that helps to keep time in the hold pattern.  See you in the AM.   Ciao!!!

Over night the wind worked the hill, filling in the High North aspects as well as creating some breakable wind slab to deal with.  The low overnight accumulation did not signal the faithful, who once again had to be cajoled into action by the Tweets, Texts, etc. to get them motivated to partake of the serious accumulation of the Essence.  Though there was a few inches of fresh to begin, the front brought a deluge, which began stacking up as fast as it could get skied out.  The far reaches still were being ignored, as the easy pickings were focused on, leaving face shot deep sections open for the taking.  The density was fairly light, though it did begin to cushion the ride over some of the crunchiness on the South and West faces.  Fully 10” of accumulation was around my car as I left the area, with still heavy snow fall continuing till the closing bell.   Tomorrow, will be one of those Powder days that magazines portray, and the early risers will be treated to Utah’s finest product.  I, however, will be taking the day off to rest up for the next few storms that are lined up for the coming days.  The lack of sunshine, and cold temps. will have spared the snow pack from deteriorating, so tomorrow will offer great lines no matter where you point them.  You just can’t miss!!!  Powder Paradise and Little Cloud remained closed, so those areas will offer some of the deepest runs of the season, and I am not exaggerating.  If you happen to miss out, more is on the way, and the hill is prime for greatness, so your patience will be rewarded.  Stay tuned for the updates as we move through the next few days, and the subtle changes can be accurately articulated.  As you know, things happen here on an hour by hour basis, as today’s rapid accumulation will illustrate.  See you Sunday!!! Have Fun!!! IBBY!!

Ok, this was one of those days that a Powder Seeker treasures, where there is a report of a trace, the first Tram gets 4”, and by the time I leave the Planetary Office at 11:30 AM or so it is knee deep in the Upper Cirque.  The South wind, combined with the ultra heavy precipitation, conspired to create a day of blower, all to yourself fluffulecence, with No pressure No hype perfection.  The snow fall began as medium density, cushioning the ride before the colder air lightened the Essence, which continued to stack up at an incredible rate.  As anticipated, the crunch factor was in play on the aspects that saw yesterday’s Sun, making those shots a bit tricky despite the fresh Essence.  I stayed with the known smooth lines of the High North, though I did venture out to those zones just to see “what for”, and I got exactly “what for” with the screaming pain in my knees as I bounced, deflected, absorbed, and generally survived the pitches, even though I was getting face shots in the process.  Tomorrow,  more snow is predicted to be on tap for another Double Powder day.  SHHHHHH!!! With the traffic working the product into the old layer, new Essence will only make most aspects a ” Back to Winter delight.  There may be some lift and area restrictions, so the Tram line may be a bit more populated.   The High North is still holding the best big mountain smooth, but the Grooming crew is working hard to provide additional smoothness for the ground pounding pace setters.    Yesterday, I had the sublime privilege of accessing the far reaches of the Wasatch.  Here is a shot of a huge giant pitching section, where I was able to pull into the Pit and ride the Giant.  Epic!!  Peace Out!!

POWER ZONE

It was a bright and sunny morning, with a strong South wind blowing in another system for the next two days.  The wind was working hard to fill in the High North aspects, which were smoothing continually as the day progressed.  The Sun, being very high in the sky now, was beginning to heat the snow pack rapidly, especially the most direct aspects.  The heat even began to affect the lower elevations, where things started getting a bit stiff.  The Groomers were particularly smooth, with the fresh snow tilled into the mat, providing a dance floor to RUMBA on.  Tomorrow, look for more of the High North lines to have remained soft, but be aware of the Sun affected aspects as they will be tricky at best, so choose wisely.  The other consideration is the storm that is moving in, which , by various forecasts, is slated to begin at some point tomorrow. Some say early, some say later, but in any case the light may be a tad on the flat side, so be there early for the best shot at any glimmer of sunshine.  The interference patterns are beginning to develop in the high traffic areas, which combined with the stiffer product will be somewhat problematic as the morning begins.  With more Essence on the way, the conditions will improve once again , getting us back in gear.  This time of year the quality factor goes with the territory, so plan accordingly.  See you there early for the low traffic, high energy vertical assault!!!

" HIS STEALTHACIOUSNESS"

The Canyon opened a bit earlier than anticipated, and the faithful took full advantage of the slack to be present for the 4” report.  The 2” report of yesterday seemed to have caught them napping, so it was not going to happen again.  With Twitter, Texts, Face book, etc. the word got out, so there was no excuse to be left out of today’s festivities.  Needless to say, that was the deepest 4” I have seen in some time.   The medium density Essence filled and cushioned the lines, leaving them shredtastic, with folks going full out, full blast, sliding as if it was the last snow of the season.  The Tram line was backed up, but the chairs were fairly accessible, with very little wait at all.  Mineral Basin opened, offering some of the smoothest lines imaginable.  Though the wind was blowing at a gale force, the consistency was STUDIO!!!  The only drawback of the day was the visibility, which really tested your inner vision.  I was working with my knowledge of the pitch variations to gauge where I was  as I moved down the hill.  As there are few trees in Mineral, and none where I was working,  that was the only reference that I had.  Fortunately, my inner guidance, and some help from the TRANSMISSIONS, got me down the pitch without incident.  Tomorrow look for a bit of clearing ahead of the next installment, and with the approach will come the wind, which will have plenty of product to transport to the obvious aspects.  The snow was still falling as I left, and the few rays of Sun that peaked through the clouds did not affect the freshness.  The mountain is in fine shape with barely any hint of the crusty layer, though there may be some wind scoured sections that may reveal the crust, but just keep your eyes pealed for that.  As the visibility was not conducive to great photos, I did manage to get this shot of ” His Stealthaciousness”, just after re entry from the depths of the OVER HEAD ZONE, where one can only imagine the intensity of that run.  No doubt he was fully immersed in the ESSENTIAL PIT of BLISS!! You just had to be there!!! Peace Out!!

