Should have, could have made it up there today, what with the serious lake effect that rolled through the valley, hitting the front with full winter Essence.  I just did not have it in me, after a long week of working the variations and seeking the fine lines.  It looks as if we might see a bit more accumulation for the next day, but the High Pressure is setting up, so we may finally be getting a corn cycle going.  Of course, perfect is perfect, no matter the depth, and Corn Goodness has it’s own rewarding version of perfection.  There is nothing like shaving the crystals, or feeling the sweet sherbet carvasciouness that a MAZOLA finish delivers.  The goodness of MAIZE!!! Tomorrow look for the Groomers to be going off, as the freshness gets tilled into the mat once again.  The off trail will still be feeling good, but any Sun exposure today will have set things up for the morning, making those direct exposures a fair bit touchy.  The High North should still be the call, if the overcast lasts the day preserving the cold, so keep your fingers crossed.  Here is a shot I got of snow Elementals shining in the morning stillness, just after they assisted in delivering the Essence. Thank you bright lights of nature!!!  See you tomorrow.   IBBY!!!

FRESH ESSENCE

The continued installments of Essence have finally pushed us over the RECORD for accumulation this year; this from the head of marketing. I talked to one of the Avalanche forecasters yesterday, who told me that we had exceeded the water content record, but now we have gone past the total record.  And with the super accumulation, the hill has been SNOWTOXED, where all the wrinkles have been taken out by the relentless deliveries.  Yea!!!  I think back to the beginning of the season, when hopes were high, and now to see the fruition of the corporate visualizations, it is stunning to actually see and experience the results.  The overnight accumulation had a high density, which was cold enough to help cushion the crustiness underneath, and resist being heavy.  As anticipated, the High North was offering the deepest accumulation, as the wind was pushing the product continually into the bowls.  The West facing was getting a bit scoured, though it was still holding some of the freshness.  The visibility was variable, with some glimmers of Sun poking through to reveal the untouched lines.  This pattern is predicted to continue into tomorrow, so today’s traffic will have worked the fresh cover into the crust layer, thus preparing it for any additional Essential Deposits.  There is a low amplitude rumble being developed by the unusual traffic, so expect to be jostled by the interference, but it is not as problematic as it could be.  There are still some residual frozen chunks lying about, particularly below the Cat Tracks, so be cognizant of those especially in bad visibility.  Tomorrow, will be another great day, as the cold temps, continued accumulation, and lack of Sun damage will insure a winter like experience for the most part.  I will see you Sunday.  Ciao!!!

As anticipated, the South wind was working from the Get Go this morning, beginning to transport the loose product to the Northern exposures.  The first Trams of the morning saw the transport only covering the Groomers with some very nice buffage, but the West facing was getting scoured, so I stayed with the smooth.  I ventured out to Mineral Basin to check out the High North exposes there, hoping to find some soft snow, which I did finally locate all the way out under the Sunday Cliffs.  Scored a fresh untracked line twice, then headed for the Forklift Chair to let softening to occur a bit more.  As the Sun worked the hill, the crustiness gave way to some very soft and silky turns, but the bonus round came when the South wind finally got enough volume moved to turn the High North into the silky smoothies I was hoping for.  The High North is fat, fat, fat, and all the shots there were going off like you dream about.  With walk on Trams, lapping the goodness was a given, and there were so many lines to choose from.  By 2 PM. the bottom of the hill was definitely getting soggy, though the stickiness was only barely noticeable.  The West facing broke, offering some desert like elegance on those Groomers.  Big Mountain Smooth is Big Mountain Smooth no matter how it is achieved.  There is weather in the forecast, so tomorrow will have visibility issues, though with the wind smoothing, those buffed out lines will be a no brainer, if you just follow your inner compass.  Here is a shot of the Book Ends that I took as I drove by; I could not resist.   IBBY!!

