Thursday morning was ON from the word GO. Heavy traffic in the canyon at 7:15 indicated a surge.  The faithful were on hand with super high energy and vision to match.  Conditions are on the upswing, with the crunchy bottom still in play overall.  The off trail sections offer more consistency, and edge-ability, whereas  the Man Made sections prove to be variable as you encounter the lower layers.  The very light snow was fully knee deep in places and really blower.  High Baldy opened for the first time drawing huge interest.  Mineral Basin had a delayed opening, but offered the deeper side of the hill.  The wind assisted in this regard, so go looking around and find those out side lines.  There are still numerous reefs and snags out in Mineral, so use a bit of caution.  Little Cloud had some very nice lines with lots of pressure on the early entrance.  West facing still looks thin with very narrow and sketchy entrance points.  The Lower Cirque is very bony getting in and this light density snow did not do much to cushion that.  Upper Great Scott and the  Upper Cirque were re closed this morning.  New snow and bare reef made that call a no brainer and a good call at that.  Regulator is still smooth down the middle, offering good off trail to the right and left.   Some surprises still exist at the break over points, be aware.  The full court press is on this week, so watch your back, expect unusual movement and watch all the uphill drops.  I get surprised all the time by what folks are dropping.  More snow overnight and a lot of hung over faithful may give the morning a quieter start. I know you have to start a lot earlier to get first Boat, so plan ahead!  See you all next year. Happy New Year!!!

The canyon road was greasy this Wednesday morning with consistent snow falling. No delays on first Tram, but the faithful were not slacking today.  3 and 4 Tram waits were the rule and the line persisted as I was leaving.  The new snow is delightful and seems to bonding to the old surface, however , in the man made areas slick conditions persist underneath the new snow.  Andersen’s Hill has not had a fresh groom in a while, letting long low bumps develop in the main line. There is ledge showing through in those break over sections as is usual.  Sticking to the tight right will get you some smooth and soft turns.  The heavy snow fall in addition to the strong wind kept refreshing runs all day. This snow should begin to buffer some of the past nastiness and get the entrances more realistic.  Great Scott is still sketchy, with a kick turn approach the most prudent.  The Middle Cirque was deep with the upper section still posing hidden surprises.  The bumps have been filled and look smooth, do not be lulled into a false sense of smoothness.  I was getting knocked around sending me looking for smoother lines.  Along the tree lines provided the best visibility as well as the smoothest lines.   Snow making continues in the trouble spots, so be careful underneath them.   More snow tonight will necessitate a look at the road report before heading out.  Much more  terrain will now be in play ; yeahoo!  I took a run out in Mineral Basin and found the cover to be getting better with bumps developing on the popular lines. The visibility was marginal but the snow deep none the less.  Things are looking good to go so GO!!

I made the Jump back to the present after my week long sojourn 2 hours into the future.  It always blows me away that  you can make the transition as you sit in a seat and never move, ending up in a completely different TIME SPACE.  I felt a little wobbly as I stepped through the Gate, but that was nothing that a bit of rest would not cure.  I made first Tram Tuesday morning finding it not even close to full.  The visibility was OK with light snow falling, giving the groomers a bit of velvet.  It was great to be back, however, a week off left me a tad out of shape.  Took a drive out to Little Cloud to see how it was , as it had opened after I  left.  Mark Malu was smooth, though a touch tricky with the flat light and the early season terrain features in sharp relief.  No rocky sections to speak of on the main drag there and the  edge-ability was very good.  Over all the mountain has not changed too much, but the bumps are really becoming more wide spread off trail.  The Upper Cirque is now open from the top with extremely thin cover and forbidding entrances. Great Scott , from the top, is particularly perilous with no way to avoid the cheese grater.  Do not fall there!!!.  The Lower Cirque is also ultra bony getting in with a bit more accessibility in various locations.  The West facing shots off the traverse are still marginal  showing the hazards fairly readily.  Low and slow is how to take most any off trail section until conditions improve.  The lower mountain still had willows cluttering the open areas with some root goodies to make it interesting.  I actually skied a bump line on Harper’s just to check it out and I ran into a maze of features to avoid.  I brought it way down and picked my way through the bumps and snags.   A new slather of sauce is on tap overnight making the morning session promising.  It is supposed to continue through out the day so, it will get better as the day progresses.  I am surprised at the lack of pressure on the Tram,  however, the main runs were very crowded  requiring vigilance to the up hill danger.  I am looking up hill a lot as of late.  With new product, the faithful could make and appearance tomorrow which encourages an early start to make first Bucket.  I still am holding off on bringing new skis out, what with the currant base,  but the overall edge- ability is good letting me get away with tattered edges.  The off trail is bumpy and the traffic has exposed most of the hazards, so you can see it coming.  New snow will mask some of them, giving your memory a run for the money.  Tomorrow I will recon Gad 2 and check that out for you and report.   It is great to be back and I will be there dark and early in the morning ready to rumba. See you there!!

