There was and extra special installment of Essence this morning that was high density, but cold, which made the ride extra buoyant.  This was exactly what we needed to mitigate the frozen crust of recent days.  The wind was howling out of the North that moved the product to the South and East exposures, and it was there that the depth was full on. The Cirque was knee deep all the way around, but my very short foray into Wibre Bowl was cut short when I encountered the rasty crust that was resident in the higher entrances, so I bailed for the luxurious depth of the East facing.   The traffic was fairly light overall, and the uphill capacity dealt with the demand nicely.  Everyone was going full out, and it was nice to see the faithful reveling in the Spring Powder.  The clouds cleared off in the afternoon, but the cold temps kept the Sun damage to a minimum.  Here is a shot of Superior as the clouds cleared off, bathing it in Sun.  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to be refreshed as the new product gets worked into the mat, the off trail still offering the softness, and the day to develop more snow as the next cold front moves in.  Be aware that the West facing did not hold the depth due to the wind, and the crunchy layer is still in play, so go with caution. This is a great time to get the goods and enjoy the vibe of a quick return to Winter in Spring.   See you in the AM!!   IBBY!!

It was raining here at the Trailer this morning as I left for the hill, and the rain turned to snow well up the Canyon.  The freshness was wet and sticky for the early risers, who had a ballroom dance floor on the Tram ready to go. Here is a shot of me and miss Kitty practicing for the Dancing with the Stars extravaganza.  Out on the hill the visibility was marginal, with stout wind, but a nice covering of High Density Essence to stick to the firm surface below.  The Cat Crew had prepared the  dance floor, so the first tracks on the Groomers were very nice indeed, however Regulator was not recommended.  The low angle sections were the sweetest, with the higher angle shots still very thin as the wind seemed to move the fresh off to the trees.  Mineral Basin was given a nod by Buddy and Bunny Skigrin, who ventured into the void, where they found some nice carving all the way around the Lewis and Clark route.  I am glad they made the lap out there as I am still favoring the wing and am reticent about throwing myself willy nilly into the abyss.  As the lines got worked, the piles started to develop, leaving the tiles exposed, which made things a bit more variable.  I made a hasty retreat to the Forklift Chair after two trams to let the later reports come to me.  Tomorrow, look for significant addition to the accumulation, with the prediction of more on the way.  This wet beginning was sticking fairly well, so I think that it will begin to cushion the ride as it gets deeper.  Remember the smooth lines, but with enough accumulation even the old gnar will begin to get buffered by the Spackle effect.  Nice.  It is great to get this new installment, and I hope it is the first of a fat cycle.   Syrup won’t stop ‘Em!!!

It was a bright Sunny morning with a cold nip in the air, making me glad I suited up with my cold weather coat.  The Cat Crew had prepared all sides of the mountain with a stellar display of Industrial Smoothing, that transformed yesterday’s variability into some very nice buffage.  Mineral Basin was good to go, with White Diamonds offering some back country smooth crystal corduroy, that  just demanded continuous laps to get the goods before it got too soft.  The front of the hill was certainly firm, but carving the crystal nap off the corduroy left accumulating sugar goodness to help with the traction.  The temps. continued to hold the cold until 11:00 AM. , when the air started to warm up, but it did not even break the lower mountain until 3:00PM.  I got the entire day in, enjoying the smooth lines.  The High North is still holding some nice lines, and I wished I could have dropped in, but I am still nursing the Wing back to health.   Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to still be offering the best of the day, with the off trail challenging with the exception of the High North, which is still holding the cold.  There is weather moving in for the next couple of days, with accumulation that is sure to improve the dance floor.  Remember your smooth lines from today, because the visibility will be variable.  Here is a shot of Mark Malu looking big, smooth, dry and chalky, just waiting for a full on fall line assault.  See you there for first Boat.  Peace Out!!

There were low clouds and snow still falling, with the peak temp. at 7 Degrees to start the day.  I had contemplated taking my cold weather coat down to the Trailer, but it came in handy as the wind and cold was stinging.  As anticipated, there was additional accumulation overnight, with continued snowfall that cushioned the hard pan that was expected.  It was certainly nice to have some soft tooth to set the edges in, but it was still very greasy underneath.  The High North was offering some very nice lines, as it still is holding the cold and the smoothing factor of traffic and wind was in full effect.  Of special note was the traverse out to the Bookends, which had collected the goods and was very nice.  The clouds began to move off and the Sun began to make an appearance here and there, but it was much too cold for it to affect the quality to any degree.  Those previously Sun worked exposures are still rasty and will be extra challenging if you try to negotiate those off trail sections.  The North wind was transporting the new snow to the South and East exposures, but it was not nearly enough to mitigate the gnar that lives underneath. Tomorrow, look for a mixture of clouds and Sun, with still cold temps, though it should be a bit warmer. The High North will still be offering the best lines off trail, and the Groomers should be getting more consistent, but the lower mountain is still going to be crispy, so look for the tenderized lines that the Cat Crew puts down to mellow the ride.  Here is a shot of the recent melt off that creates these deep reforming water formations.  Trippy!   Ciao!!

The wind was nuking this morning with snow driving sideways as the storm moved in.  On the hill there was an inch of fresh high density Essence that began to stick to the dance floor, but the North wind kept stripping it off the steep sections.  The low angle slopes were sumptuous, but the variability, along with the marginal visibility, made for a challenging morning.  The High North was still holding the cold, but all other exposures were very difficult if you ventured off the prepared runs.  Traction was good, thought there were slick spots here and there that threw a wrench in the consistency.  The wind sped on the peak was formidable indeed, and it was not long till the Tram close due to wind.  One inch is about all we are going to get out of this impulse, but the delivery of fresh product will work into the machine worked runs to refresh the crustiness that has developed with the  recent warmth.  Perhaps we might get some additional accumulation, but that will be a bonus if it works out.  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to provide the best lines of the day, but look to the High North to have the best off trail lines, which have also smoothed out quite a bit during the past few days.  Avoid those South, West, and East exposures as they will be very difficult to negotiate until some softening occurs.  Here is a shot of the Sunday Cliffs I took last Friday when it was looking very nice indeed.  See you in the AM.  IBBY!!

