Today offered up a heaping helping of the most creamy and dreamy product of the current cycle.  The high density quality created a surface that was fully buoyant, floating each turn like walking on water, which, of course, is exactly what we are doing if you think about it.  The hill opened slowly with slide activity making control work take longer.  The wait was worth every minute, with the Zoom Chair providing a sample of the goods.   I dropped the Get Serious Chutes for the first time in 2 years, as the entrance was never going to get better, and the velvet buff was too good to pass up.  Yum Yum Yum.  The wind was howling, blowing in the sections that had previously had sparse cover, improving the entrances of many of the big drops.   The performance level on the hill was a reflection of the pent up energy built up after the long high pressure, but it also showed the forward trajectory of the new school movement.  Everywhere you looked you would see high octane throw down runs, leaving any caution way behind, and they were sticking the landings with no problem.  What a time to be witness to the future.  Tomorrow, look for the remaining closed areas to open up as they can be controlled, so there is a lot of terrain left to get.  The weather will be clearing off, and the temps. are predicted to get warmer, which should provide a perfect experience for everyone who did not get a chance during these last few days, and for those who did, another chance to maximize the glow.  The cover is really good wall to wall, with only a few  high traffic traverses still showing signs of thin cover, but they are very easy to get around.  Since the visibility was so marginal today, I offer this shot of a buttress out in Mineral Basin that I took just before the weather turned.  I have always loved the mosaic of color and texture this rock contains.  Nature’s art, got to love it.   IBBY!!

It was another morning of storm riding for the faithful who showed up for today’s opening round of Powder Blasting.   The wind was nuking up on the higher elevations, moving the new snow around and into some variable wind waves that were a bit interesting in the marginal visibility.  There was a rime ice freezing to the goggles that required stops to scrape the coating off before proceeding to the next section.  The bottom was still in play after yesterday’s accumulation, but the higher density Essence created an upside down situation with some nice cushion.   I got sucked over the falls on one section, as I hit a wave blind and did the full El Rollo, though I did stay in the binders.  The hard driving snow and wind kept the tracks filling in as fast as you could visit the shots, and the fairly easy traffic made the round trip fast and furious.  I have been watching the wind direction and anticipate some significant filling of some of the pesky entrances that I have been avoiding.  I will be giving a more complete picture of this feature when I can actually see what the lines look like.  Tomorrow, look for continued accumulation overnight, thought the real energy of the storm has moved East, there will be some more to be had in the AM.   Major sections of the hill remained closed today, so there will be a lot of freshness to get, however the upside down nature of this last installment will make things a bit tricky.  Check the Canyon situation in the AM for restrictions.  Here is a close up of Digger sporting some serious leftovers from his last run.  It was that deep and then some.  Ciao!!

Today was an epiphanistic day complete with mounting Essence, no traffic, refilled lines, light density, and a full sensurround experience for the faithful who made it to the hill today.   Visibility was at a premium, where staying near the trees payed dividends as the wide open spaces sent you into the sensory deprivation mode to find the deeper you.   I did a full on assault on the abyss of Mineral Basin just to get the full effect of the internal image it took to negotiate the pitches.  Wow, it was so good, but you just could not see.  On the front side of the hill the ground blizzard made the surface of the snow difficult to discern, but the conditions made the ride a no brainer, so just reach into the white and dive into the nothing and get the turn of your dreams.  Here is a shot of my car at 1:00 PM when I bailed to get out under the road closure.  There was a full foot of freshness there, and it was GOOOOOOD!  Tomorrow, look for more accumulation overnight, with more accumulation predicted for all day, so expect another full on powder bonanza to be offered up for your consideration.  I trust you will find it to be everything you hear about and more.  Some of the more well defined interference patterns are still there in places, but for the most part all of the exposures are good to go and are the best they have been all season.   I want to send a shout out to all the folks who read this blog around the world, and to the Aussi contingent I met today, who have been reading about the Essential Message during their Summer.  From Summer to full on Powder immersion just like that.   Hail to you all.  See you on the first Boat, but be sure to check the Canyon restrictions before heading up.   Peace Out!!

