It was snowing when I left The Trailer this morning, which was a surprise, as I thought the storm was over.  There was an inch of fresh on the run that seemed to add more than an inch of fluff to the experience.  I was totally wrong with my prediction of moderate traffic yesterday.  Today was more like what I had in mind.  Walk on chairs, with only fair traffic on the open runs, made it a much more realistic session. I still had to be keenly observant of the uphill traffic at all times, but the serious pressure was reduced markedly.  The off trail has been getting a surprising amount of traffic, with folks charging the obvious features, landing in mine fields.  I guess it has to get packed out sometime or other, so they might as well have at it.  Here is a shot I took of the true nature of the off trail situation. Be sure to click on the image twice and see the real size of the hazards here. They are not insignificant!!! Next time it snows a foot, remember this is the reality of the chosen line.  It will take a lot of snow to make this realistic. but hey it’s your line.  The main runs have very good coverage and I have not hit one rock.   Progress is being made on the Tram as they were doing some testing.  Good sign, though the cover up high is very sketchy from all reports, so even if they get it going soon, we will need some cover to get us up there.  Tomorrow, look for a nice refresh on the groomers, with light traffic and an much more casual pace.  That is a much better situation if you want to

ROCK BOTTOM

get some vertical in and get the turning more syncopated.  It is tough to get a solid rhythm going when you are worried about up hill traffic.  See you there bright and early.  IBBY!!

The overnight snow alerted the Faithful to be on hand to

Groovalicious

get some of  the first freshies of the season.  The groomers were perfectly smooth to start, with nice consistency, but the high traffic in a confined area chopped it up fairly fast.  The off trail is still a mine field with hazards at or just below the snow surface, so it is a roll of the dice right now, so be wary for the next bit until we get some more snow.  The main machine worked runs are nicely covered in all the correct spots.  Sections, that years ago would have been very bony, are trustworthy now.  Thanks to the snow makers.  I worked my way through school making snow back East, so I know how hard it is.  Tomorrow, look for the early runs to be the best, taking advantage of that carpet smoothness.  Yes!!!  I am including a shot of a different type of perfect, which to me is MMMMM  Good!!!  See you there bright and early!!  Ciao!!

It was a light but enthusiastic turn out for first chair this morning  under gray skies and wind ahead of the next installment coming in tonight through Saturday.  A loud chorus of hoots and cheers went up as the first chair loaded just a few minutes before 9:oo AM.  The snow making had covered the main runs available with plenty of cushion to keep the rocks well out of play.   The Bass Highway is good to go all the way back to the Plaza thanks to the snow making that was installed specifically to build the base on this previously sketchy section.  Now it is just a cakewalk!!  The severe terrain features on the main runs have been smoothed over, making the transitions very predictable. Off trail, however, was quite thin, but that did not dissuade many folks from exploring the fresh sections just off the groomed runs.

Wednesday

The recent snowfall, along with the snow making, provided a firm, though not icy, carpet to work out the cobwebs.  I took out my special skis with the 150 day bottom patina, which allowed me to shwag each turn without catching edges or experiencing any weirdness.  For me, it is no time to be sticking my turns until I get my legs dialed in.   I spent a fair amount of time at the local skate board park this Summer to keep my timing sharp, and that non attached moment pays dividends on these first days.  The Tram is still undergoing mechanical maintenance, but they are working hard to get it going for us.  Tomorrow, look for some fresh snow  to have fallen overnight, with continued precipitation through tomorrow, so the conditions are going to improve markedly as the Essence accumulates.   I don’t anticipate a huge surge of attendance tomorrow, so there will be  no waiting as the chair really puts the folks up the hill.  Be aware of the fast movers as you work the limited terrain, keeping an eye uphill for the situations that collect behind you.  I was using my ears to hear the proximity of the fast movers, which gave me a heads up as to their presence.   It is going to be a great season, and today’s opening was really fun, so I will see you there. Here is a shot of the hill last Wednesday so you can get an idea of the coverage.   Peace Out!!

Once again, it is futile to try and hold back time, as it just blows by.  Here we are again on the threshold of the new Season, with a storm on the doorstep and all the stoke dialed up and ready to go.  The snow making has been going all week, so the main problem areas will have some cushion, but off trial might be dubious.  The new storm will bring a quick buffer to the existing conditions and launch The Bird into flight.  I can’t really give you the first hand account till I have been there, so stay tuned tomorrow for a better evaluation.  Yea!! It’s here!!!   IBBY!!!

The beginning of the Season is just days away.   It is hard to believe that is is here so soon.  It seem we were watching the water boil down the Canyon yesterday.  The hill is looking marginally covered on the off trail, but a new storm for the weekend looks like it will bring the necessary fortification to make things much nicer.  Snow making is going on regularly covering those trouble spots.  The machine worked areas look pretty well covered down low, but be aware of some of the variation.  Speaking of variations, the off trail is in full relief,  the hard terrain features are unforgiving, so keep that in mind with your line choice.  I am going to try to get some more detailed info, so stay tuned for updates.   It is shaping up nicely!!      On another note;  I would like to express condolences to Jamie Pierre’s family at his passing this week.  It is a tragic loss of such a great representative of the spirit of Free Ride.  He will be greatly missed.   Be Well all!!

The BIG CYCLE has returned again as the storm track  began moving though the Front.  There have been some Face Book shots of powder at Alta posted with glowing reports of goodness.  That is really good news as we move toward the opening dates.  Snow making is still being pushed hard, and along with the natural installments should give us something nice to work with.  There is another impulse moving through tonight, with a predicted 10″ accumulation, so we are well on the way as the Essence returns from it’s long and morphogenic course.  If snow flakes could talk it would be interesting to hear of the travels and adventures as it made it’s way around to arrive again just in time!!  I was going to go up and get a shot today, but the clouds were hanging on the peaks, so there would not be any really good photo op.  As soon as the Sun breaks out I will get a fresh shot of the hill.  I did get some shots of the last two prime coats, but they just seemed so thin that I wanted to wait for a more exhilarating image.  We seem to be in the flow zone now, so I am amping up my visualizations.  Please add to my efforts, as the more mind focusing the better.  More soon.  IBBY!!!