Today is the last day of 2011 as we turn the page on the year.  It was a great year, with legendary snow during last season’s delivery, and this year will come around to give the Faithful what they have been waiting for.  This morning was cold, with a cloud deck hanging over the peaks, which held off the full Sun and bluebird visibility.  2” of freshness fell overnight, giving the morning crew something to dance on.  Every little bit helps the overall quality, expanding the playing field a bit more each day.  The firmness is still holding up to the traffic, with only few rocky spots cropping up with the tilling measures, though they are easy to spot and avoid.  Just keep a close eye out ahead for the darker areas and the tell tale signs of the glazed patches.   The off trail areas are getting more approachable as they get worked over, but the interference patterns are getting acute in the high traffic lines, though there are lines to be found just off the main gut areas, so look around for some of the increasing terrain.   It is my day off today, and I want to wish all a happy New Year, and I will see you early next year.   IBBY!!!

There was a combination of flat light and flat groomers, which combined to make the day interesting.  The snow from yesterday made the machine worked areas velvet smooth and predictable.   Light traffic gave the morning crew the ability to put down quick laps on some of the nicest hydrovelvet.  There were some variations here and there, but over all the ride was good to go.  I finally began venturing to the off trail regions to get a good look at the popular runs.   The dry chalky snow pack there is a pleasant alternative to the man made, but the bumps and various hazards make you focus a great deal more.   I made several runs out the Road to Provo, where there were many lines to chose from.  Many folks were making their way over to the Rastas and Hoopy’s Crotch, where there were some  obvious, exposed scree areas to avoid, but I did not hit any rocks, which is not say they are not there.   Tomorrow, look for the hill to have been worked over nicely, and the traffic to have picked up a bit with the weekend, but the up hill capacity is handling the pressure very well.   Gad 2 is still a quiet place to find some smooth runs, but the off trail is still punchy and dubious.  You can certainly venture into these areas, but get a close look when you ride the chair.  On a completely different subject;  the newly remodeled Aerie restaurant and bar is really spectacular and worth a visit to take advantage of the vista and the new menu.  I was up there the other day and it makes me want to remodel the Trailer.   See you in the AM.    Peace Out!!

It was raining at the Trailer this morning , and rained all the way up to the White Pine Trail head, where the precipitation turned to snow.  High winds out of the West were pounding the peak, shutting the Tram down and leaving the chairs the only option. The runs were covered with a beautifully soft and moist layer, which stuck to the slick surface underneath.   The first runs were velvet smooth, like frosting a cake with a paper knife.   MMMMM   Good.  It was great to have a little addition to the runs.  Following the same lines as yesterday helped the avoidance of  rocks.   Though the off trail sections are getting better and better as they get worked over, there is still very thin cover, so tread cautiously.  The only issue in these off trail sections is the interference patterns, which are continually being made more acute with the added traffic.   Tomorrow, look for some more unsettled weather to move through, giving the snow pack a bit more cushion.  I am not going to get too carried away with the new snow, as some of those slick spots can crop up and create some issues in the middle of a turn.   Be aware of the very tight traffic on the main runs, keeping an eye out above at all changes of fall line.  I give it the both shoulder extra check just to be sure.   I think it will be a great morning, so be there early for the best of it.   Peace Out!!

This morning was overcast,  with flat light to make things more interesting.  The Groomers were very nice for the first morning runs, but got a bit scraped off as the traffic worked it.  The traffic was quite light for a holiday, so the back to back program is easy to do.  The sides of the trail still have some nice sugar to dig into when you are looking for a place to scrub some speed.  Regulator is still smooth, but the firmness in the middle section is worth paying attention to as you make the break.  The clouds lowered and there was some rhime ice collecting on the goggles  as Noon came up, but the visibility still held up.  Traffic on Big Emma was still tight and required a great degree of focus and attention to the uphill traffic.  I was going all the way to the left to get  the dry chalk that collects along the bump line, then make my way across to the Bass highway.  The Cats have turned up some rocks here and there, so be on the lookout for them, though they are easy to avoid.  Tomorrow, look for the early morning session to be worth the time.  The low traffic gives you a big leg up on the the vertical access.  Plus you get the best velvet from the tenderizing efforts.   The off trail is still dubious, though there are many good lines if you take your time and find them.  Dry chalky natural base is much more reliable than the Man Made, so you can find some fun.    Not much has changed, so I will make this short.   Take advantage of this low traffic bonanza during this holiday week.   Peace Out!!

