It was a dismal drive up the Canyon this morning, with rain , rain, rain, all the way up.  When would it switch over to snow?; or would it!   Finally, just before entry one , the rain turned to snow with no apparent accumulation.  Only a hand full of the intrepid faithful made the first Tram, and they were treated to some beautiful high density, cold, and down right frothy  fluffulecence.   The wind was working the product, moving it into deep deposits that kept blowing in run after run.  With the low attendance, the fresh runs were plentiful, with no pressure anywhere on the hill.  I was able to find good long sections of untracked at 3:00 PM.  It was still snowing when I left the hill and the forecast is for continued snow this evening, so I expect conditions to be deluxe for the morning crew.  The mountain is remaining smooth overall.  This high density snow is fulling in the sections and is buffering the old layer top to bottom.  There is still a bit of scratch showing through, especially where the wind has stripped it off, but these spots are surrounded by consistent sweetness with no worries.  .  Though it seem like the Peruvian side of the hill is getting the most benefit from this pattern,  there are plenty of fine locations of the Gad side of the hill, where the wind leaves the goods on the far side of tree lines and guts, so be on the look out for the ignored and out of the way lines.   See you there dark and early.   Ciao!!

THEY ARE HERE

Traffic was light and the snow was excellent for those who showed up for today’s festivities.  A bit of overnight snow sweetened the hill with varying depths, depending on aspect.  Some spots were sporting 6 or 7” of beautiful density product on top of wind smoothed wind slab.  I sampled many shots during the pre breakfast session, and was able to get some great first track runs by following my nose.   The light traffic kept fresh lines happening well after Noon, with some real treats to be found with a modicum of effort.   The upper Cirque was blown smooth, presenting  some of the coolest lines on the hill.   The Groomers were smokin’ with the fresh fluff pushing the quality level well up the scale.  I was dialing back the throttle to get more of the essence and feel of the turn, so I could place this day on the internal hard drive.  Tomorrow, look for continued excellence on the steep shots off the top, with Mineral Basin still holding up some great lines that are well lit by the early morning Sun.   The Groomers will be vacant and rocking for the first Tram crew, who are always energized and going full on.  There is some snow in the forecast for this week, but in the mean time the conditions are great, the lines are non existent, and fun meter is pegged!!    I caught this glimps of a Federation ship just hanging out to see what all the hub bub was about!! See you there dark and early.   Ciao!

I was totally belly up today, as I did some catching up on the Down Loads.  However, I was thinking about what I was missing.    The first tram going off, the gang going up, anticipating the peak, and the run.  You just never know what your going to find.  But I am betting my bottom dollar, that today’s first tram attendants had fun, and that they made the lap back  ASAP.   I am looking forward to tomorrow, which might bring some more snow.  Going into the next week, the stage is set, with solid base for the most part.  The only caveat is that the wind has exposed some rocky knolls, so be on the look out for tell tale signs.  The hill is still maintaining that smooth  low traffic feel, and with the help of the wind, it will continue to keep that Big Mountain complexion.    Tomorrows festivities are well on the way, so I will see you on first Boat!!!   IBBY

The few who were on hand for today’s festivities were treated to a plethora of fine lines on numerous exposures.  As anticipated, the North, North East, East, as well as some west facing exposures had lines of supportable wind slab and  accumulations of wind deposited sugar  to sweeten the surface.  The visibility was a touch on the flat side, but that did not seem to affect the groove.  The off trail sections have been getting more consistent every day, while resisting any appreciable mogul development overall.  Even where bumps have developed, they offer good cadence and soft lines to work with.  The wind has continued to keep the natural grooming process going, so look for great shots right off the top on all exposures.  Upper Great Scott is no bargain, once again due to the sketchy traffic damage, though the main shot is very good.  I am holding off on that one until the entrance improves after Monday’s no pressure freshies.    Even the folks who arrived later in the day were still fully in the fun zone, as the sugar build up kept the runs fresh and fun.  I am fully in shape now and have been able to get a full day in, taking advantage of the low traffic, killer conditions, and the quiet traffic patterns that are the great feature during this time of the season.  I am hanging on to every day, making a mental note of the rarities that exist if you are here during this special time. I don’t think Tomorrow will be too busy, with most of the chairs open and good access to all exposures.  Tomorrow is my day off, so I will get the low down and post what I am hearing.   Ciao!!!  Here is a cool shot of a rock outcropping in Little Cloud.

