Well, it rained all the way up the Canyon this morning, changing to snow at the White Pine Trail head.  When first Tram went off it was still snowing lightly, though the trend was moving toward drizzle.  By the time I got back down, it was indeed raining on the Plaza.  The snow on the hill was desert frosting smooth, with the high density sweetening the ride.  I took advantage of the big Grooming that had been provided, and put in many extra turns to get as much of the essence as I could work in.  I am working on the ” More Is More”  concept, where I try to get as much out of each run as possible, especially when  a rarity is involved.   I made a second run, with the back to back access open for the few takers, only to find the precip. was now slushing on my goggles.  I had to actually hold my poles in one hand while I wiped the slushy accumulation off with every turn.  I needed windshield wipers, but my glove would have to suffice. I made a hasty retreat to the Forklift Chair, where warm and dry seats were waiting for me.  When I finally called it day after breakfast,  there were some snowflakes mingled with the drizzle, but that was a wrap for me.  The snow was really silky and smooth, but the continued drizzle began to saturate the new pack on the lower elevations, creating the dodgy harbor chop.  I am sure the storm will cool, making this morning’s Spackle a good preparatory layer for the goodness to come.  Tomorrow, look for freshies to be wall to wall, with the higher density essence covering the rumble on the off trail.  I am anticipating a real great week coming up, so don’t let the rarity of the rain harsh your joy.   See you in the AM.   IBBY!!!

I just totally kicked back here at the Trailer today, resting up for the coming week of festivities.  The visibility seemed variable most of the day, but you can rest assured the hill was  in good shape and ready for whatever you bring.    I am excited to see what new and exciting shot will get the extreme Grooming nod.  I still can’t get over catching Adager for the first time this season.   Lower Primrose Path was also over the top with great velvet.  Yes, this week is going to be great.  Reports from the hill are indicating the off trail becoming more user friendly as the warmer temps. somehow morph the essence.    Here is a very recent shot of Pipeline.   I took it with all the folks, who are where ever they are,  wishing they were here, in mind so they can grab the image and make it wallpaper  or just get stoked.   I don’t have much to report, so I will see you tomorrow when the first Boat leaves the dock.  IBBY!!

PIPLINE

The hill was graced overnight with 2” of sumptuous frosting that had enough density to afford a cushion for the faithful who were drawn by the essence.  The visibility was marginal, but that did not detract from the charge of the fall line.  I went with the smooth that I had been dialing in all week, to get the most out of the subtle deposit.  I did venture far afield to sample the various aspects, finding that the crud had improved markedly with the new snow, though there was  distinct turbulence to deal with in most cases.  I used the tried and true turn averaging technique to smooth out the ride in those rough and tumble spots.  I went back to the prepared shots to give my knees a rest from the pummeling of the off trail crud.  The Sun was trying to come out in the afternoon, but the clouds seemed to hang on the hill tenaciously.  I bailed to start my day off early and spare my knees the impact of the developing harbor chop that cropped up with the Sun peaking through the clouds.  Tomorrow, look for improved weather and visibility to go with it, and the fresh Groomed shots that are ready to shralp.  The special shots that have been prepared in the last 2 days have been such a treat, with Adager delivering a steep relentless decent, and angel smooth buff dust to sweeten the turns.  You must try these sections out for yourself, and slow down a touch to collect more of each perfect turn. The feel, the sound, the rarity, and the shear vertical demand is a treasure to be absorbed and filed away for Summer reflection.  Have a great day tomorrow, make a couple extra deep turns for yours truly!    Peace Out!!!

Bright Sun and warmer temps. greeted the morning crew, who were treated to a smorgasbord of of Ground Pounding Groomers that had been prepared on both sides of the hill.  The high light was the rare, and very steep, Adager, which had been returned to its open mountain state.  The first mow  also yields the most perfect cold snow imaginable, and first tracks on that silken surface is as good as it gets.  It might get deeper, but it does not get better.   Tomorrow, look for some snow to have fallen on the hill, which is only sporting a mild amplitude rumble overall.  The North facing is holding the smooth, making that aspect worth a consideration.  The crud has improved with the rise in temperature and more on the hill is becoming very approachable and not nearly as stiff as it has been of late.  The entrances are fully loaded, inviting a running start.   The Gad 2 area is a good call in the fog and has some of the big shots covered  over like I have rarely seen.  It is going to be another great day, so eat your Wheaties.   Ciao!!!

