Expectant Anticipation

It was a BLAST.  A Winter blast, complete with cold temps., stiff wind, and a full turn out of the faithful, who were treated to some very nice Essence as we move into the Summer season.  The amount of new snow created control issues, so it was fully 10:00AM before the first chair went up, but the new snow was cold and buoyant, and much deeper in the higher elevations.  Mineral Basin opened a bit later, and the reports were very enthusiastic.  The line, waiting for the chair to open, was formidable, and reflected the enthusiasm and commitment for the treasured Essence.  I got up early to try and get ahead of the rush, but the delay sent me to ride the Forklift Chair.  After breakfast, I decided to let the faithful have the pleasure of putting the collective signature on the hill and went back down the Canyon to turn my electric guitar up to ear bleeding levels and rock out in celebration of such Essential largess.  With a base of 182”, a YTD accumulation of 776”, and another system moving onto the coast, we can expect next weekend to still be holding the FULL FATNESS.  The hill should smooth out again, so while there may or may not be corn, there will be great sliding to be had.   Perhaps the Tram will be operating by then, and the Super Loop will not have to be endured to get to the peak. Here is a shot of the expectant crowd a the base of the Peruvian Chair just minutes before the first riders went up.  I can tell you the energy was high, and the folks who waited for the goods got all of it!!!   I will post again during the week as the conditions develop,so stay tuned.

It was back to Winter this morning, attended by a small, but loyal group of faithful, who answered the call despite the 3” report.  The rain pounded all night long on the skin of the Trailer, and I thought for sure we would see quite a bit more than that, but it was quite accurate.  Full winter white out conditions prevailed, making Mineral Basin a challenge.  I went with my memorized lines to get the smoothest ride, but I could not see much, and the large roller balls would loom out of the fog, making quick direction changes a must.  There seemed to be more accumulation on the front of the hill, where the High North and West faces offered 5 or 6” of accumulation, depending on the aspect.  Again, the covered small roller balls  from yesterday could be felt, and sudden tip deflection was a concern. By 10:00 AM, the rain soaked lower snow pack began to build up some formidable harbor chop that transcended any previous density this season.  It was thick and rasty, and I went looking for the higher elevations for relief.  There is more precipitation in the forecast, so tomorrow may provide some additional product to play in.  The mountain is fairly smooth overall, but those West facing shots off the Cirque Traverse are still littered with debris in a big way, creating some serious injury potentials.  A word to the wise!!  The entrances to the High North are stunning in coverage, and are worth a look just to see the total

Winter on May 29

absence of the reefs and spires that usually need to be dealt with this time of the season.  Here is a shot of yours truly, taken by Jay Dash of POWDER SHOTS, which illustrates the Winter like conditions of today.  I could not get a shot today due to the visibility, so a BIG thanks to Mr. Dash!!  Be there early tomorrow to get  the best the day has to offer.  IBBY!!!

Slight though it might have been, the impulse that moved through yesterday evening, produced between a half inch and 4 inches of dense fresh essence, which skied with variable quality depending on the surface underneath.  The Groomers were a touch on the firm side with the new on top, and were silky smooth as long as they were untracked, but they became a bit more touchy as they got cut up.  Mineral Basin offered some smooth lines , that were only diminished by the crusty rumble underneath.  I was using my ” ON EGG SHELLS” technique to mitigate the rumble, and to deal with the punchablity factor.  The North faces seemed the deepest, though the crust there was just barely holding until10:00AM, when the brisk, though above freezing temps. gave way to a thicker consistency, especially on the lower third of the hill.  The High West and North faces. held off the longest, so remaining up on Little Cloud was advised to avoid the torsionally challenging lower mountain.  Look for additional accumulation tonight that will cover all the debris from today, which was significant, and may produce some surprises as you navigate the hill.  The BIG ones are obvious, it is the small rollers that are ubiquitous.  Check the main site for availability, as any significant accumulation will require control, so an 8:00AM sharp opening is variable.  Here is a shot of the fresh cover out in Mineral Basin, which is still fully fat and going off first.  See you there in the AM.  Peace Out!