Many Billion year old rock

Today was one of those rare days when incredible actually gets better.  I know I am working in fine shades of white here, but they – whoever they are- were working hard to push the plush factor over the top.  Bright sun and very warm temperatures framed the morning, though the low Sun angle made the front of the hill a bit flat, but perfect.  Mineral Basin was drenched in full Sun blast, showing a smooth wind groomed expanse that invited exploration.  For the morning session the back side was the place.  As the Sun rose, the front of the hill became  a top to bottom dream.   Back to back Trams pushed the energy level up to 11.  Very light traffic made some of the trams very spacious indeed, and the casual pace made it easy to do full laps.  The wind picked up as the day progressed and began transporting the loose snow to the North East and Eastern exposures.  The West exposures also were getting the buffage, as Little Cloud just kept getting better as the traffic and wind polished the surface.   Tomorrow, look to the upper North and  East facing shots for snow transported overnight, where you will find very rare wind carpet.  The entrances are getting more covered with just a bit of sketch to deal with, no biggie. I expect continued light traffic, so  eat your Wheaties – Or Power Spuds- to take advantage of this special conditions event.  To my mind, perfect wind slab is one of my most favorite surfaces.  Again, just another shade of white.  Here is a shot of the East Twin in the morning Sun.   Peace out.

EAST TWIN

After last week’s freeze fest, this morning felt absolutely tropical.  3 to 4” of dense product fell overnight, creating, as Bike Freq said,”  an insulated frosting.  The sumptuous density of the frosting was effortless and fully buffered the bottom layer.  3” or 24” it did not matter as this was just deluxe from the word GO.  The warmth of the air, the smooth sliding, and the slow relaxed pace just felt sultry to me.  The wind was blowing with increasing intensity, filling in all the hollows, and the old tracks, as fast as they were cut.  I kept going back to the same line Tram after Tram to, once again, dial in the sensation.   The density also made the turns feel like they were in slow motion; so low down!!  There were some peeks of the sun from time to time here and about, mostly in Mineral Basin where the clouds seemed to be breaking up.  All aspects were helped tremendously by the new installment, where the punch-ability of yesterday  gave way to sweet turns with the extra luxurious quality.  The visibility deteriorated as the day wore on, but the snow just kept getting better off trail, so I really was not paying attention.  Hoopy’s Crotch is still sporting a mighty thin face after the slide pulled all the cover out.  Be real cautious of that section if you venture over there.   I trod past it today to get to the far side, so I got a good look at it.  Tomorrow look for another light traffic day, with great conditions on all exposures.  This is my favorite time of the year, with walk on Trams, no hill pressure, and excellent snow conditions.  See you there dark and early. IBBY!!

It did not matter which side of the hill you chose this  morning, the Groomers were impeccable with flawless corduroy wall to wall.  The snow quality of the past cycle lends itself well to the machines, leaving a luxurious carpet on which to SHRALP!!  The off trail was getting bit stiffer with age, though there were still soft areas to find if you were so inclined.  With the Tram running on a 15 Minute schedule,  I ventured out to Mineral Basin today, to get that extra lap in that you miss by rushing back to the Tram to wait.  While there, I found the off trail to be quite punchy and breakable overall after all the wind last week, and the Groomers were very nice with zero icy spots anywhere.  I dropped off the groomer in numerous locations  to check the resistance to turn attack, and beat a hasty retreat back to the smooth and buffed.  The coverage back there is quite good, though the wind had scoured off some of the knolls and spines, leaving threads of solid wind slab linked with sections of breakable.  The Cliff sections lower down, facing South, were filled in quite nicely and are good to go.   The Book Ends looked very slabby and uninviting, however, the Sunday Cliffs seemed to have preserved the quality the best, but it had not yet opened when I left at 2 PM.   The Sun started to get obscured by high clouds after Noon and the lights went out for good at 1:30 PM.  I did ski off trail in numerous locations during the day where you can expect to find very good crud with little rumble to negotiate.  The deep terrain features are still not fully filled in yet, so be ready for some abrupt variations;  ie; Black Jack, were there are some sections of willows that are difficult work through once you get to the bottom.  The hill is skiing like mid January, but there are surprises to be found, make no mistake.  Tomorrow,  look for a storm to move in with the visibility being the only real issue.  Great snow conditions continue  wall to wall, just use a bit of caution overall and enjoy.   See you in the AM.   I am vapor!!