As anticipated, the  light was an issue today, with only the very first Tram riders getting a quasi Sun period to get a good look at things.  The upper Primrose section was visited by the Grooming crew, who punched out both sides of the knoll, giving the section a top to bottom sweetness that is rare and full of terrain features to work from.  The off trail sections are still on the stiff side, though the North facing is still Ok.  The Groomers are the ticket, offering  a very velvety secure consistency that lets you commit to the Quality in the flat light.  By that I mean, when in doubt, you can trust the line to carry you through without any icy spots to send you off line.  The shots left over from yesterday were still holding up the smoothness, to make those a good variation on run choice.  I am always looking for smooth no matter where I find it.  The weather is predicted to bring only a small amount of fresh in the next few days, but that can change with just a wiggle in the Jet Stream.  You never know, but you can expect excellent conditions to continue top to bottom.  I heard that even more aggressive Grooming is in the plans for the near future, so be on the look out for some additional lines to be punched out and returned to pre traffic perfection.   I am looking forward to more high energy rippage with few takers, so be there to join the Vert. crew for non stop top to bottom boogie.  Where else can you go that fast with no one in the way and a perfect ride to boot.  You  would have to go quite a way I wager, and here it is in the back yard!!!   Still, avoid those South facing aspects as much as possible, cuz it’s crunchy!!!   See you in the AM.   IBBY!!

As the photo I am posting indicates, there was ballroom dancing on the Tram and the hill this AM., as there were few takers for the top to bottom, wall to wall, excellence the Groomers provided.  Once again the Grooming Crew did an outstanding job of working over the big vertical drop, which had to be experienced to be believed.  I could not get enough.  I had to slow down again to get as much of the velvet essence that I could shave off  each gesture to the fall line.  The North facing was still worth the effort if you wanted some off trail shots, but the real dancing was on the buffed pitches.   The temps. warmed up as the day progressed, becoming almost balmy as the 3:00 PM. bell went off.  By that time I had maxed out my vertical quota and made some mental notes about the day.   Tomorrow,  look for continued Groomed sweetness to be a guarantee, though the visibility is the wild card in it all.  In any case, you can trust the consistency 100%, so an aggressive fall line commitment is not a problem.  I went looking off the beaten path finding variable crunchiness covered by the recent softness.  Not bad skiing really, but a bit tough on my knees.  The temps. are predicted to moderate as we go into this next few days, so the frost bite hazard may back off a touch.  I tried to do a Tango on the Tram this morning, but there were no takers. I tried!   It is going to be another rock fest so be there to get the charge going early.  Peace Out!

This morning was cold, cold, cold as the Tram doors opened on the peak for the first run.  A slight 1 CM layer of lake effect fluff covered the playing field, making the Groomers feel like perfect ultra deep.  Once again, perfect is perfect, no matter how deep the essence is.  The Sun was fully illuminating Mineral Basin, where some steep and rocking shots had been buffed, providing an incredibly luxurious ride.  I throttled back on the steep sections, pretending I was skiing the Red Baldy Drainage, and absorbed as much of the sweet  consistency as I could.  The North facing aspects still are offering the smoothest substrate and blastable crud.  The South, West, and East facing is still harboring the rough crustiness that make a very rough ride indeed.  Tomorrow should be another great high speed rock and roll day, with a predicted break in the weather before the next installment arrives later in the week.    I think the  cold temperature will continue to be an issue, so be sure to dress for the condition, paying special attention to exposed skin.  I got zapped again today, when I slacked on my nose covering.  When will I learn?   There is no telling, though if I haven’t learned yet, I have only myself to blame.  And to think, the last of the dead skin just pealed off my nose from the frost bite two weeks ago.   Pain instructs!!  See you dark and early in the AM.  IBBY!!