No one was caught napping this morning as the faithful showed up ready to partake of the fresh installment delivered overnight.  The Tram was backed up early, but the Chairs were fairly uncrowded, letting you get up the hill while others were still waiting in line.  Mineral Basin opened a bit later in the morning, and that pulled the traffic over to sample that area’s full on shred fest.  The untracked did not last long, but the cut up crud was still soft and blast-able until after 2:00 PM when the harbor chop set up, making the ride a bit more interesting.  This  installment was just what we needed to cover the existing hard pack and fill in those travese features, deep set bumps, and all those sections that suffered from the wind scouring.  The air was full of hoots and hollers as everyone was blown away with the quality of the scrumptulecent Essence.  Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation  to have fallen over night and the storm to fill in during the day, making it another storm riding day.   Visibility will be at a premium, so head for the trees, which have been helped out a lot from this addition.  Sections I was not considering before, I have now got on the list of runs to do.  Check the road conditions in the AM. as there might be some restrictions, so get the 411.  We are now in the DEEP ZONE, so take advantage of this cycle as it unfolds.  Here is a shot of the Upper Mountain just after the Peruvian side of the hill opened.  It looks cold, because it was cold, preserving the goodness.    MMMMMM  GOOOD!!!   IBBY!!!

The faithful were caught napping this morning as the early risers were treated to some of the sweetest lines of recent memory.  A few inches of high density Essence covered the dance floor, which had been machine and wind buffed, leaving perfect smooth for the cognoscenti.   As the morning wore on the conditions improved as the product mounted up and the wind kept filling in all the tracks.  This day was a powder day where it never gets tracked out and the Storm Riders were getting it all.  Later in the day, word got out and a surge of interest backed the Tram line up a bit, but there was plenty for everyone and then some.  The high density of the fresh Essence cushioned the ride, making even the low amplitude rumble melt down into insignificance.   The real meat of the Front moved in around 12:00 Noon and by 2:00 PM the intensity of the storm was in full effect.  I took that opportunity to bail down the Canyon before it got too greasy.  Tomorrow, look for the warp and woof  to have totally changed into the dream world we have all been anticipating, with all vestiges of the old hard layer a footnote of the season.  Check the Canyon report for restrictions in the AM., and be ready to get back into the Deep Zone.  Here is a shot taken by T and B back in 1981 when I was 30.  Nice to see that this  style is coming back around 30 years later.  Ciao!!

It was overcast on the hill today, with no new precipitation, but you can bet the Groomers were buffed and offering hard rocking fun for the morning crew.  It was my day off today, so I only watched the hill when I could peer through the inversion layer.  The warmer temps are working the snow pack and taking some of that  cold chalkiness out of it in some of the areas that get worked hard.  But, with the recent addition of high density snow, I think the stage set perfectly for the next installment, which is still poised to move in later in the day tomorrow.  Coverage is still good, except for the usual high traffic traverses and entrances, so use caution as you approach the trouble spots.  Tomorrow, look for a windy morning with warm temps ahead of the front, so expect to do some serious pre storm training, so you will be ready for the deep when it makes it’s appearance.  Here is great shot of the Stellar  SYD VICIOUS looking very fashion forward and bad to the bone just before we dialed up a real ski frenzy.  See you for the first Tram in the AM.   Stay Frosty!!

Another inch and a half fell overnight, covering the hill with and extra coating of dense velvet.  This installment is sticking nicely to the old hard layer, where now the cushion is getting better and better.  The visibility was variable with Mineral Basin offering much better visibility just below the peak, but if you did not venture down there you would not have known.  Later in the morning the clouds did invade even  there, so you had to follow your sense of smooth.  Going for the old standbys from last week paid off with consistent lines that could be counted on in the fog.   The Grooming Crew has been doing a great job making all the major buff lines silky smooth, which make committing to the non visible lines good to go.  The hill has bounced back from that hard pack face in short order and the next few days will go a long way to making the last stretch a footnote in the season.  Tomorrow,  look for an in between day before the next storm rolls in Sunday night.  It looks like we will have a stretch of unsettled weather into the early part of next week.  The hill still is sporting that low amplitude rumble on most of the popular runs, but the big smooth still exists, so take advantage of those lines when the installments mount up.  Conditions change fast, so expect excellence in the days ahead.  Here is a shot of that early morning Sun shining way down on Timp., taken from the Baldy Express during the Lewis and Clark runs this morning.  Tomorrow is my day off, so tear it up and be safe out there.   IBBY!!!

