Monday was sunny and windy for the morning session, with the North facing groomers offering the best of the choices, featuring dry chalky firmness down to the bottom 1000′ where things got quite crispy indeed.  Upper Primrose Path had been given a rare mow from the Peruvian traverse turning up the cold snow and creating a satin finish, which was continually scrubbed by the stout South wind that still jammed down hill.  At times it seemed that I was standing still as I was matching the speed of the wind, so the swirls of dust just hung around my knees obscuring the deck.  I just had to trust the smoothness and go with what I knew to be there… Maybe.  On the Lower third of the hill the Grooming crew punched a fresh line down Adager for the first time of the year, and a rarity at that.  Now, the bottom of the hill was very crispy requiring a deliberate approach to hang on the frozen shear.  Adager, being significantly steep, tested your edge control and commitment to the fall line, and did not begin to soften until 12:30 PM when the sorbet-like shavings gave extra purchase and grace on that big mountain drop.  You would have to hike long and far to get close to anything like that kind of ripping terrain, and here we have it right there and lift serviced.   How do we rate?   Nice touch, and kudos to the Cat Crew!!!  The lights went out at 1:00PM as the storm began to move into the area with the promise of freshies for tomorrow.  The upper mountain has smoothed out with the reduced traffic and windage, so additional sauce will be good to go for the faithful who make the effort.  Many of the chairs are now closed for the season condensing the uphill choices significantly, so there will be additional pressure for the remaining lifts.  Mineral Basin is looking smoother now, and is offering excellent grooming with the big drops  getting really nice as they soften, so don’t forget about that option.   See you there dark and early.   IBBY!!!

The wind was once again rocking the trailer all night long, this time I had set up the supports to take the pressure.  Good to Go!.  The Tram went off with no problems, though the wind was kicking out of the South with gusto.  There was minimal transport as most of the snow was securely nailed down and not likely to be moved to the North exposures.  The snow that did get lifted began to lightly cover Silver Fox and Upper Primrose Path, but it did not cover the low amplitude rumble that resided there.  I gave it a shot just to get a first hand sense of it, but my knees just said ” Negatory Good Buddy” and I did not return, which is not to say that it was not good: your knees might speak differently.  The Sun was shrouded all day with only the Infrared rays penetrating the cover to soften the pack later in the afternoon.  Chips, Anderson’s, Chips variation gave me the best lines, with dry chalky buff down to the last 600′ where the frozen reality kicked in full on.  Just some careful shwagging got you down that last bit in fine shape, so rapid back to back laps were happening all morning until the Forklift Chair beckoned.  Full Sun affected softness went off around 2:00 PM as the wind prevented any accumulation of ambient heat during the day.  Tomorrow look for very light traffic and new snow arriving,which can only help the edge-ability.  Visibility could be a bit problematic, but that is part of the fun.  See you on first boat!   Ciao!!

Saturday morning was good to go right out of the chute, with the Peruvian Groomers providing a hydro velvet consistency top to bottom.. Lower Primrose  had been given the grooming nod with an extra wide push to the left, turning up the cold dry chalky snow that lay just under the shallow Sun affected layer.  It felt like caressing the soft nap on your favorite velour leisure suit.  Come on now,  even George Costanza has one of those.  The first few runs I let loose, with only sun glasses for eye protection, and by the time I got to the Anderson’s drop I could not see through the tears blurring my vision.  Fortunately the buff job was silky smooth with no surprises, enabling me to make the fade toward the Primrose Path shot that had been worked from the very top.  I let ” THE CHEF” sample Mineral Basin as I kept working the front side goods, and he came back with word that it had not yet gone off, so I just kept lapping the vacant delight.  Regulator was Groomed, but was crispy and glazed, so you don’t want to even look there until the Sun start doing the thing it does.  1:00PM seems to be the magic time that the softening goes off on the frozen aspects.  I must mention, that the off trail is quite challenging on most aspects, with  the South facing getting more realistic as the Sun softens the crud.  The High North is still acceptable, though the low amplitude rumble keeps me off those sections.  Tomorrow look for the High North faces to still be holding the last remnants of cold snow, but the lower elevations will definitely be crispy.  A later start would not be a bad idea as we move into this spring cycle and the warm days dig deeper into the snow pack.  There is snow in the forecast which will be a nice addition to the festivities.  See you all early for the crispy runs, because I likes it crispy, but that is just me!!! IBBY!!