HIGH NORTH

Today had all the feel of a High Season Powder Day, with perfectly smooth and creamy Essence, a full court press for the Tram, high energy participation, and a nice cold nip to the air.  Yesterday was just a teaser for what was delivered today, as the previously closed areas were open to the faithful , who were in full attendance.  The parking situation was reminiscent of any big January installment, with the parking lots full , and the by pass road wall to wall.  The Cold air held off the high angle Sun until 1:30 PM., when the intensity began to overcome the cold in the snow.  The fresh lines held up for a long time, as the visitors from other locales were not as familiar with the options as the resident faithful.  The Sun did begin to work the high exposures, so tomorrow be sure to take that into consideration for line choice.  The High North should still be holding the cold softness, a but slight aspect changes can produce large quality variations.  The coverage is still bigger than ever, with shots that are never covered offering a chance to put your mark on them.  Once again, the High North is looking fatter than ever, and is holding the big mountain smooth after that low amplitude rumble was covered.  Tomorrow, there may be a strong South wind out ahead of the next installment, which is forecast for Friday, so we may be getting some transport to the favored exposures for some smoothies.  The Groomers will also be ground pounding good, inviting a full throttle drive line for maximum vertical.  The attendance pressure should recede as well, making the Tram more realistic, though the addition today of the Peruvian Chair, to address the pressure, made the Tram line very quick indeed.  This season is now pushing into the record books, and will NOT be a foot note to be sure.   Ciao!!!

The rain pounded on the Trailer all night last night, signaling the arrival of the next big spring dump.  I was not the only one who was listening to the pitter patter to  make my plans for the day, as the Canyon closure saw the faithful lining up at the Mouth in droves.  Now that Alta is closed, as well as all the other areas, there was only one place for them to worship, and that is The Bird.  The Canyon closure kept being pushed back continually, and where I was sitting on the road it looked super greasy, so I just felt that there was just no winning for me, which turned me around and headed for Carl’s Cafe to plan my options.  The reports on the hill were sizable, and you had to know that it was going to be good, with Winter cold temps. at the base.  I heard that the Peruvian Chair opened to help deal with the super pressure for the late season Essence, which only made sense and kept things from getting too out of hand.  Tomorrow, look for continued softness and the opening of areas that were held off today, so there is hope to still get some of this installment despite the high demand.  That is what I have been telling myself as I worked through the day.  With the cold temps. and the heavy cloud cover, I think the quality will still be top notch, but a bit skied out in the easily accessed areas.  Begin planning now and try to be there early.  Be sure to check the road report, because anything can happen, and with this season being what it is, I expect more surprises and treats to continue.  IBBY!!

There was a few new inches of high density product covering the hill, cushioning the set up layer below.   Though the visibility was marginal, the first 5 Trams were really fun to carve through the fresh frosting that was holding up under the light traffic.    At Noon, the snow began to fall as the next impulse began moving in.  The visibility seemed to become a bit better, though there were times of fogginess that challenged the equilibrium.   Mineral Basin opened a bit late, and with the visibility being as it was, there was lots of untracked to be found when the Sun began peaking through the cloud deck, revealing tantalizing lines.  The underlying crunchiness was problematic, but with a deliberate turn approach those lines seemed fun and worth a repeat.  Here is a shot of the chunks below the Road to Paradise, where the cornice had been blown the other day.  These chunks are very large, on the order of washer dryers, with a couple of refrigerators thrown in for good measure.  If we get more accumulation overnight, these might present some issues in bad visibility.  Just letting you know.  The spring program is underway with only The Tram, Little Cloud, Mineral Basin, and Chickadee lifts providing the uphill options.  The lower Gad Valley is also closed off as well as the Gad 2 area, so if you happen to duck the rope, it will be a very long walk, as there is no shuttle service any more.  Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation, with the present accumulation providing some cushion  over the set up layer.  The high North did in fact get set up, and is not as user friendly as it was just recently, but such is the spring time expectations.  The Groomers have been still holding up some very smooth cruising, so they are a good option if you need the straight up consistency.   Since there is such limited lift options, the Tram is going to be very busy if we get any real depth.  See you in  the AM.. Ciao!!  P.S.  If you click on the picture you will get the captions.  If you click on it again, you will get the full screen version, then you can zoom in on the details.

