10 inches of medium density Essence fell late yesterday and overnight, covering the hill in a blanket of the most succulent frosting imaginable.  The turns were near effortless in the smooth consistent cover that had filled in all the variations, leaving the drive lines good to go.  I took my first trips out the Cirque Traverse to check out the cover, finding the Traverse proper well covered, especially the section near the fence, in the middle, that gets so worked.  Wilbre Bowl and the West facing shots had plenty of cover, but I did find some rocks here and there, but over all I was impressed with the quality and cover.   I made several trips out there due to the access cover, with my first run all the way out to Lone Pine for the first run  of the season off the Traverse.  It was excellent, with just a small slough to clear at the very top, leaving the rest of the shot smooth and a gift from the Universe.   Mineral Basin also benefited from the new snow, though the large debris sections still presented issues over a wide area.  The Road to Provo opened this afternoon, looking well covered, and did not have as much debris to mar the lines.   Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to offering some very special goodness, the off trail to still have soft lines, however, the Harbor Chop did begin building quickly with the high traffic.  My knees were just screaming for mercy on the lower mountain where the chop was particularly acute.  The entrances to the favorite spots are improving rapidly, but still need to be taken with care, and a deliberate approach, until it opens up.   The Upper Cirque opened for the first time as well, so check that out early before it gets too worked.  Here is a shot of the perfect cover of Essence just above the traverse to the Bookends.    See you Sunday.   Peace Out!!

PERFECT

This morning was a bit warmer, with a stout breeze transporting the snow, filling in many of the lines on the hill.   This filling feature continued throughout the day, making some of the more peripheral lines continually rebuffed for each run.  Later in the day,  the precipitation began to move in, accumulating quickly, and offering some nice untracked on areas that get little traffic.  Mineral Basin opened around Noon after being closed for such a long stretch.  The ubiquitous slide activity, covered large areas with debris.  The untracked lines were badly wind damaged, offering some serious breakable  crust.  Some of the lines off of the Baldy Express were offering some low angle relief, with some smooth accumulation, but that was the extent of the encouraging reports.  I felt lucky to get out of Mineral with out injury, it was that difficult, not to mention the visibility issues.  Those conditions are only going to improve as we get more snow tonight.  The chunks and debris issues should be kept in mind, no matter how much we get.  Tomorrow, will be a great day, after today’s wind work smoothed the dance floor on the steep sections as well as the trees.  Gad 2 will also be benefiting greatly from the accumulation and wind work.  I got a fair bit of feed back from the Cirque Traverse, with cautionary insight as well as descriptions of better cover than expectations.  I will venture out there with the next installment, but I have to say that most of the sections are filling in nicely and can be approached with confidence.  It could be busy tomorrow, so get there early for the best of the day.   Ciao!!

This morning offered the very first time the consistency factor hit 100% on the Groomed runs.  Even with my woefully tatered skis, I felt like I had a race ready tune, as the hydrovelvet felt like a deep pile shag top to bottom.  I actually got to dig deep and stand on the ski with a bit of audacity.  The wind was nuking out of the North, clearing the cloud cover off the peak as the first Tram arrived.  The Cirque Traverse was open for the first time this morning, with mixed reviews coming from the recon squad.  Wilbre Bowl looked like it was working well, though the entrance and upper section was reported to be thin and sketchy.  I am still going to wait for another installment until I venture out there, due to the extensive sections where the snow pack released,leaving just the thin layer below.  Over all, I think it is good to go out there with some care, but expect some features to negotiate here and there.  The stiff North wind was filling in some of the sections with transported goodness, making some of the off trail, special indeed.  It took a bit of exploration, but rewards were easy to find.  Tomorrow, look for continued smooth grooming, however the warm afternoon temps. thickened the lower elevation slopes, so there may be some crispiness to the mat first thing.  Perhaps we will see Mineral tomorrow. I did not hear any chatter about it today, and the wind was transporting a lot of snow back there, so it will be interesting to get a look soon. The mountain is beginning to come together, so  tomorrow will be  a blast!!   IBBY!!

There was a flash turn out for the first few Trams this morning, but as the crowd got spread out, the Tram line disappeared  for the rest of the day.

