6-26-13

A Guide to Big Mountain Skiing by Jackson
Hogen and Guru Dave Powers


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5-01-24

It was a cold morning, with a stiff breeze and Sun coming out from behind the clouds that were moving off rapidly. Mineral Basin was offering the Sun and best chance for early softening, but I was interested in the smooth prepared lines in Peruvian Gulch with no traffic, and the promise of some tenderization efforts on the lower mountain. Visibility was quite good in the AM on the front side as the Sun is much higher in the sky to start out the day, so top to bottom, back to back Trams were the attraction. Jake went on a long traverse to Living The Dream to access a Lewis and Clark experience with no one around and smooth corn wall to wall.

When the break finally went off, the sorbet quality was a special treat, with carving lines that did not disappoint. With the cold temps, the great quality held up a very long time, finally breaking after 1:30Pm on Regulator. It is fun to chase the Sun around the hill and get the goods coming and going. Tomorrow, look for more cold temps in the AM and another slow brake in the pack. Nice light traffic to keep the stoke high. See the line, Be the line!!!

4-30-24

It was quite cold this morning, with bright Sun, a brisk breeze and very firm lines. Mineral Basin was offering prepared lines, including White Diamonds, which was smooth, crisp, and fast. It would take a bit to break. On the front of the hill, Chips, Anderson’s and Who Done It was very firm, but the corduroy was covered by a light dusting, which was untracked, smooth and a perfect addition to the morning fun.

The break began around 11:30AM and continued to improve slowly as the temps remained cool. It hit the sorbet stage and was a real treat to get the full platform engagement out of each turn. Tomorrow, look for another cool morning, firm pack to start. Mineral will be offering the early break, but I expect the front of the hill to hold off again for quite a while. Coverage remains excellent and tenderizing efforts are being performed on certain lines on the hill. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!!

4-29-24

It was raining at entry 1 this morning, but changed to snow as I parked the car to begin today’s festivities. There was light traffic, and a dusting of fresh snow on the dance floor, which had prepared lines that were fun and fast. In Mineral Basin, the visibility was difficult, but White Diamonds had been given the smoothing treatment and was offering nice turns to begin the day. On the front of the hill, the prepared lines were quite firm, however, the fresh cover added a wonderful silky feel. With most folks moving to Mineral Basin, first tracks was a total plus and there was no one around to distract the focused attention on the goodness.

The pack broke quickly as the morning warmed and the precipitation came to a stop. That fresh addition became like glue as the temps and filtered sun worked the pack and made for some interesting variations on the lower mountain. Tomorrow, look for more great spring conditions, with freshly tilled lines and wide open sections. I will be looking for more White Diamonds turns to kick off the morning laps. There is plenty of cover and there are no areas of melt off, so dialing in the mojo is good to go. Speed Safely!!

4-28-24

It looked like the visibility might break, but the fog really set in making visibility a real challenge for the morning session. I stuck to the trees on the front side, looking for reference and the known smooth lines that had been prepared. While the prepared lines were smooth and trustworthy, they were frozen solid, with a light dusting on the dance floor that gave a bit of traction. Keeping the pace under control was key, as getting spanked by a stray bit of Gnarl was not a good idea. As the morning wore on, the ambient temps let the pack break, leaving some very nice turning on the softening pack.

Great tunes were on tap on The Plaza for Plazapalooza, making for a very festive vibe. Tomorrow, look for some better visibility, lots of top to bottom fun, Mineral Basin laps, and more Spring corn goodness. Scope out the lines for some nice smooth that beginning to develop as the traffic backs off. Remain Standing!!

4-27-24

It was raining in the valley, which was totally socked in, and clear and sunny up on the hill to start the day. There was 3 or 4 inches of fresh frosting overnight, with some deeper amounts on the West aspects. The quality was soft and spreadable, with the lower substrate in play, but the density cushioned the ride as I anticipated yesterday. Clouds moved up after the first hour or so making the visibility go south quickly. There was a fair push for the early Trams, but everyone headed for the Mineral Chair thinning the crowd on the front side.

Tomorrow, look for a tad more accumulation, with some more flurries and visibility issues in the AM. I will be looking for the prepared lines, which will have had the freshness tilled into the mat. I expect some nice carving material to work for the first hours of the morning. Clearing skies are predicted, so visibility may well improve as the day moves forward. Be sure to stick around for the Plazapalooza festivities, with music and good vibrations. I am looking forward to another great week of Spring sliding and low traffic. Stay Frosty!

