Tuesday morning was the one we were waiting for.  11% moisture content made for some very silky untracked runs, with the bottom still playing a role.  The wind was howling out of the West, transporting the lions share of the snow to the North and East facing.  These exposures were significantly deeper to the tune of knee deep.  Staying with the smooth shots got best results as the bumps were still in play.  The Faithful decided it was finally worth their while to make the effort, getting the big pay off  with goods to go.  Every shot was getting attention, uncovering the rastiness below, and knocking all the air out of it.  Strong work by the Team!!.  Mineral Basin was deep as well with variable visibility in the AM. , and getting some relief with an afternoon clear off.  The Strong wind set up all of the West facing, requiring a solid fall line approach to keep the speed up in the blast zone.  The density of the snow will be Spacklicious when it gets fully worked into place ahead of the next storm coming soon.  The dreaded ” harbor chop’ came up after 1:00PM with only one way to deal with it.  That would be, for me , slow and round.  The constant jarring plays havoc with my knees, so I called it good after 2:00 PM. and made a hasty retreat to the couch, where I am certain I can’t get hurt.  Some of the wind drifts were totally knee wrenching, and I felt fortunate to have escaped injury.  The, previously, scoured areas are still sporting massive reefage just below the new snow, so be aware of those entrances that were iffy just yesterday.  After this installment that will become less of an issue and the next round will provide yet another layer  of cushion.   Tomorrow will be an in between day I think and I will be looking for the outside shots that had been ignored in the variable light.  The Groomers should be soft and spreadable for the early risers.  I have been warding off the Messages From the BIG GIANT HEAD , but there is a point of no return on that score, so I will deal with it as it comes.  I’ll keep you posted.  Ciao for now.   IBBY!!!

There was a full inch of ultra light fluff on the trailer this morning and I had to brush off the array to get things going.  First Tram was not full and there were back to back trams available all day. 7” of 7% graced the hill with a tendency to bond to the hard pan underneath, though the bottom was fully in play.  I re traced all the lines I have been working all last week to assure a fairly smooth line.  The Wind was howling on the peak moving the product around, giving here taking there.   The new snow certainly helped the  situation , however, it as not enough to cover the hazards that lay just underneath the surface.  The sound of P-Tex on rock was plentiful as the faithful, who were in very low numbers, went after every last shred of fresh to be had.  I could not believe the shots that were getting hammered, or more accurately, the seekers were getting worked by the full on dry reef in all the usual places.  The West facing is totally crunchy underneath the new snow giving you a very bouncy ride.  the Cirque Traverse has been really stripped by the wind and traffic, especially down by the snow fence.  Use extreme caution as you get to that area.  Mineral Basin was a white out for most of the day with just a hint of sun peaking through for moments at a time.  As the day wore on the groomers had the harbor chop developing with a piles and tiles pattern making a long neutral turn applicable.  At 2:30 PM my knees were feeling the strain so I bailed to save them from wrenching of the harbor chop.  More snow is forecast for tonight , so check the road report in the AM.  The wind was blowing hard out of the South transporting the fresh to the North facing and hollows every where.   Look for the deep pockets in those areas.  It will be interesting to see if the faithful show up for the next batch,  as they shined today.  That was good for us.  I just caught a look at the Radar, and it looks promising.  See you in the AM.  IBBY!!

Driving up out of the shmegma this morning revealed a sunny and warm morning with very little traffic on the road as well as the hill. First tram was not full and walk on trams were available all day if you did not drag your feet.   The North and North East facing exposures still provide the strong goods with the deteriorating snow settling in for soft edging in long fingers of buff.  The edges of major runs are the place to find the smooth lines away from the bumps and the extra material pushed off by the constant traffic.  There is not much pressure for any of the goods, letting you take your time and draw out the turns for maximum feeling.  The warm day did loosen up the South facing  shots expanding the choices which are there to be found.  Tomorrow will still be busy, but I don’t think the lines will reflect the crowd.  Get there early for the excellent grooming surfaces where you have a race ready run set up just for you.   New sauce is being simmered in the approaching pattern on our door stop with the first wave moving in tomorrow.  I think this round is going to start off wet with the Spackle effect.  See you there for the early laps!!!

