6-26-13

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5-28-23

It was a Sunny Sunday, with some cooler overnight temps, which set up the front side of the hill a bit. Mineral Basin was ready for prime time from the get go ,with The Peruvian Gulch not far behind. Grooming was minimal and Regulator did not get the treatment, so it was not recommended. The break was perfect, offering some sumptuous sorbet sections that made those steep pitches feel like back country and I dialed back the speed to extract the maximum amount of juice from each turn.

There was great energy on the hill, with the stoke factor high and folks were in full Spring mode. The water feature at the base of Anderson’s Hill is open and ready for pond skimming for the grand wrap up. Tomorrow, look for another early break which will hold on at least till Noon before the sticky zone kicks in. See you there for the last day. Remain Standing!!!

5-26-23

The thunder was loud this morning and the rain was heavy on the skin of The Trailer, so I was debating about going up. It was blue sky in the west so I headed up and found already soft lines, and slick granular sugar to dial through. For the morning session, the snow was consistent, but became quite sticky later in the day.

There is still plenty of cover on the hill, with the cat tracks and flat areas still well covered and trustworthy. Full platform engagement could be played with, as the turn were easy to dial. Tomorrow, look for much the same as today, but with more of The Faithful getting the last of the turns. See you there for the festivities. Remain Standing!!

5-21-23

It is a very good thing we had a lot of snow this season, as the pack is going fast, but the cover is still excellent. Access lines are still rock free and there are no areas to negotiate on any side of the hill. Mineral Basin was the first to break, which was early and ready for prime time from the get go. The front side was breaking around 10AM, offering nicely prepared lines that became sorbet carpets as the break settled in. Full platform engagement was easy to feel on every turn when the pack hit the sweet spot.

There was fair traffic on the hill, with a large percentage of very strong skiers really taking advantage of the smooth conditions. I had to keep my head on a swivel to keep all fast movers in awareness.

I think there is plenty of snow pack to make it well worth being here for next weeks festivities. All cat tracks are still well covered with no problems top to bottom. Great music on the Plaza apres, with lots of high stoke to keep the party going. See you next week. Remain Standing!!

5-14-23

It was a soggy day for this, the last day of the regular operating season. The clouds hung low over the hill this morning, with showers on the hill, which made things a bit damp and the pack soft and wet. Traffic was very light, but there were still plenty of folks who showed up for the festivities. The clouds moved off as the lifts closed for the day and there was music and good times on the Plaza deck for the intrepid folks who were on hand for the wrap.

Thanks to all the members of the Snowbird Team for making this season turn. It was a relentless season, with more snow than the hill has ever seen, and all the team elements persevered to stay on top of the situation. We can look forward to this coming weekend, where more turns await, with plenty of snow pack to ply, and sweet turns to dial in. See you next weekend for the Spring fun. IBBY!!!

5-13-23

There was an unsettled sky today, with showers threatening most of the day. There were a few sprinkles here at The Trailer in the AM, and it was fairly balmy. Up on the hill, the Spring conditions were in full swing, with the break going off despite the clouds.

With all this snow we received this season, the pack is still in amazing shape with no melt off spots to deal with. The big sections are amazing, with smooth surfaces that are great after the break has gone off. Tomorrow, look for more excellent Spring conditions, more clouds in the forecast, and music on the Plaza deck apres ski. With some luck, we might see some Sun, we’ll just have to see how it shakes out. Dial in the Juice!!

5-12-23

It was cooler this morning with the Sun shining and only a super thin cloud deck filtering the rays. Mineral Basin was opened, which offered White Diamonds and other lines being nicely prepared. It was perfect right out of the chute on that side of the hill, but the front was just going to break shortly behind that. It was a matter of staying just ahead of the clock all morning long. Sorbet perfection was happening when the pack hit the sweet spot, letting you dial in full platform engagement on every turn. What a treat. Twin Peaks was open during a short window, and some very lucky folks got to hit it with perfect conditions.

The Woodward Park was open and buffed to perfection out in Mineral Basin. The kids were throwing down big time. Impressive moves in the air.

Tomorrow, look for more great Spring conditions on all sides of the hill. When the pack breaks, the off trail is excellent and fairly smooth, with only marginal static to affect the ride. The break should be a bit earlier as it was today, so be on deck for the best of the day. Speed Safely!!

5-11-23

There was a freeze overnight, with just a hint of light precipitation, which left a bit of velvet on the surface of things. Early Trams offered quite firm lines, but the Grooming effort was very consistent, and had some tenderized sections that helped with the traction. I took an early Forklift stop to let softening occur. It did not take long at all for the pack to break, offering that sorbet window that let you dial in those dial-o-matic turns.

After the break in the pack, it was not long until it morphed into the Shlurpie stage, but the higher elevation pitches were offering lines that made staying up high advantageous. Tomorrow, look for Mineral Basin to be in the mix, which promises to have some big mountain smooth lines waiting. With the South and East facing aspects back there, the break should be right and ready for the opening bell. I think the Woodward Park might be open, so look for some folks throwing down out there. See you there for the Spring delights. Keep it tight!!

5-10-23

A high cloud deck hung over the Front, creating a very flat light day. With all the cloud cover, there was just a light freeze, which broke early and provided a soft and silky feel. The grooming crew did a great job of making the consistency smooth and predictable with the lack of detail the light produced. Tenderized lines helped on the very early morning laps. Traffic was light and back to back Trams were easy to make.

As the day progressed, the Sun kind of burned through the cloud deck, adding needed detail. Tomorrow, look for more great Spring conditions, with a short sorbet window that is worth being on deck to dial in. IBBY!!!

5-09-23

It was a balmy morning, with bright Sun, still air, and firm lines for the morning session. A light dusting had been left on the hill, which added just a hint of traction on the smooth lines. A big shout out to the Grooming Crew for making such consistent carpets to dial in. When those carpets break, they are just insanely silky and smooth. Around 11AM the break began, offering the amazing sorbet hour that lets you dial in that full platform engagement, which makes you feel like you can do no wrong. As the pack broke, the off trail got very nice, with the static and rumble easily negotiated with a deliberate approach.

Tomorrow, look for more smooth lines on the hill, with, perhaps, the same time frame for the break. Of course, that all hinges on weather it is overcast in the AM. Clouds are in the forecast, but I am holding my visualizations for another sunny start. Traffic is light, and walk on Trams are happening back to back. Great to max out the vertical. A leisurely start to the day is no problem, with the break happening around 11 to 12:30PM, after which the pack gets rather sticky. Keep it tight!!

5-08-23

It was a fun Spring day, with a fair overnight freeze, excellent industrial smoothing efforts, and excellent visibility thanks to clear skies and Sunshine. The opening hour was very crispy, but by 9AM, a bit of softening was beginning to add some silky traction to the mat. There was light traffic, and back to back Trams were easy to make. By 11:00AM, the break was on and so began the sorbet hour, which offered consistency that made each turn a full platform engagement experience. Some nice tenderizing had been done, so, even with the firm early pack, there was some tooth to the mat that let you keep things in check.

Tomorrow, look for a similar break as today, with perhaps a dusting with any passing impulse that sneaks by. Expect light traffic as well, so max vertical will be easy to dial in. That big break should be in the 11 AM window. Straight Ahead!!