Spring is here by the date on the calender, but you could not tell by the happenings on the hill, where the South wind had filled in the North faces, which featured perfect carvation top to bottom, with just the overnight snowfall.  The faithful did not respond to the 2” report, so the back to back Tram pace let the folks who made the appearance wrap the goods run after run.  At 12:30 PM. the front rolled through bringing heavy snow fall and very limited visibility, but that did not seem to matter, as the mountain smooth made the lines good to go despite the line of sight.  The Essence piled up very rapidly, making some of the far out reaches almost knee deep before long.  This was my kind of powder day, where the untracked stays untracked, and the walk on Tram pace rewards the patient. The forecast is for just a small amount of accumulation, but the way the snow was dumping, who knows how much will it will bring.  I am holding out for some serious accumulation. Another nice feature is the disappearance of the crusty layer, which was going away rapidly, and only occasionally felt under foot.  How nice is that?  The conditions will be just keep getting better as we move through this cycle.  Mineral Basin and Little Cloud remained closed again today, due to the high wind and slide danger, so we have those areas to look forward to going into tomorrow.  Additional big mountain shots were Groomed for this morning, providing some full on power charging lines to finish out the bottom of the hill.  I just got the call about the Snow Night, so the Canyon will be closed in the AM.  Be sure to check the access in the AM.  Hope to see you there for the push well past the 500” mark!!! IBBY

A very nice accumulation of medium density Essence fell overnight, to which the faithful responded with exuberant energy.  Who could blame them, after the wind had smoothed the North facing aspects for the occasion.  The higher density quality helped cushion the ride, providing a buoyant and explosive charge that made the attendees quite vocal, with shouts and exclamations of delight.  The wind was still hitting the hill hard, setting up the windward sections with a bit of extra density, while the  leeward shots were filling in with extra depth.  The wind kept filling in some of the ignored sections, making them untracked run after run, as no one could actually see them.  Score for those who had dialed those areas in.  Lower Silver Fox had been given the Grooming treatment, which featured big mountain smooth and a steep charging line.  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to have really shaped up into special treats, as the fresh accumulation gets re tilled into the mat.  The off trail will still be offering soft and fairly smooth lines, as the cold overcast preserved the quality all day, keeping the Harbor Chop from building up.  Mineral Basin  and Little Cloud will also be in play, as I don’t think they opened today, though I may be wrong after I bailed at 1:00PM to get a bit more rest for the coming week. There is more good vibrations coming upstream, so the party is not over yet.  The hill is prime for the next installment, and will be pushing well over the 500” mark, as the overnight total hit 499” for the season.  It is big and getting bigger, so wax up for some overhead thunder!!! IBBY!!

The Trailer was rocking all night long with the South wind blowing the Array totally out of whack.  I spent the better part of the morning re establishing contact with the Home Planet.  Meanwhile, on the hill, the wind continued to work the surface, though most of the transportable snow had been moved yesterday, so those folks, who were on hand for the blast, were rewarded with some ridiculous buffage.  The High North remains smooth, though the hard surface is exposed and will still be a factor, unless we receive some adequate accumulation, which does not seem to be in the cards overnight.   Tomorrow,  look for some accumulation to help improve the dance floor, and take advantage of the grooming efforts, which always provide the fun factor to get you up to speed.  Since the Sun did not really work the product, the serious crunch should not be as much of an issue as it was earlier this week.  Still, use your eye and inner sense to choose the lines for best results.  I chose poorly several times last week and had to deal with the technical issues that raised.  Ouch!   Sometimes you can’t just traverse out to a better line, and must survival turn your way out of things.  More snow is on the way earlier this next week, so the hill is set up to bring it once again.  Just a few more inches till 500”!!!   Here is another interesting sighting I captured last week, just as I was thinking that I had enough aluminum foil inside my hat.   I was wrong!!!  Muldar was right!!   Peace Out!!

Yet another sighting

The snow was pluming off the peak this morning, as the South wind blew hard ahead of the next system that is going to move in later this weekend.  The High North facing aspects were beginning to benefit from the deposition, and continued to develop a carpet like consistency as the day progressed.  These are my kind of ” NO Powder- Powder Days”, where the faithful do not show up and there are fresh tracks to catch every run.  The wind just kept filling in the sections as fast as the tracks could be placed.  Even though the Sun was up, there was a distinct chill to the air, which kept the surface from becoming gloppy.  The Groomers were also benefiting from this transport, offering  a real treat top to bottom, with a living room shag opulence that just kept getting smoother  with the traffic and wind.  Tomorrow, look for the High North to continue  getting filled and buffed, so be sure to take advantage of the rarity of a such special conditions.  The Groomers will also be off the chart smooth, for the morning vertical charge.  Look for some additional lower mountain shots to, perhaps, be given the extra care, as they will be well worth the laps before they get discovered.  Here is a shot I took of Fields of Glory, that was getting the ultra wind buff.  It is a rare day that you get to continuously lap this exposure and get it perfect every time. I needed a cigarette after this run, and I don’t smoke!!! I mean, REALLY!!!   See you Sunday!!

Perfect is Perfect