Tuesday morning was 43 Degrees in the parking lot at 8:00 AM. signaling an early break to begin the day.  The PSIA group is still on the hill and required a quick push into Mineral Basin to avoid the long line of participants.  Mineral had broken perfectly, with White Diamonds’ lower aspect groomed and carveliciaous right to the chair.  I was able to fit one more run back there with the groups stopped in various locations.  The Front side of the hill had been tenderized, providing traction and a bit of softness in sharp contrast to the flash frozen perimeter.  I , again, made a hasty retreat to the Forklift Chair to give the snow pack a chance to catch up with the air temp.  11:00 AM. saw both Regulator and Chips breaking down into the corn goodness that this type of freeze thaw cycle develops.  MMMM   MMMM good!!.  Low traffic and walk on Trams increased the stoke factor, not to mention the Sunshine and blue sky topping off the picture.  1:30 PM. began to present some of the glue like spots on the flat areas that require constant attention.  I took that cue to bail for the day and avoid a hyper extension of my knees.  A storm is moving in for the next 3 days, which will resurface the hill and give us  some fresh sauce to sample.  Tomorrow morning could be a touch tricky with high winds predicted and overcast skies.  The softening factor may be problematic due to falling temps., but good grooming efforts will offer limited runs with the off trail being stiff and challenging.  We can look forward to the fresh snow, so we will see you in the AM.   Ciao!!!

A wise friend of mine once told me that success was a matter of timing and lighting, and this Monday morning that bit of advice played a major role for the selection of aspects.  I had to get a jump on the PSIA group to get into Mineral Basin before the only groomed run got crowded with participants.  Moving to the front of the hill found seriously flash frozen groomers that fully transcended the definition of crispy, sending me scurrying to the Forklift Chair to await softening to occur.  11:00 AM. was the magic time where the Peruvian side of the hill began to crack, offering beautiful carve-ability top to bottom.  12:00 Noon saw Regulator breaking, providing that sorbet consistency that the watchful seeker anticipates.  The entire mountain has been affected by the spring warmth, so all aspects will require close attention before venturing forth.  The overall conditions are excellent top to bottom, with entrances still filled and accessible.   Be aware of the timing, taking into consideration the morning and overnight lows.  Holding off on the early Trams is a fair option given the firmness factor, but rest assured that the Sun will be working on the problem with the late morning- early afternoon session a bonus for the season.  It is all Timing and Lighting!!!  Peace Out

I likes it crispy, and I got what I likes right out of the chute this Sunday morning.  The Cat Crew had done an extensive job of tenderizing most of the hill, providing traction and carve-ability for the early risers.  The PSIA Acadamy had spilled into Mineral Basin, using 3 full boats to accomplish the demand, so I worked the front of the hill to avoid the traffic.  On my second run I decided to negotiate Regulator to find out just how dull my edges are when I encountered fully tenderized buffage wall to wall, much to my amazement and relief.  The tenderizing effort extended all the way down the hill including Big Emma which offered nice crystal velvet to dig into.  A very nice morning indeed.  As the tenderization got worked Kitty Litter erupted, creating a situation like trying to hold an edge on ping pong balls.  I beat a hasty retreat to the Forklift Chair to let softening occur.  The Sweet window opened at 11:00 AM with the Kitty Litter morphing into a sumptuous sorbet like consistency enabling unfettered rocking top to bottom.  It was like “frosting a cake with a paper knife”.  Walk on Trams let the vert. crew work the product with unmitigated audacity until the glue spots began to crop up on the flat cat tracks that had been cooking in the Sun.  I almost got flung over the handle bars coming out of Who Dunnit, so I wrapped up the day to get the trailer ready for the trip back up to the high desert sometime in the near future.  No amount of aluminum foil is going to keep the transmissions from THE BIG GIANT HEAD from getting through, and it is only a matter of TIME until I will once again be deployed back into the jaws of the DARK MATTER WARS, where the incursions are threatening the Galaxy once again.  In the mean time look for crunchy conditions again in the AM, with Mineral Basin being the first place to look for softening.  The traffic will be light, so get there early and work the tenderized parts until the Sun delivers the Sorbet.  It is also advisable to retreat to the Forklift Chair to take advantage of the ambiance there while softening occurs.  I will certainly be there, occupying the Planetary Office, so please drop by and commiserate.  Peace Out!!!

