The rain was making a racket on the Trailer all night long, lulling me to sleep knowing that this Spring storm was bringing another installment to the hill.   This delivery was much higher density, and not the Winter blast that we had during the last storm.  The conditions were still good to go, and the hill opened in sequence as the snow safety was completed.  The low angle aspects were feeling the creamiest, and were being ignored in favor of the more popular drops.   Sometimes the unacknowledged lines go begging, especially when the visibility is an issue, and while others are charging the big lines, you can mine the goods all by yourself.  Tomorrow, look for the clouds to have moved off, the Groomers to be offering real ground pounding fun, the off trail to still have lines to work on all exposures, and fairly light traffic.  The Sun will be working the new installment, so be sure to chase the exposures to stay ahead of the heat damage.  Here is a shot I took the other day, before we got the Winter return, of Pagan Bowl looking smooth and inviting.  See you in the AM. for the rock and roll festivities!!   Stay frosty!!

It was significantly warmer this morning, but still very cold for this time of the year.  Overcast and snow was covering the hill as first Tram left the dock, and visibility was at a premium.  The Cat Crew did an incredible job of preparing the dance floor for the light turn out, and the big Groomers were mid winter perfect for ground pounding fun, despite the visibility.  Off trail was still offering a variety of consistency, depending on aspect, and the low amplitude rumble was wide spread, but not presenting any problems.  Coverage is great, and the Cirque Traverse is as good as it has been all season.  The Bog Smooth had, once again, been prepared, offering some spectacular big mountain feel, and I was just imagining myself out in the back country getting some wind slab perfection.  Perfect is perfect as I have continued to maintain all season, and today was no exception.  The Sun started peaking through the clouds after Noon,  and the ambient temps. on the lower mountain rose into the low 40’s, so the consistency began to become pasty only on the lower most elevations.  Tomorrow, look for some additional accumulation overnight, and more snow in the forecast for the day.  The visibility will, again, be an issue, but the widespread grooming effort makes the variations on the main runs negligible and good to go, just stretch out and trust the FORCE.  Off trail will still be worth exploring, but expect the rumble to be widespread after the traffic of the last few days.  The interference patterns are holding off for the most part, and you will have to look far and hard for any appreciable amplitude if you are into these features.  Here is a shot of Leopard Man, in full regalia, suited up and ready for the  First Tram of the day.  I was great to see him amped for the Spring extravaganza.  IBBY!!!

It was 5 Degrees on the peak this morning, with a very stout North wind blowing, and enough juice to transport the product to the lea aspects.  The plumes were streaming off the high peaks in the morning Sun all back lit and majestic.  The hill was deep Winter dry and chalky wall to wall, with the Groomers offering ripping fun.  The Big Smooth had been prepared after a long absence, and I took full advantage of that smoking drop, getting  that Winter pace going again.  Mineral Basin was still offering some soft deep sections, but the transported deposits were a bit slabby and required real power blasting to negotiate.  The quality stayed great all day long, as the very cold air temps kept the product nicely refrigerated, which resisted the damaging rays of the mid April Rays.  Nice!!!  Tomorrow, look for another cold morning, as the Northerly flow persists, though it may be a bit warmer.  The Groomers will be offering the ground pounding fun of dry chalky quality, and the off trail will still be working.  Watch the South facing shots, as the Sun did penetrate the cold in those direct shots, but overall there will be very nice lines all around.  The interference patterns have melted into the snow pack, and do not hamper the arc of the well executed turn, but there is still a low amplitude rumble in the high traffic sections.  Here is a shot of Pipeline up close and personal, looking as impressive as it is.  Be there for the continued great skiing.  See you in the AM.   Ciao!!