Today was the kind of snow that dreams are made of, and if you have been Working Your Angels, they came through with a dose that made the dream come true.  With little pressure on the hill, everyone  seemed to find their  place in the flow and the day moved quickly along with little or no waiting.  The snow got deeper and a touch denser as you got toward the bottom, but it was  not denser per se, it was richer, more luxurious.  Granted, the bottom texture, due to the extreme lightness of the frosting,  was still in play, but the general smoothness of the hill enabled confident commitment to any of the selected descents.  Most of the mountain opened quickly, with the exception of Gad 2, offering plenty of room to explore and find untracked well into the morning and later, if you looked further afield.  The continued cold temps. kept the product soft and explosive all day, and will be great for tomorrow.  This has been such an incredible cycle,  giving us mid January conditions this far before Christmas.  I scoped out the Pucker Brush choke point today and it is still mighty scoured below the drop off with open reefs plainly visible.  There are access sections  to the right and left of center to get you around the dicey area, so just use care before you come smoking off the knoll.   I still have not ventured into Mineral basin, due to the lack of visibility, but I will be getting back there this week.  The Sun popped through the clouds today, now and again, to illuminate some great lines.  I think tomorrow will still be on the slow traffic side, letting you get the maximum vertical.  Here is a shot of my run into Great Scott first tram with absolutely no pressure.  I was able to take my camera out and take this shot and there was still no one dropping in.  Now that is rare.   Great turning!!!!   Peace Out!

Upper Cirque

The flakes were falling with lacy elegance all morning long.  I cleared 2” of fresh from the array so that any incoming downloads would be correctly assimilated into the crystal matrix.  Hard drives are so finicky.  Meanwhile, on the hill, the light fluff was building up slowly on top of the leftovers of yesterday’s wind storm.  Some faces were supportable and consistent, others, well… not so much.  I went for a low altitude, West facing shot in the trees, that I though would be prime, but I was greeted by heinous breakable covered in beautiful light density.  Lets just say I used almost all my bullets on that section as I dodged the oncoming trees without the solid center I usually carry.  I figured I had better stay on the smooth and predictable before I had an unfortunate situation.  It is better to return and ski another day.  The visibility was  pretty good, though the detail was very hard to discern, and the devil is in he details.  Again, after getting severely bounced by hidden features, I made my way back to the smooth.   I have yet to venture into Mineral Basin, but reviews are mixed, so I will wait for a better time to get the first hand look.   The snow continued building up slowly, making each run just that much softer as the day progressed.  Tomorrow will offer some stellar fresh lines, though the bottom will still be in play and the hidden features will still be problematic.  Tread with  a modicum of caution just for drill.  Just a low amplitude rumble is prevalent off trail, making any additional fresh a welcome addition.  This feels like mid January cover and conditions, and I will be soaking up the ambiance of the low traffic, before Christmas, lull in the overall traffic.  See you in the AM!!  IBBY!!

This morning was overcast with flat light and I was on the couch recharging after a big week of charging.  The Chef checked in with a first hand assessment of the day by saying that the ” vicious wind gusts pummeled the west facing slopes” and that visibility was a serious issue all the way to the bottom of the hill.  Mineral Basin opened for the first time this season, with Kazoodi telling me it was very breakable and inconsistent, not worth a second try.  The high wind also dropped the wind chill factor into the uncomfortable zone.  I am still sporting some serious frost bite damage left over from the other day, even though I had covered up, it got me, as the temp was sub zero and the wind was really stout.  The Tram went down due to wind, leaving the intrepid to brave the chairs.  The off trail was getting buffed by the wind, making the surface supportable and smooth.  Oh, I love the wind slab, one of my most favorite surfaces.  It is that surface I try to imagine when ripping perfect corduroy.  Wind grooming is decidedly superior, but our Grooming Crew nails the vintage feel admirably and dishes up some serious quality.   GROOVALICIOUS!!!  Snow is in the forecast for the overnight hours, so the new smooth supportable base will be covered with some righteous fresh for the early risers.  The mountain is filling in beautifully, so you can begin to hit all the lines of your choice with  high confidence and, perhaps some Unmitigated Audacity.  I will be there dark and early,  see you there.   Ciao!!!