No change in the overall conditions this Saturday with firmness the rule.  The smooth treads are still holding up with continued deterioration to the smoothness factor making those spots the go to places for as long as they last.  The Groomers  dug up some rocks on Anderson’s Hill, dragging debris down the fall line creating a hazard for the bottom of your tools.  Watch for that area.  The entrances to the big shots still pose problems with Scott and Silver Fox  particularly gnarly.  The Holiday crowd has arrived, out numbering the locals by a huge margin.  Walk on trams  are still going off, but with full loads more prevalent.  I am sure this will continue through out the week end.  Keep looking for the North and North East facing shots for the best lines.  Bumps on the lower mountain are well established with only the groomers to get you around them.  I don’t have too much to add today, so I’ll see you in the AM!!

Friday morning dawned with sunshine to start things off.  Mineral Basin offered the full on rock fest.  The Groomers were a bit chunky, though it skied well and fast.  No traffic on the Tram was the rule all day with only occasional full cars.  All of the smooth lines held up through out the day , but were beginning to show signs of  continued traffic with the shavings producing some wonderful buffage  to set the edge into.    MMMM  MMMM good!.  I kept hitting the spots to get the most out of them while they held up.  Great is great,  I keep saying that but it is no less true.  Look for those threads tomorrow as they are still good for ,at least, another day.  The South and South West facing have gotten continually stiffer and punchy.  West facing is quite crunchy and is not giving way to persuasion.   I will not be there tomorrow so I leave the goods to you.  New sauce is on the way, just you wait and enjoy the relaxed pace and great lines that are holding up just for you.  Go get it!!!

What a difference  1” can make overall.  Thursday morning looked a bit dubious if you were to go by looking out the window.   The trailer had a slight dusting on it, indicating something happened over night. The parking lot had a solid quarter inch, so I was not hoping for much.  Just goes to show you how wrong you can be.  That little 1 inch dusting made the grip so much better.  Staying with the lines from yesterday paid off and they held up all day as very light traffic did not put pressure on the buffed.  A cloud moved up the canyon reducing the visibility in various locations.  The top half of the hill tended to stay in the sun with the bottom whited out.  Mineral Basin stayed in the sun all the time with the North facing  exposures still holding up with smooth wind slab.  When conditions get this spotty great lines can still be found if you look for it and can find greatness in surfaces other than powder.  Good is good, it is just a mater of degree.  Back to back trams held up all day, as well, getting max vertical for those pushing that agenda.  I skied Shot 12 in the Upper Cirque for the first time this season.  The cover was pretty good with some reefage in the middle section.  The apron was smooth and chalky giving you the back country experience.  This section is certainly  doable now  with extreme caution required to stay out of the rocks.  I had fun there and I will go back, but this section is not a slam dunk yet, though worth the look.  Tomorrow will provide those same lines holding up early with deterioration a possibility if they get excessive pressure, but I don’t see it.  Mineral will be good again with the best sun illumination.  Traffic will still be light so get there early for the vacant Trams and open slopes.  See you  then.   Ciao!!!

The weather Dude predicted a cloudy day for this Wednesday, not so.  Only high clouds diffused the sunlight making the shadows flat with very little definition. The wind overnight scoured the West facing and transported this material to the other side.  Smooth hard wind slab was the reward for looking with the inner sense.  These few sections of goodness made the entire day. I ended up staying long into the afternoon taking advantage of the rarity.  The clouds only began moving in during the last hour of the day.  The smooth sections held up well all day with very light traffic.  There were only 18 folks on the first Tram,  again feeling like a private resort.  The clouds should be here for sure by the morning with light snow in the forecast.  I still am on the first boat patrol, but lallygagging will be just fine if you can’t find the motivation.  We will understand.  Remember all those ragged sections that have been scraped clean over the last week.  As the new snow gets placed  you will want to give those spots a wide margin.  Mineral Basin remains a good call for the morning session, however, the South facing aspects have been affected by the sun in the recent past giving them a Styrofoam type consistency.   Light traffic should persist until there is the requisite amount of sauce.   Take advantage of the slack.  See you first Boat!!!  Out!!

