It was a blue bird morning today with temps on the peak at 23 Degrees.  The Sun was shining brightly out in Mineral Basin to start things out, offering some of the most deluxe groomers imaginable.  The high relief terrain features are nicely covered but can be very abrupt in spots, so keep a sharp eye out.  Upper Baldy opened today with great turns out there.  The traverse was a bit tricky in places on the way out, so be careful of the features you will encounter.  These recent cold days have preserved the quality, though the dense cold cloud that hugged the peak yesterday seemed to set up the off trail

TWINS

a bit making it stiff.  There was some serious wind slab on the off trail out in Mineral, but look for some wind smoothed areas in the AM.  Tomorrow, look for another morning of great groomers with the gun powder below the guns still offering some very nice velvet underneath them.  With the Sun so low in the sky it takes a while for the detail on the front of the mountain to kick in, so that sunny back bowl option has been a great addition to the strategy  Watch out for Black Ice in the lower canyon in the morning and afternoon as it is in full effect with this inversion developing.  It is deceiving as the road looks dry, but…….No!   Here is a shot of the wind blowing off the twins taken from the deep trees.  See you in the AM for full fun.   IBBY!!

BIG GUN

It was quite a cold morning, though not nearly as cold as it get’s in other locals, but it paid to cover exposed skin this morning.  There was a vague cloud of super cold air hugging the peak that made the details blurry.  The Sun finally made a comeback after the long cycle that changed the entire dance floor wall to wall.  There are still a few thin spots where the wind continued to scour the slope, but for the most part there was sumptuous depth and goodness where ever you looked.  Mineral Basin was sunny for the first runs of the day, and there were plenty of untracked lines that had been overlooked in yesterday’s white out.  It was so cold that the snow machines were turning out some of the sweetest gun powder imaginable, making a quick deceleration maneuver executed just to enjoy the exquisite softness with each arcing turn.  Yummmmm!   Tomorrow, look for the off trail to still be quite soft and deep over all, with the groomers hitting the all time awesome mark.  I love it when the consistency gets so good you can trust dialing what ever radius you choose.  That bit of involvement was just a dream just last week, but here we are with a whole new dance floor.   Here is a shot of one of the fans kicking out some of the nicest creaminess with Twins in the back ground.  It is up to us to begin the smoothing process, so show  up early to do your part.  IBBY!!

Yet another dose of the goods was deposited on the hill  overnight, which was a bit higher density than yesterday, but still was sumptuous and deep.   Mineral Basin opened as well as a delayed Road to Provo to treat the crowd of faithful to what they have been waiting for since last year.  I heard so many comments about how this is already better than last year, that it tells you that  everyone is on the same page in trying to make up for lost turns.  I can tell you that the days of training runs earlier in the season are paying off now with added stamina and line focus.  It is now possible to fully arc into each turn for the full centrifugal effect on the ski.  I was so over going sideways, that driving a solidly round turn was an extravaganza.  Later in the day the higher density began to set up the Harbor Chop  on the lower mountain, which required a long deliberate arc to keep from getting worked.   It was still snowing when I left, so we can expect more accumulation overnight, so check the road report for restrictions.  This is the perfect scenario, where we don’t get too much at once which keeps things open and it gets skied out.  Tomorrow, be sure to get an early start unless the Canyon

Stairway to Heaven

closes, as the pressure for first Tram is high.  The Chair option was a good call this morning, with walk on access and a hop skip and a jump to the top.  I keep forgetting the new lift, so I waited in the Tram line when I could have been at the top and going down before I got in the Tram building.  Doh!!!   I will keep that in mind, it is just hard changing the paradigm sometimes.   Here is a shot of the Stairway To Heaven!!!  See you there for more Deep experience in the AM.   Peace Out.