The Trailer was covered in ice from the freezing rain that was falling this morning, but on the hill a full inch of medium density Essence covered the dance floor.  Visibility was marginal, so I went for the trees for reference,  however on the second run I went into Mineral Basin to test my white out skills on White Diamonds, which had been buffed smooth.  You just had to trust that the  hill was there because you just could not see it. Fun stuff.  The brisk snowfall, stout Northwest wind, and  smooth groomers made today a real treat as there was no one on the hill really.  The accumulation had reached 4” by the time I left, and more is on the way, so we are in great shape for a stellar come back from the firm side.  Tomorrow, look for some more medium density Essence, but be aware that the wind might have moved things around.  The medium density installment seemed to stick to the hard pack as it got worked making this a primer coat for what comes next.  Nice to see the freshness and it was fun getting the untracked in the abyss of Mineral Basin because the grooming was so good you could trust it implicitly.  Nice.  Here is a shot of The Super Stars Chesssabella and Syd Vicious,  who were once again on hand to rock the hill.  See you in the AM.   IBBY!!!

As anticipated this morning saw the beginning of the changes that are in store for us in the near future.  The morning light was flat, though the Sun poked through now and again, pushing up the interest level, and the South wind kicked in briskly bringing very warm temps to the hill.  The Groomers were very nice and got better as the day progressed with smooth softness accumulating as the dust got shaved off the corduroy.  Today was a day to check out the complexion of the hill to use when it gets covered with freshness.  The High North is still has mild rumble, especially on the popular runs, and the approach to the Upper Cirque is still stripped 40′ back from the edge.  The Cirque Traverse is very worked and requires a bit of care going though, so any accumulation tonight or in the AM will be covering those features, so be aware as you access these exposures.  Mineral Basin is still holding the good coverage over all, with still wide open areas of smooth that we have been working all week long.  Tomorrow, look for variable visibility as the precipitation moves in.  Keep those big smooth lines dialed in for the best results when things get murky.  There was very low traffic on the hill today, and the Tram was offering ballroom dancing on several of the trips up.  On this particular trip up the cables I was able to get the unstoppable Chessabella to break into a quick Cha Cha when the Tram floor was wide open.  Shake it!!!  Get ready for the conditions to improve as we go into the later part of the week.   IBBY!!

It was another rock and roll morning, with the Sun shining, Mineral Basin groomed to perfection, and no one around for the morning session.  The sound of Whirring and Zizzing graced each turn as the nap was shaved off the corduroy.  The front side of the hill had set up a bit overnight, leaving yesterday’s velvet buff a bit more challenging until it got worked and the velvet built up again.  By afternoon the smooth was sporting some very nice velvet buff.  With the Sun gaining in the sky with each day, the South East exposures are actually getting corned up later with the days of freeze-thaw we have seen.  Some of those lines were so sweet later in the day.  All the other exposures are still holding the cold and are quite firm, but the smooth makes those sections worth digging in the edges to crank out a back country wind slab run.  The front of the hill softened up as the day progressed, adding another option to keep the dance frenzy going.  Tomorrow, look for another great day, though the weather is beginning to show signs of change, so some South wind might start picking up as things begin to move in the atmosphere.  That might be a bonus for smooth wind slab lines reestablishing the ultra buff again.  Keep an eye out for wind transport.  Today was so Sunny and warm that I thought I would post this portrait of cold from those sub zero days last week as a juxtaposition.  I am so grateful for the nice temps after being frosted over like that.  See you for the fun in the AM.   Ciao!!