Friday morning was cold and clear considering the forecast called overcast skies. The North facing Groomers had a cold dry chalky consistency, which got progressively firmer as  the elevation dropped.  Regulator was firm as well waiting for the Sun to begin softening the surface, which it finally did after 1:00PM. There was enough loose snow to get a solid edge into, so total avoidance was not necessary.  The off trail was a different matter, where the aspects had been worked by the Sun over the last couple of days.  The cold air slowed the softening process and preserved the cold chalk well into the afternoon.  A fast moving impulse moved through, bringing a brief snow flurry that came and went before I could change back to goggles after I had just went for the casual sun glass look.  After the flurry, the temp. moved up, beginning the full softening process.  This was most apparent in Mineral Basin were the South exposures began to soften nicely offering smooth carve-ability on the Groomers.   Regulator also got the sweet softness going, with the groomed section maintaining the smooth ride  top to bottom.  Big Emma finally broke around 1:00PM offering a longer decent than by passing it.  Tomorrow look for continued quality on the North facing Groomers  with the South, West, and lower elevations presenting rather crusty conditions.  Mineral Basin will begin softening first with the Sun working from the first rays of dawn.  Big Emma will also be crispy, though they may run a re till to create better traction.  It is that time of the season, so work the sun and, perhaps, test out the North facing for the last remaining cold chalk, then move back to get the softening aspects as they develop.  The forecast is for a beautiful day tomorrow, so get the most out of it and don’t feel that the morning is a wash out because there will be options that will surprise you.  I’ll be there early since we were denied that one day.   See you there!!!   TTFN!!

Thursday morning was clear cold and quiet after the last week.  The Groomers were, as anticipated, dry, cold, and chalky as the machines tilled the high density snow.  The mountain had resisted the full onslaught of the Sun after the latest installment, so the quality was  excellent top to bottom.  Off trail, however, the situation was variable , with the High North exposures holding the cold softness, though the density required a bit more aggression to blast through.   Mineral Basin opened with  the faithful crowding the rope line awaiting the drop.  This area had been getting worked by the Sun and wind over the last days, and attention to aspect paid big dividends in route selection.  Of  course, the High North facing aspects featured the best quality and that seemed to be the focus of the crowd that had assembled.  Many seekers dropped early into the due East facing, while others turned the corner sampling White Diamonds with it’s more set up offering.  The rest rushed the traverse pushing the slower seekers to get after it.  The relatively low turn out kept the line on the chair minimal enabling a rapid turnaround for another turn at the expansive untracked that stretched beyond the Hillary Step.  Very nice sliding was on tap for quite a while before it was tracked out.   Tiger Tail and Thunder Bowl were the next areas to be released to the faithful, who moved into the far reaches to get the smooth exotic shots that lay out that far. Again, it did not last long, but the North facing aspect kept the snow soft and cold out there for most of the day.  Tomorrow look for the Groomers to be the call for the warm up runs and will continue to be good all day.  The High North faces will still be cold and dry albeit a bit stiff with the slow morphing effect.  There will be some clouds moving in, which could possibly turn the lights off, but don’t let that throw you.  This time of the season, use your sense of aspect to get the best of the hill.  I’ll  see you tomorrow.  Ciao!!!

After all the drama connected with yesterday’s shut down  of the slopes and canyon, Thursday morning dawned with postcard perfect blue sky, deep piled powder from heaven, and a clear road to get to the dream whip.  The faithful had called in all the re enforcements to deal with the wall to wall frosting.  Indeed they wasted no time slathering the mounted up goodness.  Now, it certainly was not the ultra light fluff of Sunday’s offering, but the buoyant consistency made each turn a dream come true.  The mountain opened promptly with the usual areas opening in succession, giving the hungry participants the next portion of sweet dessert.  With the Sun high in the sky, it was not long before the rays began to work the leftovers, thickening and baking the cream into a less than optimum consistency.  The High North and Shaded areas resisted this process as the day drew on,  and there were plenty of hidden lines to be found if you looked around a bit.  Little Cloud opened with beautiful snow wall to wall.  It seemed a shame to mare such a perfect picture as the Twins towered majestically over the perfection, but we came here to partake of the wonder and wonderful it was.  Once again the energy level was high test fuel, accelerating the seekers to perform some serious shredage.  I was taking it all in as I rode the tram and moved across the traverses, it was like my own private ski movie burning into my permanent memory. When I am in the Home, and the tubes are coming out of my nose, I will have these images to reflect on, but that is well in the future and there are so many more shots to down load.   Tomorrow look for Mineral Basin to open, as it remained closed today.  The High North aspects will still hold the cold for another day with soft crud.   The Groomers will be very nice with the heavier density snow creating a perfect ride.  Watch the highly exposed shots, which will be grabby and crunchy and less than fabulous.  I think the heavy push for the goods is over, though Friday is usually a fairly busy day, but you can get as much as you can take regardless.  See you in the AM.  and I hope you had a great day if you were there; you will be talking about it for years!!!  Peace Out.

Well, well, well… When the waves get too big, no one goes out and no one was going out or up today.  I was eagerly waiting for the Go sign, but it never came.  The site was saying that inter lodge and straight line travel was the only activity on the hill today with, perhaps, Chickadee chutes opening for a short time.   The mountain itself remained closed all day, so I can not speak with any informed information, though I will speculate that it was huge.  When The North Shore gets too big the breaks close out, leaving no paddle in access.  Since this is the North Shore  ” 7 Mile Miracle” of the ski world, I think it fitting to use the same metaphor in this particular instance.  Closed Out- condition Black.. These times only happen rarely and this will be one of the legends that we will talk about 10 or so years down the line when we say… ” Oh yeah, remember that cycle in 2010, where you here for that one?”.   Or some thing along those lines.  Kind of exciting and chilling at the same time.  The Sun has been peaking out, here at the Trailer, all day with periods of light snow, and I think of the earlier times when the speculation was  that it was over for the year.  I never had any doubts, but this exceeds my expectations soundly.  I think we will be able to get back up for tomorrow, but check the reports for access.   I get my info the same as everyone else, so we are all in it together.  See you tomorrow, knowing that it is still untrammeled.   Peace Out!!