FIRST LOOK

I took advantage of the Little Cloud chair to circumvent the Tram line, getting a couple very nice lines down Regulator, which had 4 to 5″ of very light density snow, that resisted clumping into the harbor chop for most of the day.  The Patrol was working snow safety in Mineral basin, and this shot of the Basin shows the view before the charges were dropped from the helicopter.  Huge sections of the snow pack released with the control efforts, which left large sections of the Basin covered in debris.  Mineral Basin is rumored to open first thing in the morning, but there is precious little left  for tomorrow’s opening.  Some of the low angle aspects missed the damage of the slide debris, but expect to have to look around for a clean line.  The high traffic of the past couple of days has begun to develop some serious interference patterns in the  popular lines, with the most serious traffic coming from the Peruvian Chair.  The available traverses have improved markedly with the new snow, making access a bit better, though still touchy on some of the exposed sections.  At least the rock and root situation is improving on those sections.  Gad 2 is getting worked over on all of the lines, building the chop again, so be careful with the snags that are beginning to get uncovered.  Tomorrow, look for the the Groomers to offer some velvet smoothness.  Anderson’s Hill got the Grooming nod for the first time of the season, making that line worth a look on first Tram.  There is still some crustiness here and there, but it does not present much of an issue to the direct line approach.   Be there for the early lines.   Ciao!!!

After  I bailed on yesterday’s blue skies and fresh snow, I had hoped that today would have made up for what I missed, but a stout South wind had scoured Regulator leaving only  variable consistency, marginal visibility, and another fine turnout by the Faithful, but clearly the swell was blown out.  There was a slight delay on the Tram opening, with only Regulator open for the morning session.   At 12:45, the Peruvian Gulch opened, so I made a bee line to Rat’s Nest, to get into Great Scott for the first time this season.  The plastic carpet, the patrol placed in the upper section, was a welcome buffer to the rocks and the extraneous spleefage that inhabits that section.   Scott proper was very nice with the wind blowing all the cover into that exposure.  The traffic was brisk going into the entrance, so I just got out of the way as the fast movers dropped in without regard to the exposed scree in the upper section of the run.  Below the upper section the cover was quite good.  Extensive slide activity has stripped much of the Middle Cirque,  and many other high angle aspects, leaving the slope exposed down to the rocks, and depositing the debris down the slope to the bottom of the fall line.  There were sections that had some serious chunks and slabs to work through, so keep those in mind when you drop into some of the lines.   Gad 2 offered the best snow of the day, with boot top deep frosting that covered the dance floor, and smoothed all the interference patterns. Snow is moving in now, so tomorrow, expect more accumulation to add to the fun.  Check the road report for closure if we get a substantial amount, but I am betting on a good access morning.  The hill is shaping up, and soon all the sections will be open, but there is still much to be covered first.   See you there dark and early!!   IBBY!!!

Did you ever have one of those dreams, where you could just never get to what you wanted to get to?  I have these dreams where I am at the beach, the surf is picture perfect, I am ready to go out, and no matter what, I can never get to the point of paddling out.  Well, today was one of those dream days, where the Sun was shining, a mega dose of fresh Essence building the excitement level, new skis ready to make me feel like a rock star, but we just could not get to the line up, and when we did, all we could do was stare at the perfection unfolding in front of our eyes.  Here is a shot of Harper’s East looking dream like, except this is no dream. This is the real deal.  I could not find any where to park, the chairs were still on hold, and the faithful were standing around looking at the tubes pealing off in the line up, so I was relegated to drive back down the Canyon to watch the New England game.  What are you going to do?   The FB chatter indicated that the lifts began operation just before 2:00 PM and were going to run a little longer.  The Tram was offering just Regulator only to start, so an afternoon on the couch was a fine alternative.  The faithful will be having a great time, if the turns in this photo are any indication.  The density is still high, but the quality is very sweet and tasty, so there is no doubt that the day was worth the wait on all levels.  A big THANK YOU to all the snow safety folks,  grooming crew, and everyone who worked so hard to get things started in this most unusual cycle!!

HARPER'S EAST

I will have a more detailed assessment for tomorrow, as I get a first hand look at the hill up close and personal, as opposed to a frustrating tour of the parking lot looking for a landing spot….., but…… NO!   Tomorrow, my dreams, and yours will come true!!  Peace Out!!