The wind was howling out of the South this Tuesday morning with warm temps.and quasi Sun shine.  The Mineral Basin was closed  first thing this morning forcing an assault on the front side.  Things had firmed up significantly over night, but the wind was transporting the snow, that was not nailed down, into the low areas making those areas soft and sweet.  It was good to look around to find those deposits of goodness.   No traffic this morning on the Tram and a back to back schedule gave the feeling of a private club.   Fast, fun, and furious was the feeling all morning with the sun breaking through the high deck shedding light on the subject.  The strong South wind was howling at your back  giving you unreal Turbo Boost!!!  Hang on Nellie!!  You did have to work for the fun today, but we found it as the day warmed and softened as the morning wore on.  The lights really went out at Noon with the cloud deck filling in wall to wall.  Tomorrow look for those North East  and lea exposures to have gathered some frosting with the wind.  The visibility will be a factor still to be determined.  A change is coming and I heard the weather guy say he though the second half of January would be wet…. Hmmmm… Could be could be, lets just keep hoping.   Take advantage of this low traffic time, it is fun to have that much elbow room on the Bucket. See you in the AM.   Ciao for now !!!

The canyon was closed until 8:30 AM. this Monday morning letting the early risers sleep in, no sense in hurrying up to wait.  Blue sky and mild temps.  were the rule all day with super low traffic and wide open slopes.  The Mineral Basin was the call first off with the full on sunshine and Groomed runs making  it the place to be while the front of the hill remained in the dark.  The North aspects out in  The Basin were dry and chalky with low bumps and areas of wind slab.  I took quite a few laps out there to take advantage of the wind slab rarity.  If you have been following this site you will have noticed I go for the different kinds of perfect where ever I find them and ski the heck out of it.  I was hearing a lot of grumbling about the lack of snow , but I could not help but think that they were missing the point.  Granted it is not deep and fluffy, however, low traffic, walk on Trams, smooth wind slab, and sunny skies still add up to a rippin’ good time, at least for me.  The Sun is still working the softness on the South West aspects, so look for that after Noon.  The strainer sections of runs have been stripped clean and present problems in the middle of  many of them,  Pucker Brush being a prime example.   Check things out from the Tram and the chairs to get a sense of the complexion of the what you have in mind.  The West facing is still firm with low traffic keeping those shots fairly smooth.  Take care on the Cirque Travers as it is getting tricky in numerous places.  Tomorrow will be much the same with high clouds moving in ahead of some weather.  Keep you fingers crossed.  See you dark and early.  No sleeping in!!  IBBY!!

As anticipated, Sunday morning was ultra fast and quiet on the first 5 boats, making the conditions perfect for some super sonic flights.  The wings were working just fine pulling into the fall line and loading up for maximum R&R.  By 11:00 AM the Trams got full, though walk on Trams persisted making it easy to do back to backs.  It got too crowded for the Wings, so I put them back in the hanger until tomorrow.  There will be a canyon closure from 7:00AM.  until 8:30 Monday morning , so plan accordingly.   I do not know why, but whatever.  The North facing is very nice on most aspects.  The bumps are building only on the most popular aspects leaving the other sections fairly smooth and edge-able.  Nice, dry, and chalky lines are easy to find.  The wind has worked it’s magic  in many areas creating smooth lines in many locations.  Check them out from the Tram as you go up or scope them out from the chairs.  The punch -ability factor is gone now with solid support for your most dialed in turn.  It is easy to see the hazards now, making them avoidable for the most part.  The Sun is beginning to get higher in the sky now with the South East aspects softening as the morning warms up.  Those same soft areas will be a touch crispy in the AM., so take that into consideration by holding off until softening occurs.  The Groomers are getting scraped off by 1:00 PM leaving those touchy slick spots a fly in the butter.  I think it is about time to bring out some new sticks.  I won’t know how to act with real edges, though I suspect I will miss the loose characteristics of a heavily used ski.  The overall cover is excellent with snow making still in full effect.   Regulator was getting the treatment this morning , making the snow under the guns soft and sweet.  The flat light in the morning makes the visibility a challenge until the Sun gets higher.  Just when Reg. gets sunny in the AM. the Daylight savings thing pushes us back into the dark for a while.   See you all dark and early.  Ciao for now.  Peace Out!!