The pounding wind ahead of the storm front was really rocking the trailer this Monday morning.  I was excited to get after it as I anticipated wind transported smoothness on the High North faces that were getting a touch lumpy, and I was looking forward to a magic carpet ride.  The wind, however, was rocking the Tram as well rendering it a NO GO for the morning session.  The Peruvian chair got going in good order, offering smoothness of an excellent sort.  The few faithful who showed up were ripping the perfectly smooth shots with unmitigated audacity, as well they should given the dessert topping consistency of the dense cold gropple.  The top was accessible by the Little Cloud chair with Great Scott and the Upper Cirque shaping up in perfect wind loaded buffage.  Oh, the energy was high octane, as the Round the Worlders kept enduring the wind pounding of the slow chair ride back up to once again taste the rarity of uncrowded, unpressured spreadability.  The Peruvian chair continued to provided rapid access to the goods, but the treasure was the High North drops. Gad 2 , as well, offered great tree sliding, with the wind filling in the bump features and offering better visibility from the trees.  Great stuff all around.  As the front moved in around 12:00 Noon, lightning became a concern and the lifts were put on hold until the frontal passage.  I had to bail with the uncertain timing to re level the trailer that had been rocked off one of the supports.  Level trailer, level head… right?  Anyway, it knocks the dishes out of correct orientation for the profuse data down load I have been getting lately.  I wont bore you with the details, but suffice to say I wont let them keep me away from the hill in the AM.  Tomorrow, be sure to check the road accessibility due to the storm, because it is going to be big!!!     IBBY!!

That’s right folks, don’t touch that dial as we are in the cross hairs of the Pacific flow.  Sunday morning presented a fluffatudinous delight for the few attendees, who were treated to uncrowded slopes and fully 2 hours of free access to, arguably, the lightest sauce of the season.  Yesterday’s heavy traffic worked the runs, developing a low amplitude rumble underneath the fresh installment, making the formerly smooth shots a bit more interesting with blower deep consistency top to bottom.  The Groomed runs offered smooth running with the freshness like dust on a cloud.  The Tram line backed off with the low traffic and Mineral Basin opening the Path to Paradise,  which spread the traffic out evenly.   Untracked lines were still readily available at 11:00AM. as  more of the faithful began arriving during the 11-1:00Pm window, backing the Tram up to a 3 tram wait.  I opted to take advantage of the walk on chairs and kept lapping around to place fresh tracks next to the one’s I had just put down.  No pressure, no hype; what a rarity it was to have the space to enjoy the incredible lightness of skiing without the full court press that usually goes with this kind of a day.  The Sun was beginning to affect the direct exposures as 1:00 PM approached, though a high cloud deck began to obscure the full intensity of the Sun that was sporting a huge, vivid, rainbow ring around it, signaling weather 4 to 7 days out.  Now, a large system is moving in for Monday- Tuesday, so a sign like that means  good things to come for the next while.  The harbor chop began to rise up as the day progressed, but the cold temps. refrigerated the product keeping the cold smoke billowing from the shredders, hanging in the air for a long time like fairy dust.  It was particularly cool to see it back lit by the Sun as the rays shown down on Regulator.  Tomorrow look for continued great conditions with most shots holding up well with the winter like powder.  The fresh Groomers will also be special if you have had your fill of the crud, but either way it is all good to go.  Keep thinking deep thoughts and keep the cycle rolling.   Peace Out!!

Saturday morning was cold, cold, cold as I got an early start up the canyon.  Clouds and fog hung low over the hill, looking like there might be a bonanza up high.  The faithful were wasting no time getting a jump on the traffic.  Everything was on hold, with high winds and the Tram and chairs delayed.  With only the lower Gad chairs scheduled to open, I made a hasty retreat back to the home 1020 to keep my usual day off.  I had ventured up to get at least a couple early runs, but saw that resistance was futile.  As the day progressed the moderate clearing moved in, so I am sure things got going in good time, with the new snow and wind transported treasures to be found.   The overcast sky prevented the Sun from working on the good quality, leaving the winter like conditions preserved for Sunday.  The South aspects in Mineral Basin did get touched a bit, creating some slabby, breakable conditions on those faces, so beware of that.  The rest of the hill should continue to have fairly smooth shots, with the High North aspects benefiting from this heavy wind.  Tomorrow look for the closed areas to be opening and continued good conditions wall to wall.  I will be there for the first Boat so see you then.   Ciao!!