Surf is up on the hill and there is a big swell moving in which will get us all shacked in due time.  Today’s delight was a wind whipped froth of redistributed goodness that had completely mitigated the ratchet chop from yesterday.   What a treat it was to fully dial into any turn with full confidence of fully supportable carvaliciousness on every turn.  There was only minimal scratchiness on the very lower part of the hill.  The early high wind extravaganza was a bonus after the Tram was forced to close, followed shortly by the Little Cloud chair that was taking the full brunt of the maelstrom.  The clouds began to back off making everyone think it was over and that we were going to get by passed, but I knew it was just a sucker hole.  At 4:30 PM the cold front rolled through the Valley bringing a pelting rain that sounded  so good on the thin skin of the Trailer.   I love that sound as it means Essence on the Hill.   Tomorrow look for nice accumulation and how much is anyone’s guess, so check the road report in the AM.  The coverage is getting better all the time and the groomed sections are really special now that the crew has some real snow to work with.  You have to love a fresh mowed mat with perfect velvet to carve.   So much fun.   The Peruvian chair was still offering some wind swept goodness late in the day, so look for those guts to be filled and smooth.   It is going to be a great cycle so get ready for the DEEP!!!    Here is a shot of that sucker hole shining in the valley.   Load the trucks it’s clear over the lake!!!

SUCKER HOLE

IBBY!!

I was right about the COMET but I was wrong about not getting accumulation over night, as there was 5” reported but skied like knee deep.  The moisture content was 4%, which was righteous Utah Light and the faithful were on hand to partake of this installment.   Yesterday’s accumulation had been worked over and the ratchet chop had set up, so the ultra light Essence did not buffer the rumble.  With the visibility marginal it was tough to see the variations, and I was taking a beating, but what fun a beating can be.  Everything was open quickly and the choices wide open.  The entrance into the Middle Cirque is still a bit bony, so be aware as you drop in, but the coverage is good overall.  Some of the old crustiness is still evident on the lower mountain, but it was not too problematic and could be mitigated with a long flowing arc.  The forecast is for more significant accumulation overnight with more tomorrow,  making this cycle a perfect pre holiday bonus present.  Getting everything worked over will also go a long way to covering the gnar features, which will be just a memory in short order.   I tried out the Gad Zoom- Little Cloud combination while the Tram line was backed up and it worked like a charm, getting me to the top before I would have moved one cycle in the line, so it is a real nice option to get around the obvious delays.  See you tomorrow for more fun and excitement.  Here is a modified shot of Pipeline I took last season that looks cool in the Black and White format.  Stay Frosty!!

There was 8” of freshness here at the Trailer  this morning that had a bit of weight to it as I shoveled it off the array.  Up on the hill this slightly higher density Essence covered the old layer and cushioned the ride wall to wall.   This was just right for the beginning of the next series of installments that are lined up for the coming week.  With all the major areas and lifts on the hill open, we can take full advantage of the abundance coating the dance floor.  Even the low cover areas will have benefited from this dump, so going to those areas now will be a breeze.   The snow has backed off this evening, so I don’t expect too much additional accumulation for the morning, but the hill will still be good to go for big fun on all aspects.  Considerations of aspect are not as critical as they are when the Sun is working the product, and these early season days are a bonus as the quality stands up all day long.  Tomorrow, look for those lines you might have been putting on hold, and take that traverse that was problematic just the other day.   This is the fast track to fun and the pattern that I have been expecting to kick in after all the speculation about the season’s potential.  I always hold the highest visualization I can dream up with the full expectation of unfoldment, and here it is in deep white relief.  Check the road status in the AM for possible restrictions.   I’ll see you there for the early laps and excursions to the far reaches.   Yummmmm.   IBBY!!   PS.  I am using a new server and I am trying to navigate the new page, so you may see glitches.   My bad!
am

The winners

This morning marked the opening  of the new Little Cloud High Speed Quad with an enthusiastic turnout for the ribbon cutting.  This chair is fast, smooth, ultramodern, and a great addition to the entire pace of the hill.  Later in the day I did a trip up Gad Zoom down to Little Cloud and got to the top of the chair in 14 minutes.   That was with no waiting on either chair.  That was fast and a great alternative on those high pressure days.  The morning visibility was marginal, and my first foray into Mineral Basin was a conservative survey of the terrain features.  There is plenty of cover back there but the crustiness of the recent high density accumulation left the off trail very crunch and challenging.  I stuck with the machine worked lines, though I did venture off to check things out here and there, but it will take more accumulation to make the difficulty factor relax.   There were some nice smooth wind deposited lines in some of the gut areas on both sides of the mountain, which were the place to look for the goods of the day.  The Sun came out and played a hiding game, giving tantalizing shots of clarity only to cover things up in clouds from time to time.  It was snowing when I left, so expect some accumulation overnight to freshen things up for the morning.  The overall ride is still fairly smooth, though the high traffic areas are sporting some low amplitude rumble.  The crusty layer is still in play, but it is being mitigated with each day.  Just expect the variations and aim for the deep section.  Tomorrow is my day off for the week, so work it out for me and I will be back on Sunday.   Peace Out!

