The Canyon was closed last night as the storm moved in, starting out as heavy rain at the  base elevation.  That little bit of strangness did not bode well, but the snow level began dropping as the cold air moved in.  I had anticipated some more heavy density product when the road finally opened at 1:00 PM., but instead the faithful were treated to super deep, very light, puffy, and fluffy essence that blew up into full on face shots.  The folks who were on hand for the opening this morning had 2 full hours to themselves, and I am here to tell you they worked it all pretty quickly with  walk on Trams  to get to the next untrammeled run.  I heard the tales of the early runs that some of the fortunate were telling, and with the leftovers as a sample,  they were all true.  The  bottom  was still slightly in play due to the lightness of the product, but it buffered the rumble, substantially reducing the impact.  Be cautious of some of the traverses, where some extremely  abrupt whoopties are  walled up in the path, creating a factor to be anticipated if you are hauling the mail.  A double eject could have your name on it.  The conditions are excellent with more snow forecast for tonight, so a check on the road report should be made before getting out of the house.  I am hopeful that we will be able to get up  without delay in the morning, but with this much snow there is no telling.  This is the season we were all hoping for, so hold on tight it is going to be a very deep ride.   Peace Out!!

The rain drummed incessantly all of the early morning hours on the roof of the trailer.  I did not have to deal with the array this  morning, so I got up there with time to spare.  The faithful heard the call and where on time to partake of some opulent frosting on all exposures.  The high density product was effortless in the early stages, as the mountain got worked by knowledgeable seekers, who went for the far and obscure first thing, leaving other more accessible shots ignored.  Mineral Basin was excellent as well, though the visibility was a very real issue in the featureless areas.    I stayed with the front of the hill and tried to fly under  the radar  to get those last vestiges of untracked  that remain close at hand.  As Noon came and went, the harbor chop built up quickly and tested the drive line.  I opted to let the faithful knock the remaining air out of the fresh installment, and went to watch the Stealers.   Precipitation continues,  as this system remains in place over us, so tomorrow is going to be another bonus day of fresh frosting. Be sure  to check the road report before heading up.  I’ll see you in the AM.  Peace Out!!

Today began the first of the continuous flow that is over us now.  Not much accumulation overnight-made the Canyon access no problem.  I am pulling for the” less is more” accumulation, so that  we get to ski multiple untracked days instead of just one deep installment.  A slow build up also allows quicker access to the goods, and gets the necessary prep work done  for the next application of product.  Remember, we are all part of the prep work process, which is very important for the perfect finish.  Speaking of fine finishes, here is a shot of Thunder Bowl on opening day.  It possessed a finish that had aged in perfect conditions and skied like a dream. I am sorry the resolution is so dark, but the light was very flat at this time of the day.

FIrst Tracks of the Season

Tomorrow look for more snow to have fallen overnight  to create yet another fine finish for us.  This Westerly flow will continue to bring higher density snow, which will help build the base and fill in the sketchy entrances.  It is great to have the entire mountain open, the full uphill capacity is providing many more uphill options.  The Tram was tending to get backed up, but now all options are there to spread out the pressure.  Check the report in the Am for Canyon access, but I am betting that we will continue to see short accumulations.   See you there early for the fun.  Ciao!!

Light traffic, perfect Groomers, and cold snow made first Tram a fun one to be on.  The snow had remained soft, and certain areas had gotten softer these past days.   Gad 2 opened for the first time this season, giving access to the  boarder lands that are so coveted.  I took the opportunity of this opening to be on hand for the drop.  I was joined by  Bobby and Bunny  Skigrin, and we were not disappointed by the perfect powder  .  I paid close attention to the feel of the snow and the terrain, as that section of the hill gets a lot of traffic and can get worked, so the perfect unsullied character was a special treat.  Gad 2 is looking well covered with most of the entrances holding snow … for now.   Good lines are bump free and will be stellar with this next storm that will be with us for a few days.   Yea!!  I am off tomorrow, so hold it down for me.  The snow might begin overnight and make the morning worth an early start.   We are primed for a big cycle, so hold on to your hat!!   See you Sunday!!   IBBY!!!

MARKER ON THE WAY

As anticipated, the Groomers were going off with carvelicious consistency, encouraging full on lacerations in the fresh till.  Continued cold temps. kept the off trail refrigerated and kept it from setting up too much.  The North facing shots were getting a lot of traffic and have begun to show the wear in places.  Snow making efforts afforded some delightful Gun Powder extending 200 to 300′ below the guns.  I throttled back in these instances, and dialed in some high and tight turns to get as much of the essence as possible.  I mentioned earlier this year that, gun or sky, good powder is where you find it.  The West facing is still a bit tricky with some chunk and funk to contend with.  All aspects have been pretty much worked over, though there are still some lines to be had if you venture to the extremities and look for the ignored lines.  After venturing off trail in various locations to get a sense of things, I headed back to the machine worked runs to take advantage of the clean steel line turn to turn.   Yeah! That’s the ticket!!  Tomorrow look for the Groomers to, again, provide the buff zone and get you warmed up for the day.  The off trail is requiring a bit more persuasion to punch through as it sets up, but it also is beginning to bond to the lower surface and make the overall ride a bit less erratic.   More snow is on the way in the near future, so the extra effort  you place in these turns will pay off when the goods hit the hill.   See you there dark and early.   Ta!!