I learned a valuable lesson in using the Hyperspace link.  Do not drink coffee while accessing the link.  By not paying attention, and violating Robot’s Rules of Order, I accidentally sloshed a slurge of coffee, which landed squarely on my keyboard, instantly shorting out the entire system.  There was smoke and not a few sparks when this happened.  The technicians assisting me were aghast, and now my link to the past is problematic at best.  Thus I have been unable to maintain my remote viewing connection with any semblance of accuracy.  I have been able to get these few words out on a Sub Space carrier wave to inform you all of this eventuality.  I will not be able to re establish contact until I make the jump back from the future some time Monday.  I hope you all have had a great time with the new  snow. I am sure that the holiday crowds are in full effect.  I will get back up as soon as I get back through the Gate.   Ciao for now.  IBBY!!

Wednesday brought out the faithful after having shined yesterday. I guess they deemed it deep enough to make the effort.  The new snow overnight added to the depth, but did not fully mask the harder substrate.  Snow continued through out  the day with visibility going through variations, with rays of sun peaking through from time to time.  The crowd mellowed out after the initial impact giving way to more accessible loading.  The Cirque traverse is still problematic with significant rockage just below the new snow making a cautious touch advisable.  The new snow will help get things moving in the right direction, but much more is required and I will be giving all the entrances a careful look before diving in.  The wind began working some magic in Mineral Basin in the gut areas where the new snow collects and smoothed continually.  These features are worth a good look as they can score you  some private stashes that no one else has an eye on.  Watch the wind direction and use the force to find the goods.  More terrain is coming on line making the options more numerous in many locations.  Snow continues into the evening making the morning worth getting there early.  The Holiday push is on , so look to the Peruvian chair to get away from the Tram back up that seems to becoming more prevalent.   See you all soon!!!

Finally, new snow to help out the situation.  Even an inch can make a huge difference.  Fortunately there was a fair bit more than that.  Certainly not enough to draw the faithful, leaving the Tram accessible.  Visibility was fair with no associated fog to reduce the visibility beyond the falling snow. The fluff fell throughout the day, but did not fully mitigate the hard pack underneath.  Going with what you know will pay off in these situations, however if you have not been logging vert. in the recent past stick with the full gut lines and avoid the peripheral sections, which may seem good to go.  The snags are still fully in play overall leaving caution the best approach.  The roll off on Pucker Brush is really bony and scoured making a full on line dubious.  More snow over night will help freshen the mix with Groomers promising the best ride.  You might have noticed that I favor the smooth and buffed, but hey I go for the sweet smooth tastes.  Regulator is skiing well just off the groomers now, though a wide berth should be given to Private Parts. The Little Cloud sign line is shaping up and  the new snow is bonding well to the old layer broadening the available choices, which have been sparse as of late. Snow continues to fall and the forecast is for a few more new inches to sweeten the deal, making the morning session worth the early start. In any case the new snow brings new energy and dynamics to the game, so I will be glad to get back.  Keep that industrial smoothing going gang and I will be back soon to do my share.  I hope you all are having a festive holiday season.  IBBY!

Monday morning looked grey and murky in the valley, but above the fog was clear and blue. Few takers for the morning session left plenty of room to move and stretch out and jam.  The firm conditions persist mitigated greatly by the strong grooming crew and the continued snow making top to bottom.  Warm afternoon temps softened some aspects later in the day. Mineral Basin is still not getting any rave reviews as far as I have been able to ascertain , though I am sure the groomers will be just fine giving you  an opportunity to scope out aspects for future reference.  Bumps persist on the steep sections off the peak with sketchy entrances off the upper gates.  The Rat’s Nest Gate is still seriously problematic  and remains the only access to the Upper Cirque.  Use care on the Cirque traverse proper as it has been worked and is showing thin sections which require a more measured approach.  The Little Cloud Chair remains closed as well as Gad 2 and Baby Thunder.  I have heard that they are slated to open for the week end. On a festive note, today was the 38th birthday of Snowbird. That is quite a mile stone, though it makes me reflect of how fast all that time has blown by.  I was watching old super 8mm film from the 70’s I took when I got out here.  There were shots of Old Lady’s before the Little Cloud chair and enormous cornices that hung off the Cirque.  Takes me back, but it is still the same hill and the same great energy that ties us all together.  None of us will forget the special moments we have had here and I certainly look forward to more of the epic days that this place presents.  I can tell you that is quite difficult to be removed in time and space from the Bird World, but I will manage.  Get some turns in for me .  Ciao!!

