There was as much Essence here at the Trailer this morning as there was on the hill at the peak.  The road opened early after the small accumulation did not present much of a hazard.  The light density installment did not cushion the rumble underneath, making the ride quite bouncy indeed.  I was looking for the smooth sections to smooth out the ride as much as possible.  Having a small amount of fresh let the mountain open wall to wall, so we can work the product into the snow pack in preparation for the next installment, which is hot on the heels of this one.  Large dumps are thrilling, but the assorted issues of lots of snow make smaller amounts much more usable.  I am still holding the vision for this cycle, so help out and imagine your most excellent powder vision, whatever that may be.   Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation, but remember the rough running under current, using a bit more discretion before letting fly.  There are still many surprises to be encountered, that can be quite abrupt indeed.   Check for the road access in the AM. before heading out.  Here is a shot of one of the Tram Bearings that came from the work that was done on the Bow Wheel earlier this season. I was honored to have been presented with one of these very rare specimens.   It is a thing of beauty, and I am confounded to how it was made so perfectly.  This bearing spent 40 years turning in the race, and here it looks pristine.  Awesome to me!!  See you in the AM.   Peace Out!!

TRAM BEARING

I have had numerous folks from around the world ask me if there was going to be snow, but my guess is as good as good as anyone else.  However, I always felt that we were on the threshold of the shift into the opposite extreme.  It looks like the transmissions to the BIG GIANT HEAD did not go unnoticed, so the next installment is poised to pummel the  Wasatch Front.  There is waffling on the extent of the predicted accumulation, as the models run over and over again, but I think we will be getting a healthy dose, which will kick the hill into high gear.  The Traverses need some cover, the deep interference patterns need some cushion, the reefs need a bit more buffer, and you know you can never have enough COW BELL, so I am setting my sights on the perfect amount in the perfect, right side up, order.  Upside down is when the lighter density is covered with high density, making the turning a bit tricky.  A first course of high density with light density on top is the best arrangement, so that is what on which I am focusing my intention.  Help out with your own focus, as it is much more powerful with numbers.   Gird your Grid for a big one, it’s going to be great no matter what, so I will see you there for first boat.  Ciao!!

This morning the early risers were treated to some beautiful sunshine, with Mineral Basin offering the most carvalicious turns imaginable…  and I can imagine a lot!!  White diamonds was given the grooming nod, with a top to bottom treatment that was SUPER FLY.  I mean that in the strictest sense of the colloquial meaning.   Playing fast and loose with the gravity line was easy, because the edge response was impeccable.  I could not get over it.  The smooth stood up all day long in the back as well as the front of the hill, with the slight chop build up posing no problem to a direct slice and dice line.   The off trail is staying soft on the High North aspects, but some of the West faces have begun to catch a bit of the Sun influence, though nothing to really ruin the ride, just enough to notice.   The Extreme High North sections are in good shape, but the entrances still are problematic, however, a deliberate effort to access the lines will pay off once you are in.   There is strong confidence concerning the approaching weather, and the hill is primed for the additional product.   The under lying substrate has begun to be mitigated in the past few days, and the additional accumulation will go a long way to reducing the reflection of the interference patterns up into the new snow.  I am always looking for smooth, but that is the way I like it…… Smooth!!!   I will be taking tomorrow off, but I will post with the help of the deep cover sources.   Get there early for the best of the day, though today stayed great for the duration…. Bonus!!!    IBBY!!

The Sun was out in all it’s glory this morning after the past few days of variable visibility.   The Groomers were unreal in Mineral Basin, again, with the Baldy Express feeling like your own personal lift.  Later in the morning a line built up back there, as folks took a look into the glowing bowl.   There were clouds lower in the Heber Valley, which made it seem like we were in the heavenly realm, but then….. we were!!!!   Regulator was smooth to a fault, but it was beginning to firm up, though there was some soft dust on top to make it feel like velvet.  Off trail, the rumble is building up quickly, so you will have to deal with that vibratory level, though, with the sunny skies, it is easier to scope out the smoother lines.  The off trail crud is holding the softness, and even though there is the Harbor Chop build up,

the piles are fully  blastable, exploding easily with no deflection.   That is the great feature of these colder days, with the snow pack holding the quality even with the Sun working the product.  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to to again offer some carvalicious quality, letting you drop a hip into the turn, getting all the ski can deliver.  Can you handle the snap if you do that?   I was reminiscing with some friends about how, not too long ago, we were slipping and sliding, grabbing desperately for any grip at all.  Now you can lay into the turn with full confidence.  More snow is in the forecast, and the hill is set up to take advantage of any installment.  See you there for another rock and roll festival!!!   Peace Out!