The past week, with it’s variable precipitation and sunshine, had completely resurfaced the entire upper mountain.  The lower mountain did not benefit from the variations, but the those who showed up early were treated to some true back country quality corn goodness.  The East facing was ready to go for the first arrivals out in Mineral Basin, where the crust held up for the first hour and a half, after which the crust started to break and sent me looking toward the North faces to see if that had become supportable during the week.  The High North had certainly smoothed out and was looking sweet, but the supportability was very sketchy, requiring your best smooze technique to keep from busting through. I moved back to the front of the hill to take advantage of the Peruvian side. The  softening there

PERFECT CORN

ULTRA FAT

was occurring at 10:00 AM., offering very velvety Groomers and tender, though supportable, off trail.  The Lower Mountain got soft quite quickly, and the off trail was particularly cut up from the week before.  The West facing was the last to go, so staying up high on the Little Cloud chair extended the day, with some very nice shots off Regulator.  Tomorrow look for the corn surfaces to have refrozen, especially since today was a touch on the brisk side.  The forecast is for more precipitation through the weekend, so there may be some fresh essence to work with.  Memorize your favorite lines, so that when the visibility gets sketchy you have the mental image to work from.  Here is a shot of Mineral Basin looking back country smooth, and one of the Upper Cirque.  Check out shot 8.  Have you ever seen it that wide?!! I haven’t.   See  you tomorrow!!   IBBY!!

I went to hike Little Superior this morning, looking for some corn.  I thought that after all that rain and stormage this week, we would see a supportable crust, but I was denied.  Looking across the street, The Bird was still holding up the full fatness, with the rain and light snow fall smoothing out the complexion.  The only melt off that I could see was two high points on Lower Silver Fox, but they presented no issue at all.  The Sun was out in force, but the forecast is for a cold front Thursday, with an unsettled weekend.   The full fatness will make it possible for the Grooming crew to lay down some nice lines for us, and the off trail will have some smooth sections, but the West facing shots are still suffering from the slide damage of recent weeks.  The high North is still looking smooth as well as South and East, but you will have to check the solidity of each.  Last week the North facing still had not solidified sufficiently, so I bailed on my first attempt.  I will be giving you a more first hand report on Friday so stay tuned.  Ciao!!

I made sure I got an early start this morning to get ahead of the predicted showers.  The base temp. was mild, though the peak was windy and felt cold.  The snow pack did not fully freeze, with the Groomers offering velvet smoothness before they got chopped up.  The light attendance, held off the choppiness, and there were a few shots that still held a supportable crust, but it deteriorated after the first hour and a half, after which I retreated back to the Groomers.  I ventured out to the North facing aspects in Little Cloud, hoping to find some supportable sections, but my instincts were correct, as I was caught with breakable slab, which I ended up having to kick turn out of to mitigate the danger.  At 11:00 AM. the predicted weather moved in, and I beat a hasty retreat to the Forklift Chair, while the rain started to come down in earnest.  The rain is not all bad, because it will saturate the pack, and with some freeze thaw, will begin to produce some nice corn conditions for next week end.  The hill is still in great shape, with little or no melt off, though some of the West facing aspects have slid off, leaving some serious deposition, trashing the lines.  I will be updating the site to keep you apprised of the changes as they occur as we move into next weekend, so you can have a good handle on the conditions.  Stay tuned.  Have a great week.  Peace Out!!

After this week of high density snow and rain at the bottom of the hill, and with reports of high volatility up high, I though today would be a serious challenge.  The faithful turned out with high energy, and they were not disappointed, after having to forgo yesterday.  Today offered various consistency, depending on the exposure and the elevation.  The high North felt like an Alaskan Cream Pie, with supportable dense grouple, that was cold and dry.  The middle Third of the hill felt like Sierra Cheese Cake, where the feel was distinctly thicker, but still let you smooze the turns without  punching through the supportable layer.  If you insisted on sticking the turns, you were going through, and the ride was less consistent.  The lower third of the hill was very thick and required a deliberate technical approach to stay focused in the fall line.  Mineral Basin offered some very variable lines, but overall it was fun and supportable.  This was a very nice surprise overall, but as the pack got tracked out, the difficulty factor increased markedly.  Even though there was a good turn out, the traffic was light enough to enable you to move to the far reaches, where untracked lines could still be found until 11:00AM.  The morning heated up, and the snow really began to absorb the heat, thickening and saturating the pack, making the conditions go South quickly.  Tomorrow, look for Road to Provo and Powder Paradise to open, but I think the quality will be dubious at best after the Sun worked the product.  The Groomers will be providing  the best ride.  The coverage is still increasing, with the YTD hitting 755”, so you do not need to worry about melted off reefs, and the entrances are still looking good.  If you happen to drop the Upper Cirque, be aware that the Cool Whip Traverse has been cut in from the Peruvian Chair, so you will be hitting that little piece of interference, be aware.  See you there early.  Ciao!!