The snow pack continues to solidify, but the Cat Crew is doing a fine job getting the hill ready for fun every morning.  I was looking a bit outside the box today, checking the peripheral looking for some softness.  As the day progresses, the dust collects toward the side of the trail.  There can be found some very nice sugar piles, on which to work your magic .  I took a look at Gad 2 today, where the main groomed runs are fairly well covered, with just a few areas that have some rocks mixed into the catted sections.   Off trail looked rasty, after the traffic worked the lift line and other sections since they opened this area.  Most of the hazards are now visible, but that does not guarantee that there will not be found some surprises.  Go off trial there at your peril.  You will see what I mean as you ride the chair up.    Continued snow making is offering some nice morning gun powder, as the temps are perfect.   Be cautions on Big Emma, where the concentrated traffic creates some interesting  challenges.  Watch for Black Ice in the Canyon tomorrow morning, it has been greasy.   See you dark and early.   Ciao!!

My return trip from the Mother Ship, through the Morphogenic Field,  was a bit turbulent, where the Quantum Foam seemed like Cataract Canyon in high water, but I found things smoothed out  as my atoms realigned.    I still have not gotten used to Hyperdimensional travel,  but it is much less stressful than air travel any day.  It looks like the inversion is setting up again, making the Black Ice situation in the Canyon problematic once again.  I intercepted some  Go Pro footage of some off trail explorations that seemed a bit extreme and thin, though the quality in the hard to get to places looked dry, chalky, and whet the appetite for  future entrances to the big lines.  I still am not going anywhere near those shots until we get more snow, but I got to give it to the adventurous spirit of the folks willing to enter the GNAR ZONE areas.

GRAVITY EFFECT

Tomorrow, look for the inversion to deliver some nice temps. and sunny skies before we begin to see the arrival of some brush by weather coming in later in the week.  The Vacation Week is in full force, but I expect some rapid fire morning runs before the traffic increases.  The Groomers will still be providing the goods, but the firmness factor will be increasing each day, making the search for the soft spots imperative.  I will have the first hand report tomorrow, so stay tuned for a bit more detail.  See you on the first Boat.   Peace out!!   Here is the You Tube link to the Go Pro footage courtesy of my friend Shawn and his son http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa3eK7LtU0Y&list=UU_fNplxNPO06UtHl8__EhFg&index=1&feature=plcp I don’t know if that will work, but that is the link.   Thanks Shawn!!

Today was one of those Blue Bird Days that they put in the magazines, lacking only the copious amounts of fresh Essence to fill in the shot. Despite the low snow, the fresh installment we received the other day has helped make the 40th celebration much better, as the Cat crew have material to work into the mat.   I was not able to get over to  Gad 2 before leaving the Planet, but the main runs looked well covered, and you have to know the off trail, like the rest of the hill, is still thin with many natural hazards just below the surface.  The Little Cloud Chair is now in play as well, increasing the uphill capacity, providing more options to keep you on the move.  Tomorrow, look for continued smoothness on the prepared runs, and use caution as you explore the off trail sections.  My first year here, 1976, was a low snow year and I was thinking about all the lines we had established to get through all the rock areas on the main runs.  Now we have the snow making top to bottom, providing solid coverage, but I was remembering the day when there was no choice but to explore and execute the lines.   Sign Line Gully was one of the rare lines that by passed the rocks, and yesterday still looked like it held some interesting possibilities.   So, it is worth the effort to scout around a bit, with the majority of the off trail worked over revealing the issues.  Be Well all and enjoy the sunshine!!!   END TRANSMISSION

American Fork Twins

Pristine valley veiw.