This morning was clear, cold, a peak temp of 10 Degrees, and a few new inches of Essence to top things off.  The continuing North wind transported the January light product to cover the dance floor in deep pockets in wide spread areas.  The Sun and visibility revealed the extent of the deposits, and it was like shooting fish in a barrel to dial in some real face shots.  Mineral Basin was the call to let the full maze of the Tram settle out, and take advantage of the low early morning traffic and excellent lines.  Gad Zoom resumed operation to accommodate the high traffic that the new fresh installment drew to the hill.  That was a very welcome addition to the uphill capacity, and spread the crowd out more evenly over the terrain, and freed up the Tram line.  The cold temps held strong with the Plaza temp struggling to hit 30 Degrees.  Clouds began to build, shrouding the Sun’s rays, which helped to preserve the quality, and kept the softness alive all day.  Tomorrow, look for the hill to still be holding the great quality, as the Northerly flow continues to keep the temps lower than normal.  That spells another day of great lines on most of the hill.  Only the very lowest elevations are exhibiting evidence of the old underlying crust, so enjoy the extra dose of Winter. The cover has never been better, and all the lines I visited today were so good.  Here is a shot of the Bookends , where the depth had blown in extra deep, and Roberto is still laying down his tracks as we all watched where we had frozen the last few moments in time.  Stay Frosty!!

 It was cold again this morning, with light snow and a big turn out by the faithful for today’s festivities.  There was only 2” of accumulation on top of yesterday’s still soft installment, but it really went along way in keeping the Winter feel going.  Visibility was at a premium again today, and newly opened sections stayed out of mind in the fog, letting the cognoscenti get the goods that had the full depth intact.  Bonus!!  The Groomers had been tilled beautifully, leaving the old crusty layer somewhere in memory, only to be found on the very lowest elevations of the hill.  With only a few lifts still in operation, the Tram was backed up solidly, but a fast cycle speed kept the momentum going nicely.  The hill is in great shape, but be aware of the West faces, which still are sporting some of the hidden debris from the last  warm spell.  Tomorrow, look for some additional accumulation from overnight, as the Low Pressure is moving through and the unsettled air mass can trigger a lake effect.  When I left today, it was snowing some ultra light Essence that you see in the depth of the Winter, so expect greatness once again, and get this Winter reprieve while it lasts.  Here is a shot taken by my friend Dave, out  past the Hillary Step, when he was the first one through the gate.  It was all his, and, if you are lucky, it can be all yours as well.   Syrup won’t stop ‘Em!!

There was snow on the Trailer this morning and easily a foot of 10% additional Essence to frost the cake for the morning crew.   Visibility was marginal, and the cold air kept the new installment fresh and fluffy top to bottom.  The bottom crust was still in play, even though the luxurious density offered some cushion, so a deliberate approach was indicated to deal with the crusty rumble and possible cookies lurking below the cover.  There were face shots to be had in some locations, as the pockets seemed to accumulate some additional depth.  Nice.  Mineral Basin and The Road to Provo opened in predictable order, offering fresh areas to work after the other sections had been picked over.  The Peruvian Chair,  Zoom, Mid Gad, Baby Thunder, Gad 2, and The Baldy Express have all closed for the season, so going to the bottom of the Gad Valley will be a long walk.   Here is a shot from yesterday of my score of  the last first tracks of the season over on the Baldy Express.  I was fortunate enough to be the first rider of the day on that chair, so I had my choice of the fattest line, and here is my choice. MMMMM GOOOD!!!   Tomorrow, look for another delivery to be on tap as a significant system is moving in out of the North West, which promises to deliver the goods.  With today’s cushion factor, the underlying rumble will be becoming much less of a factor, as the additional Essence will make this seem like a return to Mid Winter.  Expect greatness, and see you there for the first Boat.   IBBY!!