The rain pounded the Trailer all night long, and then the thunder scared the day lights out of my little dog Sophie. The road was closed at 6:00 AM with an estimated opening of 8:30 AM, but that was a mute point as the significant overnight accumulation caused the Bird to call off opening for today’s festivities.  This follows what I was told yesterday, as the instability issue is serious.  We can look forward to tomorrow as additional accumulation will be continuing today.  I will up date this post later in the day as I get more first hand info, so stay tuned.    Here is the 2:30 PM update.  I just got back down from the hill, where I was scoping out the situation, and I can tell you that the snow at the Base was like paste.  The tracks on the hill, from the control work, while well executed, looked strained and tentative.  Reports indicated that the snow pack was quite sensitive and was sliding everywhere.  At the Base the temp. was 39 degrees and it was changing from rain to snow, back to rain again as I was leaving.  I did a snow ball test, and you can believe me when I tell you it had a very high moisture content.  They are planning on opening at 8:00 AM.  with a possible 12:00 Noon closure so plan accordingly   Check the comment that was put up on this post for a first hand account of yesterday’s assessment.  Thanks Kyle!! See you in the AM. Peace Out!

Living The Dream

Long before the season ended, I had the distinct impression that the snow fall was far from over.  It has been raining all week long, with the heaviest amounts in the past few days, and it has become heavier today, Thursday.  Snowbird is reporting 22” in the last 48 hours and 742” YTD, and the weather report is for another sizable dose today and into tomorrow.  Friday will be a powder day, though, with this much snow, the access may be limited, and pressure for the goods is sure to be significant.  I don’t anticipate spring skiing, so dress for the occasion .  The hill is still in full fat shape, making the access you do get good to go.  I think the bottom will be only marginally in play, but still use some discretion as there is significant debris out and about.  This is an exciting time to be getting deep snow, further sending this season’s awesomnicity deep into the collective memory of the faithful.   P.S.I just got back from the Bird to get a first hand look at the hill.  The bottom 1000′ has a very pasty consistency, and with the combined rain and sun working the hill, the prognosis was not encouraging.  The upper 2000′ had high density Spackle, so tomorrow will not be a banner powder day. I talked to Snow Safety, and was told that if it snows overnight they will open late and close early. If it does not snow, it will still be a wait and see situation.  In any case, be sure to have your best heavy snow utensils on hand, as it won’t last long.    See you there in the AM.  IBBY!!

It was significantly colder this morning, making me think that I would find bullet proof conditions, but it never did freeze.  It did not even solidify, making most of the off trail punchable and tenuous.  The Groomers were velvet smooth, feeling like true back country corn.  The front of the hill also did not set up, with very nice granular carvaciousness top to bottom.   The  wind was blowing hard out of the South, which helped keep the snow pack from becoming sticky too fast, but the inevitable finally did crop up.  Following the Sun kept you in the goods, though by 2:00PM. the softness was ubiquitous.  It was a great day with lots of energy and no lift lines all day.

Mineral Basin

This week might see some additional accumulation, but that is a toss up.. That might help, and it might hurt the conditions, but with luck it will further smooth out the terrain.  I will be posting again as I see the changes coming, so stay tuned.  Here is a long shot of Mineral Basin that you won’t normally see unless you go to extremes.  I went to the extremes and took this shot of the full fatness that was going off this weekend.  As you can see it is a long way from melting off.  See you next weekend!  Ciao!!