4-26-24

There was only a few inches of high density frosting to start the day, which went a long way to cushioning the pack. With the recent light traffic, the pack has smoothed out significantly and the prepared lines were offering trustworthy smoothness to make the difficult visibility more manageable. The heavy precipitation began after Noon, which added a lot more to the day.

Tomorrow, look for more fresh frosting for the morning offerings. The off trail should be offering much better feel with the high density cushioning the pack. I expect quite a bit higher traffic on the hill. There may be some visibility issues as well as the system is still moving through and will be for the next day or so. Enjoy the late April addition and resurfacing for more corn goodness next week. IBBY!!1

4-25-24

It was clear this morning ahead of a storm system that was moving into the Front. The early risers got the goods with some nice corn lines with very little traffic. It was not going to be long till the clouds moved in and darkened the dance floor. The break pattern was consistent with the last couple of days, but as the Sun became covered that timing was skewed.

Tomorrow, look for a very stormy day, with snow in the forecast, difficult visibility and challenging conditions off the prepared lines. Stick with the known smooth and check the grooming report for updates on the day’s prepared lines. This system could bring some significant accumulation, so enjoy this next installment.

A huge thanks to all my friends who sent their “Day Of” shots to me so I could share them with all of you and give you a more accurate vision of the real conditions. Thanks Mikey M, Diamond Dave, Mark Herath, Kevin Canton, Jake and all the rest who have contributed so greatly to the Site, the energy, and stoke that is brought by the images you share. Keep it tight!!!

4-24-24

Though the break had begun in Mineral Basin, which was offering good corn lines early on, but there was a brisk cold breeze blowing which really slowed the break on the rest of the hill. The front of the hill was going to have to wait for softening to occur. When the front of the hill did break, the quality was sorbet perfect and the Cirque apron was deluxe followed by a great line on Anderson’s Hill. Lower Chips face was a nice transition on the bottom of the hill and kept me doing back to back laps till I ran out of gas.

Tomorrow, look for changing weather as a couple of Low Pressure systems begin to move into the front. The forecast is for some significant precipitation and snow fall on the hill. I will be checking out the sky in the AM and may just bail on the day if it is not going to SUN. The pack may break, but it will be slow. Stick with the prepared lines for the best sliding. Coverage is excellent with plenty of lines to keep you occupied, but use care. IBBY!!!

4-23-24

The temps were warmer this morning with a peak temp of 34 Degrees, which was not enough to put a hard freeze on the pack. It was sorbet perfect right out of the Chute, with the prepared lines offering full platform engagement and as silky feel that was just a delight. I worked laps in Mineral Basin to take advantage of the Sun softening and get it before it went away. The Front of the hill was offering similar consistency, with smooth prepared lines top to bottom and a few passes that had been retilled just prior to opening. Stunning quality and was, to me, just as good as powder in perfection. Yikes.

With the warmth, the break was fast and it did not take long for the pack to get very soft, so I bailed early. Tomorrow, I think we might get some more Sun in the AM. but I expect that weather to begin moving in for the next few days with snow in the forecast. I’ll be looking for those prepared lines for the back country smooth feel and experience. It is so much fun to be able to dial in some corn goodness. See the line, BE the line!!

4-22-24

It was still pretty cool this morning, with a breeze blowing keeping the break from going off too fast, but when the wind stopped the break happened very quickly. Mineral Basin was offering the softest quality from the word GO and there was a lot of stoke for the smooth lines that were fun to really get after. That due South aspect just above the the Mineral Basin Chair was back country delightful and let you dial in a round sweet feeling run top to bottom. A real treat to start out the day. On the front of the hill, it took a bit longer for the break to go off, but dialing in the tenderized lines offered the best traction and quality turns.

Tomorrow, look for the beginnings of changes in the weather for the rest of the week. We’ll have to see if there is cloud cover, but I am hopeful for another sunny morning for the continuation of the Spring quality.

Coverage remains excellent top to bottom with great lines on all sides of the hill. Mark Malu and Regulator are the last to break, so keep that in the back of your mind for timing of line choices. IBBY!!!