I had to shovel off the parking pad and clear off the communication array at the Trailer this morning, where very light and fluffy essence had fallen overnight.  The snow was falling profusely as  I left for the hill, but the clouds parted revealing a blue bird day on the hill.  Only 4” of delight was reported on the  Bird site, which seemed to discourage the faithful from showing up in any numbers.  This eventuality made the Tram line manageable, though there was a push later in the AM.  I opted to take advantage of the full Sun in Mineral Basin, and made a bee line for the North facing aspects, which had been smoothed during

Morning Clearing

the last week.  Today’s installment was so light in density, that it did not cushion the bottom, which was fully in play.  Care needed to be taken when choosing a shot, as the underlying frozen crustulation of the direct Sun exposures made the ride dubious at best.  The North facing offered the smoothest ride, which is important on a Dust On Crust morning.  As the hill got worked over, the Groomers morphed into the Tiles and Piles mode, where a longer more averaged turn worked best. Quick turns were thwarted by tip grabbing piles as the tails slid around the tips.  That is a tough situation for my knees, so I called it a day at 1:30 PM. and headed back down to further rest my legs after last weeks shred fest.  Tomorrow, look for the grooming to be the signature place to be for the ultra buffed, with the North facing still holding the best off trail quality.  The Bumps remain tricky with the light density snow obscuring the details, and makes a consistent line difficult to maintain.  Remember that the South and East facing will still be crusty and bouncy, so keep that in mind for route selection.  More snow is forecast for later in the week, which will heal the inconsistency markedly.   See you there dark and early!!!   Ciao!   P.S.  Here is a shot of the clouds moving off up high as it snowed hard in the valley at the same time;  curious!

Powder Storm

I was sitting here in the Trailer this morning sipping my coffee,  contemplating the murky mist that has been building up for days with the stalled High Pressure.  The Sun has been out in force above 6000′, and I could not help but think that I should have foregone my day off and taken advantage of the sunshine and clear air.  My decision to chill was verified when reports came in from the high country  of marginal visibility and very flat light, that reduced the surface details to near Zero.  Fortunately, the Groomers had been reworked providing more of the same hydrovelvet that we have been enjoying lately.  The cloud cover negated the possibility of the Sun softening the frozen aspects from yesterday’s spring like exposure, so those off trail spots would have been tricky at best.  The High North and shaded areas are still sporting cold dry chalky product, so there is plenty of aspects to address in lieu of your favorite South facing shots despite the recent Sunfest.  Tomorrow, look for some snow to have fallen with the movement of a weak front through the area, however, significant accumulation is not being discussed.   There has been a build up of some medium amplitude bumps on the open, easy access areas for those who seek out the bumps, but there are plenty of smooth big mountain shots to choose from.  We are fully set up to deal with any additions of essence as we continue to enjoy one of the biggest seasons of recent, and even long memory!!   I will be back again for the first Boat in the AM, and I will see you then.   IBBY!!!   P.S.  Here is a shot of the heavy artillery kicking out some of the sweetest sugar imaginable, and I can imagine a lot !!

The  thick fog broke open as soon as I got to the mouth of the Canyon, where the morning was ultra clear and still, signaling another day of extreme rippage.  The Grooming crew out did themselves by punching out some of the the best pitches the hill has to offer.  While Mineral Basin called with bright Sun and wide open groomers, I was drawn to the front side of the hill to take advantage of the 3000′ of vert. and the velvet smooth perfection of the cold snow grooming.  To say that these runs were perfect, does not even come close to how delicious the quality really was.  It is a case of – You had to be there-  to have any idea of the delicate quality of the hydrovelvet that was just there for us to enjoy.  I would have pulled out the Wings again to fly the Buff, but I opted to throttle back to a slower pace and get more turns out of the hill.   It is like fine wine, it is pointless to chug it, rather a sip, a taste, a savor, is the best way to absorb as much of the complexity such perfection provides.  I know, it is only Groomers;  I hear that every day, and I just wonder how one can pass up the opportunity to dig deep, savor the turn, and the way the snow feels as the edge arcs through it.  As the day progressed the bright Sun really began to heat up the direct exposures out in Mineral Basin, making them soft and approachable, but overnight temps. will crust them over for the AM. Depending on the weather tomorrow, those exposures may or may not thaw out, so be aware of that issue.  On the Plaza it looked more like a spring day, as the very warm afternoon invited dropping a layer and bask in the warmth of the Sun.  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to, again, be the place to get things rolling, but the North facing off trail is shaping up nicely with dry chalky texture to enjoy.  The hill is prime for additional product, and some is on the way, so make some turns for me, if you would, and I will be back on Sunday.   Peace Out!!!