Well, well, well, after the heavy down load of the 12 12 12 day of the century my mind was pretty fried, but I made first Tram this morning and was looking for the lines of goodness the wind had deposited. These lines were sparse on the West facing exposures with a crunchy crust to deal with, though the deposited goodness cushioned the ride. The steep section of Puckerbrush has been stripped clean, so be aware of this bit of gnar when you navigate that line. The Road To Provo offered some interesting wind slabbed lines that were supportable for the most part, but did not stand up to a heavy edged turn. The feathered approach would keep you on top and styling. Mineral Basin opened later in the day, and I had hung it up by then, so I can’t give a first hand account, but judging by the stout wind work, I bet there were interesting lines to be found if you looked. I will take a closer look tomorrow. Tomorrow, look for Mineral Basin to offer fresh adventure for the season and a much expanded dance floor to Rumba upon. The high traffic areas are developing some rumble, so be aware of that. Gad 2 was skied out, but the cover was pretty solid even on the steep sections, but caution still should be exercised. Here is a shot of Lift Line looking fairly solid with just some low amplitude interference patterns developing in the main lines. See you tomorrow for more rock and roll. Ta for now!

Tower 3

It was another high wind morning with the Tram down due to wind.   The Gad 2 lift was going to open, but it was delayed for some time after the lifts opened.  The main open areas were scoured by the wind, leaving some beautiful lines of transported product in the guts.  Gad 2 opened with a group of faithful waiting for the rope drop.  I was not one of them, as I decided to wait riding the Forklift Chair where it was running with no waiting.  Gad 2 was reported to have been a bit crusty after being hit with the wind, but there were sheltered areas that still held the soft dense snow from the other day.  The consistency did get better as it got skied out, revealing the granular sugar that was resident underneath the crust.   The Peruvian side of the hill was scoured as well, but those lines of transported snow was worth looking around.  Tomorrow, look for another day of fun, with the opening of Mineral Basin with some luck and new adventures to seek out.  The Groomers will still be offering some nice smooth velvet, and the wind deposited lines will still have that good silky feel, so look for those special lines.   With the Tram down, the High North will have filled in those high lines.  There are still some crusty spots down low, but the traction is getting better all the time.  I am looking forward to Mineral Basin, as I think there will be some special lines out there.  I will be sporting my super wide sticks to deal with the possible variations.  It is great to have significantly improved conditions, so see you there for the fun.   Peace Out!

The BEACH

There was precious little accumulation overnight which had been preceded by some very wet precipitation that had set up on the lower mountain as a hard glaze.  The upper mountain was offering some sumptuous high density velvet that stuck to the snow pack and covered everything.   What was smooth was smooth, what was lumpy stayed lumpy with the addition of the new, so it paid to remember the smooth.  The High North was smooth and wind buffed and the West facing also had smoothed out for the most part.  I did get one run in the Sun, but that was a gift that I paid close attention too.  Light snow continued all day, but the lower elevations were getting a bit lumpy and sticky.  The grooming crew did a nice job of tenderizing the main lines, but the hard pack on the bottom was tricky until warming turned it into a corn like consistency on the lower part of the hill.  It was snowing briskly when I left and continued unsettled weather may add to the snow pack and every bit makes a big difference.   The conditions have improved markedly with each additional increment of dust, so get there early for the best of the day.  This pattern will continue for the next few days, with fresh additions possible at any time of the day.  The visibility was so iffy today that I did not get a shot off, so here is another shot of the beach back in the day.   I could not resist.   Peace Out!!