Saturday was nice, nice, nice.  I was able to get lots of things done around the trailer.  The day was so warm you had to know the hill softened wall to wall.  The ambient heat will have affected all but the most secluded areas, so tomorrow will have some issues with crunch crud and some super firm West faces.  The North facing Groomers will still be edge-able down to, at least, the middle elevation where you should look for any tenderizing efforts the Cat crew put in during the early morning.  Yesterday, Who Dunnit had been tilled offering a rather velvety feel, so look there for the first few to avoid the steep shots that make you grab for all you can get.  Mineral Basin, again, will be worth checking out for the early risers as the rest of the hill will begin cracking around 10:30 AM. at the earliest.  There is still a fair amount of traffic on the hill, but the lift lines are negligible providing rapid round trip action for the Vert. crew.  I will be there dark and early and will be ready to rock.   Ciao!!

Friday morning was warm and balmy as I arrived in the parking lot.  The High North Groomers and Mineral Basin were very buffed and carvalicious for the  very few who made the first Tram of the day.  The lowest elevations had set up with the residual coldness of the snow, but the Cat crew had tenderized the sections adding tooth and traction to those shots.   The overall softening was going off 2 hours earlier today to give you an idea of the timing.  Tomorrow will go off along the same time line as today, so a prolonged dalliance is not necessary.  Low traffic will continue, though the Demo Teams are still working all over  the mountain, so be aware of that and give them plenty of room.  The off trail remains fairly free of bumps with the obvious crud factor that must be taken into account.  I watched some folks try to negotiate the East facing crud in Mineral Basin before any significant softening had developed, and they were getting really worked.  It was painful to watch from the chair while my knees were screaming on their behalf.  The thaw has not yet revealed any reefs on the hill, with the snow pack holding up to the thermal assault.  Tomorrow is my day off, so I will just say; follow the sun and work the aspects as they become ready to go.  Mineral Basin is still a good call for the early risers to get things going.  See you Sunday.   Ciao!!

Thursday morning still had quite a nip to it with a very quiet attendance for the first Tram.  As anticipated, the North facing Groomers still held the cold dry chalk that still had not been hammered by the afternoon heat of yesterday.  The Lower third of the hill, however, did not escape the thaw that rendered this section very firm and tricky, though there was a bit of hair  you could shave to get you down those section.  Big Emma had been tenderized, but was strewn with Kitty Litter making any edge set very sketchy.  I opted to make my way to the top of the Wilbre Chair to get down the ridge with more control.  The lower third and West faces began breaking at 12:00 Noon offering the softness we all were waiting for.  The upper Groomers and Mineral Basin offered beautiful corduroy with little or no traffic.  I got to ski the perfect un tracked corduroy letting me effortlessly roll my edges and ride through the turn like 40” of 0% powder.  Perfect is perfect, I don’t care where your from.  That was some good gear!!  All aspects were fully softened by 2:00 PM., but there were few takers for the off trail shots.  The upper Cirque still was holding the winter cold, but I don’t think it will  have survived the warmer temps. of today.  Tomorrow will be a day to start a bit later if you are so inclined.  The Groomers will be really crispy for sure, so go expecting some noise as you turn.  The Upper North Groomers will still have some of the goods but lower elevations are going to be problematic.  I will be there dark and early as I likes it crispy!  TTFN!!

What a beautiful Wednesday morning, with the birds chirping, the sky blue and the neighbors out working in their gardens; no time to be thinking about skiing or snow fall.  Ah!, but up on the hill the truly devoted faithful, who made the morning session, were treated to full on winter powder, when Mineral Basin and Little Cloud opened for the first responders.  The full crush first Tram seekers were helplessly pulled into Mineral Basin, with the bright Sun, pristine untrammeled powder shots, and a full head of steam, leaving Little Cloud lonely and vacant for the very few who resisted the Mini B call.  Run after run of knee deep un tracked was afforded both groups, while I was able to spoon my tracks and never cross

FULL BLAST

another line, much like a return to the 70’s.   Walk on Trams, walk on chairs were the rule for the lucky ones who were able to scope their line, make the drop, and survey the tracks on the way back up the chairs.  Now the front of the hill was also sporting winter softness, with the High North aspects soft, smooth, and sumptuous due to the cold high mountain temps. that prevailed well past noon, preserving the freshness all morning.  The Sun finally began to gain the upper hand, softening the crustiness of the lowest Groomers and raising enough hair on them to get a consistent edge.  What a day indeed!!  Tomorrow look for continued dry softness on the High North aspects, with the Groomers still holding on to the winter feel, with the exception of the lowest elevations that will again be rather crispy and challenging for the morning session.   Low attendance will continue, though there are Demo Teams out and about working on technique, so give them plenty of room as they will greatly appreciate the slack.   An even warmer day is forecast for tomorrow, enabling you to dress more lightly; perhaps even driving with the top down.  How good will that be!!!.   See you then.   Ciao!!!  P.S. A little computer experiment for me trying to add content!  This shot was taken by POWDER SHOTS while I was out in Mineral.  Take advantage of those guys and drive a line toward the lens.