The faithful had their collective ear to the rail, and rallied to be there for this installment, which was buoyant and effervescent.   The bottom was still in play, being sketchy and scratchy where the recent warm spell worked it, but felt luxurious top to bottom.  The high North and Northeast facing provide the best ride.  Mineral Basin was  getting mixed reviews, so I expect that there was a wide range of variation. The snow stayed fluffy all day, though it did begin to get a tad set up lower on the hill, and might present some resistance in the AM.  Tomorrow, look for groomers to be perfect with this fresh product to work with.   Be aware of the variable consistency of the old layer, which varies widely from aspect to aspect.  The West facing undercrust was particularly tricky, so watch that aspect. It will take another storm to cover it up, though a friendly wind storm can work wonders.    I vote for that.   How about you?  Peace Out!

After the last few days of warmer temps, which resulted in some challenging conditions off trail, I thought today would be even more challenging.  I found some nice build up on the Northeast exposures that got better with traffic, and continued to improve throughout the day.  Regulator was smooth but firm, with some transported snow giving a bit of tooth to the surface.  The predicted snow has still not begun as I write this, but I feel confident for a total rebound back into winter, and all the shots going off.  Folks are taking advantage of the opening of Baldy Express to the Alta entrance, taking full advantage of the best each has to offer. The upper entrance into Great Scott is still ugly and offers few sketchy options to get in,  I am still avoiding it until we get some cover.  The rest of the hill is looking good, with still smooth shots, fully ready for some new product.  Look for new snow in the AM, though how much is a toss up.  Little attendance will probably continue if reports don’t look promising, giving those who show up a full on wall to wall day.  See you in the AM.   Peace Out!!

I was engaged all day in a deep briefing on calibrating the hyperspace coordinate grid.  As in STAR WARS, it is a bad thing to come blasting out of a Worm Hole into an asteroid belt, so I paid close attention.  On the hill today, I was close on my prognostications about the Sun damage, where the aspects needed to be considered after  yesterday’s warming event.  The warmth continues, and will continue for the next day or so with  the high overcast  making the lighting a bit on the flat side.  This abrupt change highlights the sharp contrast of the previously sumptuous ride with the more difficult Sun damaged product.  Tomorrow look for continued high clouds to obscure the Sun as the next system approaches later in the week.   The “CHEF” has weighed in on today, reporting some fun to be had on the sheltered North West exposures, and still  smooth turning on the due North aspects as well.  Mineral Basin did sustain some damage to the perfection that has held up for this entire early season.  We are escaping the severe weather drama that is happening in other parts of the country, where sub Zero temps and snow, where they don’t need it, stress the holiday ramp up.  Of course, we can use it here, but our turn will come.  I will be looking for some rocking Groomers in the AM. to get the vibe up to full charge after today’s  serious Down Load.  Look for light traffic to continue before the holiday vacations begin, so be sure to take advantage of these great days!!!   See you dark and early.  CIAO!!!   PS.  Here is a shot of the valley from the peak.  From this vantage point  all problems seem as small as the houses, cars, and happenings going on down there.  Just a thought!

BIG PICTURE

It was 38 degrees in the parking lot as I parked for the day, with low clouds and the peak shrouded in dense clouds.  I thought it was going to begin raining, and that was a distinct possibility, but the first Tram offered 2” of high density cover over the hill that had a sumptuous feel, though the visibility was less than stellar.  Back to back Trams were happening, with light traffic after yesterdays attendance spike.  The upper Cirque was going off with smoothness wall to wall, maintaining that rare back country feel that is still holding strong as we move into the  holiday season.  Around Noon, the Sun began to peak through the cloud cover illuminating the field, and let the faithful dial in those neglected lines that remained obscured by the fog.   The Sun exposure, and unusually high temps. began to set up the product on the lower elevations, turning into the dreaded Harbor Chop. Tomorrow,  watch out for the crud to have frozen up on those lower elevations, and any shots that took some direct hits from the low angle rays.   The Groomers will offer the best consistency, but High North facing will still be good to go.  Baldy is getting back into shape after the slide took out Field of Glory, though care must be exercised on the traverse, where there are some scree reveals that are surprising and potentially damaging.  Mineral Basin will have been affected by the afternoon Sun, so chose your shots with that in mind.   I have been called by the DARK SIDE to attend a day of full downloads, where I will no doubt be hooked up to some scary looking machine that is sure to test my intestinal fortitude.  I will post a report using my many inside sources for an accurate account.  See  you Tuesday!!!   I know I promised a picture, but I bailed before the Sun came out in it’s full fury.   Next time.   Peace Out!!!

The snow falling from yesterday into last night, sent a signal through the collective consciousness of the faithful, drawing them to the power center to partake of the Essence.  High winds and a delayed start on the Tram sent them in search of alternate lift options to get to goods.  The wind had heavily slammed the snow pack, transporting the goods to the high North and West facing exposures, where the best reports came, leaving the other aspects scoured, intermittent, or slabbed out.    The Tram fired up at 11:30 AM.  and was a welcome uphill bump for the faithful, who filled all the lots and Canyon Road.  It was a good day to have taken off.  Tomorrow look for the wind packed, supportable lines in Mineral Basin, the high North East faces, and the always reliable grooming runs for the morning warm up.   The Cirque Traverse is also offering some West facing treats if you go venturing out that way.  A warm front is moving through for tonight, which might deliver some higher density product.  Temps. are also expected to be above average, so plan on not having to dress too heavily.  The mountain is still holding up the overall smoothness, with the bump build up holding off for the time being.  I am taking full advantage of the line and ride.    After all the limited visibility days, I have been unable to get any photos that have any definition, so I will get some put up as soon as I can. Stay tuned.   See you there in the AM!   IBBY!!