Giant Chunks

The morning was forecast to be cloudy, but there was a nice clear sky to greet the few who were on deck to start the day.  The Groomers were mid winter smooth, offering a sweet velvet feel to get the RPM’s turning.  The High North was still really nice, with very approachable lines anywhere on those exposures.  The other sections were fair, and had benefited from the few cm’s that had fallen overnight, although they were a touch stiff but manageable.  Walk on Trams were a bonus, as it was very easy to make each one with no delay.  The hill is still holding on to the smooth factor, with only a marginal low amplitude rumble to deal with.  With all the big snow pack build up, the big shots are still super accessible, and offer a rare chance to rip them with unmitigated audacity.  There is more snow in the immediate forecast, so I expect that  there will be at least some fresh Essence for the morning session.  The visibility may be problematic, but with the hill in such good shape, it gives you a wide margin for error if you are just guessing on the immediate details.  Also, look for the Groomers to be exceptional once again, with some of the lower mountain drops, perhaps, getting the machine work, so check the report in the AM.  Here is a shot I took at Noon today, showing the fatness of the Upper Cirque.  Notice that all the chute delineations are absent and covered sufficiently to enable a full court press.  It has been may years since it has looked this big, so take advantage of the rarity!!!   IBBY!!!

FULL FAT

I have been having a delightful day off, but up on the hill it looked a bit dreary, with some slight flurries and visibility issues.  The forecast is for more Essence to be delivered overnight and into tomorrow, so we can expect continued improvement in the conditions, with the big mountain smooth holding up to take advantage of any additional accumulation.  There is also quite a period of unsettled weather expected for the week, so my attempts to hold on to winter are sputtering, but still encourage further visualizations.  I do love the corn cycles, but the recent quality of Essence makes it darned hard to send thoughts of warmer conditions out  to the Universe.  As we ended last season, I was reflecting on the cycle flowing down the Canyon, but this season we are still seeing the cycle in the ADD mode, which is what we all look for in a season.  Soon enough the Essence will once again return to its liquid state and flow back into the return cycle, but in the mean time we can enjoy Up side.  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to be ripping fast and fairly vacant, as I do not anticipate too much in the way of traffic.  I will be looking to the High North to still be delivering some good drops.   I will see you in the AM.  Ciao!!

The morning was sunny and bright, but there was a real chill to the air, with a stiff breeze to keep the air from heating up too fast.  The impulses from yesterday had been deposited wall to wall, depositing a bit more product on the High North exposures, making them silky smooth.  The faithful were there in modest numbers, maintaining the Tram line at the 20 minute level, so I opted to make some laps in Mineral Basin before the Sun worked the freshness. The snow was cold and dense, feeling a bit like deep sugar, which kept the bottom only minimally in play.  I moved back to the front of the hill and charged the steep North aspects that seemed to be ignored, so I just kept working the sections one after another.  Adager had been given the Grooming treatment, providing the big mountain smooth, high angle drop that is rare and treasured.  The air remained cold all day, though the high Sun angle was working the direct exposures, but I was finding untracked, cold lines at 2:00PM. out on the Cirque Traverse.  Score!!  Tomorrow, look for the High North to still have the smooth softness, but watch out for the stiffening on the lower mountain.  The Groomers will be great after this freshness is tilled into the mat, so get the direct exposures early before they go South.  Depending on the day’s temps., the North aspects should hold the cold quite well.  Another great feature of the present time, is that the mountain is very smooth overall, with very few sections holding much in the way of interference patterns, so a much more full on line can be taken with little thought of having to deal with that issue.  I will be off tomorrow, so make the laps for me and I will see you Sunday.   IBBY!!

More snow fell overnight, and with it came wind out of the South West, filling in the High North aspects.  These shots were so good I scarcely could believe the improvement over yesterday.  The Grooming crew were back up to speed, bringing back the old standbys, and included another stellar treatment of Lower Silver Fox.  I just kept lapping the goodness with no pressure for the lines all morning long.  The visibility was quite good, with the wind moving the fresh snow continually into the High North for every run. It took a bit of time for the lower Mountain to soften into the sherbet consistency  that we know and love, but become so it did, and I was getting it all as fast as I could lap it.  At 2:00PM. a wall of Voodoo moved up the Canyon, bringing with it lightning, thunder, high winds, and pelting grauple that inflicted painful impacts on my face!! Ouch!!  With the lightning, the lifts were shut down while the impulse moved through.  I took that opportunity to bail before the road became an issue.  We may see some additional accumulation overnight, so look for continued excellent conditions, with super smooth North facing aspects to kick things off.  This season is pushing all the records, and the aspects are so full that the terrain features are disappearing, and new entrances are opening up that I have never seen accessible.  It is Super Fat wall to wall.  Here is a shot of the Valley just before the Wall of Voodoo moved up the Canyon. Scary!!!   See you in the AM.   Peace Out!!

OH OH!!