The rain beat on the roof of the trailer all night long, making such a racket that I could not wait for the morning to come.  When the racket stopped I though that it was all over, but the giant flakes were building up on the dish array.  No road closure  for the morning ride up the hill, where 8” of high density cold product in the parking lot ramped up the stoke factor just that much more.  I was not alone, as the faithful were hot on my heals for the goods, packing the Tram line while waiting for the hill to get going.  Regulator was the only run available offering knee deep sweetness that helped cushion the West facing crunch that lay just below. A lighter sauce would have been much more difficult, so the extra heft was a welcome feature.   The Peruvian side of the hill opened around 11’ish, where deeper transported frosting made for full face shot blasts turn after turn.  Working the steepest sections was key on that side of the hill as it was too deep to get any speed going on the lower angle slopes.  “Winona” was stopped cold in her tracks on Upper Primrose while trying to drive the fall line, due to the fact that she does not weigh enough to over come the resistance, but that is not a bad problem.  I retreated to the Forklift Chairs to get away from the frantic push for the Tram , which filled the Maze and stretched across the plaza after the Peruvian side opened, pulling the chair riders back to access the top of the hill.  Tomorrow look for the North facing to hold the softest crud and the unopened areas should open as fast as they can get to them.  April is fulfilling my predictions for the month… Whew!!!.  Of course it took all of our focused intentions to get the weather pattern to change in our favor, so nice work.  Lets bring in the second half of the month with even more of the special sauce that we crave.   See you in the AM.   Peace Out!!!

Monday was sunny and windy for the morning session, with the North facing groomers offering the best of the choices, featuring dry chalky firmness down to the bottom 1000′ where things got quite crispy indeed.  Upper Primrose Path had been given a rare mow from the Peruvian traverse turning up the cold snow and creating a satin finish, which was continually scrubbed by the stout South wind that still jammed down hill.  At times it seemed that I was standing still as I was matching the speed of the wind, so the swirls of dust just hung around my knees obscuring the deck.  I just had to trust the smoothness and go with what I knew to be there… Maybe.  On the Lower third of the hill the Grooming crew punched a fresh line down Adager for the first time of the year, and a rarity at that.  Now, the bottom of the hill was very crispy requiring a deliberate approach to hang on the frozen shear.  Adager, being significantly steep, tested your edge control and commitment to the fall line, and did not begin to soften until 12:30 PM when the sorbet-like shavings gave extra purchase and grace on that big mountain drop.  You would have to hike long and far to get close to anything like that kind of ripping terrain, and here we have it right there and lift serviced.   How do we rate?   Nice touch, and kudos to the Cat Crew!!!  The lights went out at 1:00PM as the storm began to move into the area with the promise of freshies for tomorrow.  The upper mountain has smoothed out with the reduced traffic and windage, so additional sauce will be good to go for the faithful who make the effort.  Many of the chairs are now closed for the season condensing the uphill choices significantly, so there will be additional pressure for the remaining lifts.  Mineral Basin is looking smoother now, and is offering excellent grooming with the big drops  getting really nice as they soften, so don’t forget about that option.   See you there dark and early.   IBBY!!!

The wind was once again rocking the trailer all night long, this time I had set up the supports to take the pressure.  Good to Go!.  The Tram went off with no problems, though the wind was kicking out of the South with gusto.  There was minimal transport as most of the snow was securely nailed down and not likely to be moved to the North exposures.  The snow that did get lifted began to lightly cover Silver Fox and Upper Primrose Path, but it did not cover the low amplitude rumble that resided there.  I gave it a shot just to get a first hand sense of it, but my knees just said ” Negatory Good Buddy” and I did not return, which is not to say that it was not good: your knees might speak differently.  The Sun was shrouded all day with only the Infrared rays penetrating the cover to soften the pack later in the afternoon.  Chips, Anderson’s, Chips variation gave me the best lines, with dry chalky buff down to the last 600′ where the frozen reality kicked in full on.  Just some careful shwagging got you down that last bit in fine shape, so rapid back to back laps were happening all morning until the Forklift Chair beckoned.  Full Sun affected softness went off around 2:00 PM as the wind prevented any accumulation of ambient heat during the day.  Tomorrow look for very light traffic and new snow arriving,which can only help the edge-ability.  Visibility could be a bit problematic, but that is part of the fun.  See you on first boat!   Ciao!!