The morning crew was treated to a rare occasion , with some of the lightest snow of the season deposited on the hill overnight.  There was fully 5” of  really perfect Essence on the Groomers that was as good as it gets.  It gets deeper, but it does not get better.   Mineral Basin was really socked in, but the crew made the zero visibility descent into the Paradisiacal section.   Once again, it was like having a private resort out there, with no one in sight, and the ability to put one line right next to the other.  So rare.   Usually there is a feeding frenzy when we get snow like this, but today offered fine dining with course after course of delightful sustenance,   Another great feature of the day was the isolated micro storm that was going off in Mineral Basin, depositing easily another 5 to 7 inches as the day progressed.  Needless to say I spent quite a bit of time back there.  Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation on the hill, as there were snow impulses all across the Valley, headed directly for the Canyon.   The mountain is really hitting it’s stride, with most of the serious hazards getting covered, entrances filling up, interference patterns softening up, and all the areas open.    Gad 2 is looking good, but there are high bump features to deal with, almost on every line.  There are some peripheral sections that still are smooth, but that is  tough to find.  More snow is in the forecast, so start making plans to get here as we move into the Snow Zone!.  Here is a shot of breaking trail late in the day.  You can see how deep it was getting.  See you there for first Tram.   IBBY!!!

BREAKING TRAIL

The clinging storm clouds released their grip on the peak this morning, leaving the the Sun shining brightly.   The Groomers were as good as it gets, with the perfect combination of softness and a light covering of angle dust just to punctuate perfection.   Mineral Basin was awash in Sunshine, so that was the obvious call for the first runs of the morning.  By 10:30 AM. some clouds began to move over the hill, delivering knee deep killer fog that really tested the internal Universal Positioning System.  Anderson’s hill was just a guess for me as I groped my way into the murk, with not a reference point to be seen.  I was just glad I correctly guessed where the fall line was each time, because it was a toss up with each turn.   I made a hasty retreat to the Forklift Chair to avoid an unfortunate encounter with the Whoop Rule.  At 1:30 PM.  the clouds moved off for a bit, after dropping 1.5” of fresh frosting on the hill from a energetic impulse that came out of nowhere.   Untracked Groomers in Mineral Basin were left untouched after the clouds had obscured the lines, keeping folks from venturing into the abyss.  I can’t say as I blame them, but it worked for me as I lapped the lines, putting one track next to the other before it was all discovered.  It felt like 40” of Zero % washing over me with each turn.  YUMMMM!!!  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to be , once again, off the charts perfect, with the off trail still soft overall.  The hard pack underneath the new accumulation only began to crop up very late in the day.  Entrances into the big chutes are still touch and go,  but these lines are getting better with each new installment.  Here is a shot of the Sun filtered by the foggy clouds.  One of the few times you can look directly at it.   See you in the AM!!  Ciao!!

Sun Rise

There was a rush of folk for the first Tram this morning, pushing out the door and filling the maze, but the mountain was opening in rapid succession distributing the faithful out over the hill evenly, leaving the lines quick and easy after the first push.   Overnight,  fresh ultra light Essence fell filling in some of the aspects, but not really mitigating the rumble factor very much.   Powder Paradise opened quickly, offering some very nice lines where ever you chose, but the South and East facing seem to have escaped the wind that made the North facing aspects a touch on the wind slabby side.  With the new snow adding to the cover, I took a tour out the Cirque traverses to see what was up.  I found the middle section to require a very careful approach, as the bump pattern is angular, choppy, deeply troughed,  with rocks lurking in the shallow sections.  The West side seemed to have set up a bit since yesterday, so I opted for the Cirque, where the new snow was very nice indeed.  The Grooming was also excellent,