Sunday morning was a fog fest here in the valley, however, just above the murk was clear sun and fun.  Yours truly was sweating weather or not my flight to the future would get off on time or not, due to a severe storm hammering the home planet.  Fortunately I was able to make the jump and am now reporting from a position fully 2 hours in the future.  Unfortunately that will not help me win the lottery or anything.  Reports from Mineral Basin are less than enthusiastic echoing the warnings of zipper crust I posted yesterday.  The grooming had been expanded back there enabling a more relaxed approach.  I always like to take my time and look around and get a handle on the what and the what not.  I did not get any good info on Little Cloud, so I hesitate to speculate on that.   The snow had been getting progressively more condensed with the high pressure and lack of new snow bringing us back to the edge zone again.  I am holding out until I break out the new skis for the new edge experience.  There is something about a 130 day patina on the bases that you just can’t get from a mere machine. It takes days, dogged determination, and not a few very slow sojourns over dry reef to get that, let’s say, vintage feel.  Monday will reward those early risers with smooth buffage until the velvet gets shaved, so be there for that, and , if you can, take the opportunity to get a Tango going on the first boat!!  There you have it ,  Rip it for me!! I thank You! Ciao

I plain, flat out, ran out of time yesterday, and even though I had the best intentions of getting yesterday’s post out, I just could not fit it in.  Today I will be doing a double up post for Friday and Saturday.  Friday morning had flat light, no wind, no new, but at least 15” of 0%.  The Peruvian side was, decidedly firmer than the Gad side.  Areas immediately under the guns should be taken with caution as very slick spots have been cropping up right there.  I almost got sideways under one, but I pulled it in just before being launched off a Cat track.  That would have been most entertaining.  The recent rise in humidity had firmed up the snow pack considerably eliminating Thursday’s carve fest.  The off trail has been explored thoroughly exposing most of the serious threats and is now workable at slower speeds.  Each section is full of  gnarly features, which can be avoided by using the force and paying attention.  Full on moguls have formed on upper Silver Fox and Primrose, so those seeking the bumps will certainly find them there.   The West facing Off the Cirque Traverse remains problematic and the East facing still has thin cover with loose scree underneath eliminating any chance of avoidance.  Use care in the first 150 Vertical ‘ as you descend the Lower Cirque.   For Saturday the Mineral Basin and Little Cloud will be open for the first time this season, however,  the Little Cloud chair will remain closed.   Reports from patrol suggest , to the suggestible reader, that the snow pack out in Mineral Basin is covered with a healthy Zipper Crust .  You know how much fun that can be, so use the appropriate caution when you venture in there.  The Basin has been thoroughly worked by the machines giving you a solid escape route, should you need it.   Little cloud had markedly better reports , but you can rest assured that the density will still be a factor and punch-ability a given.   Off trail on the lower mountain is still very precarious, though it has been skied wall to wall, it seems to be a tad more consistent than last week.  Snow making continues in spots up and down the hill, giving those rocky spots the extra cushion .    OK.  I will be heading to Boston for a week to visit the parental units for the holiday so the posting will, again , be via remote viewing.  I will still be posting , just now without the first hand  narrative.   Have a great week here.  New snow on the way mid week will give you all the freshness that you deserve.  Happy holidays to you all!! Peace Out!

The groomers were ultra perfect wall to wall this Thursday morning.  There were no slick spots and all turns, top to bottom, were right on the money.  The extensive snow making on the Peruvian side covered the most sketchy areas making for a solid run from peak to base.  The carve-ability was flawless letting you commit to the fall line and not feel like the rug is going to be pulled from underneath you if you hit some ice.  The lower Mens Down hill Chute is in very good shape.  I did not find any slickness until after 1:00PM.  The bumps are developing off of the Chips switch backs and the cover is good but suspect, use caution if you dive off there.   The off trail crud is getting set up and needs an aggressive approach . Rat’s Nest is now hammered so know that going in.  Very light  traffic let us go for back to back Trams all day , which raises the energy level.  I love these pre holiday days, I try to hang on to each and very one.   The West facing is getting worked to the edges helping get the base more consistent and good to go.  Over all conditions are set up to get real good real fast so be ready for the next installment.  In the mean time the buffed groomers rule and , by them selves, make the skiing special. Take advantage of the early runs with now folks.  See you on first Tram.  IBBY!!!