Just like shots of Tequila lined up on the bar, the impulses are lined up to make us drunk with the Essence.  I will be falling off the stool before this is all over.  The Trailer was rocking hard in the prefrontal wind, and the rain was insistent on the skin, signalling that the hill was getting hammered again, even though Mr Weather Presenter said it would come mid day.  I am not going to complain about the timing, however, the rain did  turn to snow on the bench at 2:30PM, so I guess they were right about that.  From the chatter that I was hearing, the chairs were opening as available, with a large turn out of the faithful to partake of the goodness.  The Canyon will be closed in the morning, so plan on a wait, especially as it is still coming down hard here at the Trailer as I write this, so check the road report before heading out.  Conditions?  It’s going to be big.  Many lines are going to be good to go now, that were less than advisable just the other day. So here we are, standing on the threshold of a dream.  I will see you there when I can casually arrive.  Ciao!!

The first Tram went off on time this morning, with a 20 Degree temp, and a strong wind blowing out of the North .  Visibility was vague at best until you got below the first 500′.  The wind had blown the sections smooth, featuring some of the best carvelicious texture of the season, punctuated by blown clean sections of glaze that made it that much more interesting.  Over all, the icy sections were sparse, and well cushioned by the fresh Natural Grooming, making today another solid step toward that picture post card that we know and love. The forecast is for some snow tonight, with  the next installment moving in tomorrow mid day,  so we are in the zone.   What an exciting time it is to be here.  I have been going off trail, skiing runs I have avoided, and while I have nicked a couple of rocks here and there, the cover is improving quickly, though some of those heavily bumped lines still remain well defined, but have been much more negotiable  with the wind filling in the troughs.  Keep an eye out for Mineral to open tomorrow. It is just a hunch, so keep an eye out.   I still have not even looked into Rat’s Nest to see how it looks, but I will be taking a look soon as we get this snow worked in.  I want to be surprised instead of terrified.  It has been getting some traffic, so it must be improving, especially since thy installed that plastic carpet on the upper section.  I will be off tomorrow for R and R, so I’ll see you  Sunday.  Peace Out!!

Faithfully in attendance.

The first real solid installment of freshness was delivered overnight, which drew the Faithful early for the first tracks.  The warm temps of the morning, coincided with the high density, Spackle like quality, which was the perfect quality to cover, and stick to the existing snow pack.  I skied lines I would not have skied yesterday for any reason.  Today it was a new ball game.  The energy was super high, with the pent up energy being released in some fine displays of fall line commitment where ever you looked.  The other side of that feature is the need to be checking the surrounding activity to avoid moving into some one’s  full fall line assault.  Can’t blame them for committing to the line, so special attention is warranted.  There was an amazing amount of slide activity coming out of all the steep pitches, which had deposited some of the debris out on the open slope, featuring shrubberies and other assorted vegetation.  It did not present any real problem, but it did indicate the power of the snow.  Tomorrow, look for more accumulation overnight, with  the main runs being given the smoothing treatment.  Some of the high aspects were groomed by the wind during the day today, so the peripheral sections will offer some of Mother Natures finest grooming for the early risers.  The density of the snow was buoyant and luxurious, with out the stickiness that such moisture content might indicate, so the conditions have moved into another level entirely.  Gone is the skittering and sliding, hoping for some traction, now you can dial the line and arc the turn-  Thank You!!!  I forgot what that felt like.  See  you in the AM. as we get to knock the air out of another batch!!! IBBY!!

It was nuking on the Peak this morning, with much warmer temps., ahead of the front.  The tenderizing efforts helped the snow pack, but there were still many glazed spots to negotiate top to bottom.  The Guns had produced some nice Gun Powder on Regulator, making the break over section velvet smooth as the wind blew the product around.   Mineral was closed today, but that was not going to be anything special anyway.  Tomorrow, is  toss up.  I’m thinking, let the Essence come as it will, check the road report early, and look forward to the beginning of something good!!!  Remember the reefs are stripped bare by today’s high winds, so they will be in play underneath the next installment, just keep them in mind.  It will be nice to look forward to additional terrain to become available, as safety permits.  I will have a more detailed assessment when I see what we get.   I got to meet BOSCO   ” THE LAND LINE” , who was the song writer for Milli Vanilli, back whenever, today!!   Here is a shot I took on the Tram. We had a spirited discussion about the fact that no one can make a turn for you.  You have to go top to bottom your self.  We agreed, and tore up the run!!  Good times!!  IBBY!!!!

BOSCO " The landline"