I got the first Tram on the first day of the 40th year the Tram has been open today, and it was a beautiful morning.  The Groomers had worked the new snow into the existing base, creating a velvet smooth finish.  Some area still had the hard glaze, but overall there is great cover.  The attendance is up, however the increased lift capacity makes that a non issue on the  up side, but the traffic on the hill is tight.  Be aware and look up hill.  Off trail is getting better all the time, though it still must be respected, as some of the hazards are just covered, so take care.  Tomorrow, look for continued good conditions despite the low snow.   I will be leaving the Planet for the Mother Ship for a few days, so my reports will be from  very high Earth orbit.  I have my ways of getting information, so I will be reporting as usual.  I want to give a huge shout out to the Chef, who is on a recon mission in Thailand spreading the energy of the Wasatch with all who meet him.  In that spirit, here are two shots for the folks around the World who read this report.  The high Summit of American Fork twins, combined with the pristine vision from 11,000′ in one package.  The high country that we all know and love.  Happy holidays to all, and I Will Be Back!!!    Peace out

There was a well needed delivery of fresh Essence over night, treating the Faithful to some very nice turns.  The cold temperatures of the air and snow helped the new product to stick to the hard foundation, though the cold dense snow made some of the deeper spots a touch on the grabby side.  As the untracked got chopped up, the consistency improved quite a bit, however, Big Emma was still plagued by the dreaded tiles and piles syndrome. And, with the added traffic on the slope, trying to deal with the variations was very tricky.   Gad 2 opened today, expanding the available terrain, drawing some of the crowd over to that side of the hill, which relieved the pressure on the Tram.   This was really the first day that there was a back up on the Tram.  The Peruvian chair was operating, helping spread the traffic out a bit keeping the wait to a  minimum.  The Cirque is accessible from the top of the Peruvian chair via the traverse though Silver Fox, but use caution traversing under the cliff bands, as there are some very abrupt terrain changes.  It looked to me as if there were some good turns to found there.  The off trail was getting worked over, so that will help mitigate some of the hazard with the low snow pack.  Tomorrow, look for the machine worked runs to offer some very smooth and velvety lines after the new freshness gets tilled into the mat.  The off trail will still be providing some improved variety, but the interference patterns are ubiquitous there.    The cold air may be hanging around for another day, so dress for the cold.  The overall temps. are predicted to improve as the systems change the flow of cold air into the area.  Be aware of the high traffic on the hill, though who could miss it, and keep an eye on your surroundings for close encounters.   See you there for first Tram.   Ciao!!!

The Valley was scrubbed clean by the system that moved through overnight to deliver a small amount of freshness to the hill.  Being able to breath fresh air was a treat after dealing with that inversion layer for so long.  With the storm came significant wind, which worked the hill differently on both sides as the day progressed.  There were serious areas of Tiles and Piles, which were obscured by the blowing and limited visibility, making the negotiation of the variations difficult and challenging top to bottom.  The visibility was much better on the lower half of the hill, letting you see some of the variations, though the firmness reflected through despite the new snow.  The Christmas vacations have begun, increasing the pressure quite a bit, and will continue to increase as the holiday period progresses, so added attention to the surrounding sliders is imperative.  Edge noise is still signaling the proximity of sliders up slope, so keep your ears open and check visually both sides of your line to keep  the fast movers in your line considerations.  Tomorrow, look for the Grooming Crew to have worked the new material into the mat, making those extreme variations a bit more consistent, though I expect the usual scraping as the traffic works the sections.  Still, be looking to the side of the runs to have the traction you will be looking for.  The Valley had cleared out when I came down the hill, but the clouds kept hanging on the peaks delivering continued precipitation, so additional freshness can be expected for the morning session.  Here are two shots to illustrate the before and after condition of the Valley after the the cleansing.   Take advantage of the new installment in the AM.   I will see you there for first Boat.   Peace Out!!

Before the storm

After