REFLECTED LIGHT

with the slick spots going away quickly.  I really did not hit any glaze on either side of the hill.  The forecast is for some more snow, but they say it is headed South, however, I am still expecting  greatness no matter how deep it is.  Some of the reefs are beginning to get covered over sufficiently, but expect there to be some vestiges of gnar to crop up here and there.  There is still a fair bit of medium amplitude rumble to deal with, so approach the lines with a grain of caution.   I was bounced around again today by some undercurrent, but I slowed down to absorb the ride with a minimum of aggravation.  Another great day ahead, so be there to partake of what we have been waiting for.  The hill is shaping up quickly.   IBBY!!!

The morning Snowbird report called the accumulated Essence 3”, so the faithful rolled over in bed and said ” LATER”, leaving the hill to the excited faithful who showed up despite the  report.  They were treated to boot top depth on the peak, with areas in Mineral Basin sporting some knee deep sections.  What a surprise it was to have so much accumulation with so little pressure.  The bottom gnar was firmly in play with the medium density Essence doing little to buffer the rumble, causing me to bounce mercilessly through invisible bumps as I tried to deal with the very poor visibility.  I got a hot tip on a line in Mineral Basin, so I tried it out, only to find that the visibility, combined with the crusty bumps underneath, left me, again, struggling to maintain a direct line, which is essential when navigating Zero visibility.  You can be sure that I won’t be listening to that source again.  The Harbor Chop began to build up very quickly, considering the moderate traffic, but it was just too much for my knees to deal with, so I called it a day at Noon.   It is still snowing hard here at the Trailer, so check the road report first thing to make sure of the road access situation.  The new accumulation will go a long way to buffering the interference patterns after the product gets worked in with the traffic.  Sometimes, however, those hard interference patterns  create a strong template that maintains the pattern despite the additional accumulation, so keep that in mind when charging a known bump line that now looks smooth.   The forecast is for more snow tomorrow as well, so the conditions just moved to the other side of the bell curve, where we all dream of being.   See you there for the freshness in the AM.   Peace Out!!!

The Chef said he felt like he was skiing in knee deep Flat Light this morning, before he bailed to escape the white out.  The firmness factor started kicking in again as the fog saturates the snow pack, then sets up.   The clouds clung to the peaks all day, so there was not much let up in the visibility.  There is some snow in the forecast, which will heal the firmness factor again.   Those few inches of fresh we had last week went along way to improving the ride.  Visibility could continue to be an issue as there is an unsettled pattern moving in.  Tomorrow, look for the smooth to get started, and get a look at the off trail which is offering some smooth lines as well as well established high traffic pattens, so choose from the assortment of fun.  Here is a shot of a small slab release I came across that looked kind of trippy.   See you for the early turns!!!

The weather presenters got it right for the Valley, but missed the nice day up on the hill.  The morning crew was greeted by some serious visibility issues.   The Chef was likening it to a FUZZ TONE on a cheezy 60′ s record, because everything seemed to look FUZZY.   I include this shot of  a tree that illustrates the FUZZ TONE feeling. The snow quality was very nice indeed, with some of the softness accumulated during the past few days leaving the ride smooth and velvety on the Big open Groomers.  The off trail is still quite bouncy, and has not yet begun to mitigate the interference patterns.  The Cirque Traverse is still difficult as you go further down the ridge, so use extra caution on the approach.   I did a lap into the fog in Mineral Basin, just to see how bad the visibility gets, finding very smooth Groomers with some better visibility down low.    Tomorrow, look for the mountain to still be holding the little bit of softness throughout the day.  There are many smooth and reliable lines on many exposures, so look around for the gems that are to be found.   The high traffic areas will still be holding the Interference patterns  without let up.  They are easy to circumvent, but these lines are easily accessible for those who seek out these lines.   Some of the major reefs are beginning to get covered by this recent accumulation, so they will be extremely volatile if you run into them.  Look for the high points, old release zones, and obvious spines to feature these hazards.    I was able to get the Internet connection re established today, but the

FUZZ TONE

Modulation Damper is shot and will need some TLC during my day off tomorrow.  Watch for black ice in the Canyon in the AM.  See you Sunday!!!   Ciao!!