Today turned out to be  a Sun fest and the storm clouds held off for another day.  The same scenario was on tap for this morning that we had yesterday, with the timing going off in the usual order.  Here is a shot looking down into Mineral Basin with the morning Sun reflecting off the Sun crust at the bottom of the basin.  It would be a while till it thawed out, but it was going to be the first aspect to break.  I was off today to catch up on the Transmissions, so I can return to the hill fully dialed in.  Tomorrow, the weather is still predicted to become unsettled, but I am going to go and get the first runs and check out the situation.  The Groomers are a good bet no matter what you find, but be careful of the frozen sections and aim for the tenderized lines that they put in just to give the runs some tooth.  I am still boating around as my shoulder continues to progress quickly.   See you on first Boat.  Ciao!!

It was 40 Degrees on the peak this morning,with blue bird skies to great the very few who made the first Tram.  Mineral Basin was the place to be first,  with the groomers tenderized and ready for fun.   The front of the hill had been tenderized on the main runs, but the lower mountain was going to take until Noon to begin to break.  The early lines out on Baldy Express were skiing like twice chilled Mint sorbet, with a sweet granularity that felt sumptuous.  Another example of how perfection can be found if you just look for it.  The Sky was unusually blue, as this shot of Twins testifies, making the peaks a bit more 3D looking.  The rest of the hill began to break after noon, and during the short window of defrost, provided runs that were soft and silky before they began to get too sticky later in the afternoon.  The consistency stayed good up high, but Mineral Basin closed early due to the extra heat of the day.  Tomorrow, look for the groomers to be the place to be, though the High North is still holding the cold chalky feel.  The rest of the off trail will probably have a tough time thawing out if the predicted cloud cover shields the Sun.   Remember those South and West facing sections, which were really difficult to negotiate this morning, but folks were out there torturing themselves in the frozen crud.  It hurt just watching.  It is my day off tomorrow, so be careful and work the smooth where you can find it.  Peace Out!!

As anticipated, this morning was quite warm, but the hill froze solid, especially the Gad Valley and the lower parts of the hill.  It goes without saying that the Southern exposures were crunchy, but the Grooming crew did a nice job preparing Mineral Basin, as well as the front of the hill, for the early crew.  White Diamonds was offering some very nice velvet, with the cold snow churning up to revitalize the dance floor.  On the front of the hill, tenderizing efforts had been employed to give the corduroy some tooth.  You had to use your best variable technique to negotiate the transitions, but there was fun top to bottom if you just watched for the slight tell tale signs.   The High North is still holding the cold, and the steep sections are still moderating with the traffic, getting smoother with the continued attention.  You would think it would just bump out, but it is actually getting better as each day passes.  Tomorrow, expect the South and West facing aspects to be very crunchy and unmanageable  early in the morning, the Groomers to offer the best carving on the hill, and a nice warm day to keep that Spring feeling going.  Do not get too used to this warmth, as I feel like it is going to turn back into Winter if the Sky Signs are any indication, and I say they are spot on.  Let’s see if I am right.  You can safely hold off your morning runs and wait for softening to occur, it is getting to be that time of the season, but Winter is NOT over.  See you on first Boat!!   Syrup won’t stop ‘EM!!

It was another brisk morning, though the Sun was up and clear, so it was going to warm up fast.  The residual cold in the snow made the Groomers very velvety, even on the Southern Exposures, but the North facing section could still be counted on for some cold.  The Cat Crew punched a new lower mountain line for this mornings rock and roll festivities, and it had to be lapped continually to take advantage of such a rare chalky dry treat.  The Sun worked the South faces, providing some nice softness later in the day, and even the lower elevations of the hill were feeling the ambient warmth.  The High North lines, that had been developing the inerference patterns, are getting smoother with the traffic as the last cycle’s snow is setting up for some nice wind slab.  The traffic shavings are making these areas better as the day wears on.   Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to provide the best lines, but the High North is still holding up for those looking to go farther a field. Be sure to give those South facing aspects some time to soften in the AM.  More Sun and warmth is predicted, so you can dress down a bit, and you can go down to just Sun glasses from the first Bell.  Here is a shot of American Fork Twins looking ultra 3D today.  Perhaps it was the higher angle of the Sun.   IBBY!!

It was another morning of two dimensions, with clouds and wind on the front side and bright Sun out in Mineral Basin, all covered with and inch of the most sumptuous Essence of recent memory.   It was an overnight gift that stuck and cushioned the hill to the point that the Groomers were actually bottomless.   The Big Smooth was the best powder run of the season – no exaggeration –   with untracked lines top to bottom on the entire lower section of the mountain.  That, was after 4 rapid fire runs out in Mineral Basin, which got the day off to a rocking start.  The off trail had nice lines of smooth wind deposited goodness that were very tasty, but there was still some crunchy rumble outside of those lines.  Visibility improved on the front side  to bright Sun, and it did not take long for the warming rays of the Sun to start working the dance floor.  The lower mountain was responding the the ambient warmth by beginning to glop up a bit after 2:00PM.  Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to, once again, offer some serious ground pounding fun,  the direct Sun facing shots to be extremely crunchy, and another fun filled, rapid fire day.   Here is a shot of Timp. down South looking imposing in the clear morning air.  See you for the morning laps.   Peace Out!