There was just a skiff in the parking lot this morning, and the report was only logging 3”, so it seemed that it was going to be a thin cover.  Up on the hill the wind had distributed the new product, loading into the low hollows, low angle sections, and lea exposures, where there were lines that were fully boot top deep with 10% Winter goodness.  What a treat.  The Peak temp was 12 Degrees as the first Tram docked with a stout wind blowing, making it feel February cold.  Mineral Basin was offering some of the best lines on the hill, all bathed in bright Sunlight, and with the cold air, kept the quality going well after Noon.  Here is a shot of the wide expanse off the Baldy Express, where the Lewis and Clark lines were offering sweet turns and no traffic.  On the front of the hill, the High North had lines that were just begging to be tasted and, again, the cold air kept the quality Winter fresh.  The Groomers were covered with wind transported dusting, and a nice dry chalky feel that was punctuated by the excellent machine worked lines that stood up to the traffic and Sun.  Tomorrow, look for the High North to still be holding the cold, the Groomers to still be maintaining the quality, though there might be a bit of crunch down low.  The off trail, on the Lower Mountain, is still going to be tricky as the 3” did not do much to cushion the ride, with the old crusty rumble still in play.  Storm clouds are moving in tonight ahead of the next system that is winding up to deliver more Winter goodness to keep the party going.  See you for the first Tram fun!!!   Syrup won’t stop ‘Em!!

It was an overcast day today with high clouds shrouding the Sun for the day, with light precipitation moving in around Noon in the highest elevations.  The Competition was held and from FB reports there were over the top performances by the competitors, who brought the A game to Baldy.  That is such an incredible piece of terrain that is just demands the best you can bring.   I was off the hill today, so I don’t have the first hand look, but there is precipitation forecast for tonight, so we can expect some fresh accumulation for the morning session.  We will have to wait and see if the weather clears off, but look for the smooth lines for the best ride after the last few day’s Spring morphing action in the snow pack.  The High North is still holding the cold, but things might be a bit crispy down low.  I will be on the hill for the first Boat, and will have the first hand look tomorrow.  Here is a shot of the Stairway to Heaven I took the other day.  See you in the AM.  IBBY!!

It was a beautiful morning, with a chill in the air, bright Sun bathing the hill, and leftover cold Winter snow pack from the last few days.  The High North was still  holding the cold and was exploding  as you passed through it.  Full on grooming effort in Mineral Basin offered smooth cold carpets of goodness that held up for the first 2 hours before the Sun began to heat it up and degrade the quality.  The front of the hill was offering a variety of consistency as you changed aspect and elevation.  The early hours saw the lower third of the hill frozen solid as the high density snow from yesterday morphed into a paste that set up solid, so it took until Noon for it to begin to break.  Tenderizing efforts helped with the traction, but you had to look for it closely.  Mineral Basin was the call for the morning session, giving away to softening of the front as the Sun and ambient temps softened up the dance floor.  The conditions are really great for this time of the year and there are many aspects to explore that will give you the off trail goods, but watch the aspect and time of day for best results.  The West facing is still problematic until late in the day, so watch out for that if you travel out the traverses.  Tomorrow, look for another great day, but after today’s heat, the snow pack will be a bit more Spring like, though the High North aspects will still hold the cold, but you will have to wait for the Sun on the other lines.  Mineral Basin will go off first, and follow the arc and clock to hit the softening.  Be sure to catch the Freeride Championship, where the talent level is World Class and you will see performances that will be mind blowing.  Here is a shot of the patrol guys getting the Ava-launcher ready for the next installment here at the cross roads where all roads lead to FUN!!   Have a great day and see  you Sunday.  Peace Out!!

The wind was howling, and the rain was pounding on the Trailer from the wee hours of the morning, signaling the additional accumulation up on the hill.  The density was quite a bit higher today, and was not quite as forgiving as the previous days.  The high velocity North wind was thinning the accumulation from the exposed lines and depositing on the opposite slopes.  The low angle sections seemed the most luxurious and felt nice with the creamy consistency.   The Cirque was offering some nice lines, but the West faces were still feeling the bottom features despite the cushion.  Visibility was at a premium for most of the day, with only short periods of visibility, which helped keep the new product from morphing too much.  The Freeride Competition is going on this week, and the venue sections are out of play for a bit.  Tomorrow, look for clearing skies before the next installment comes in later in the weekend.  The Groomers will be great in the AM. and there might still be some lines that were overlooked with the visibility issues, so keep an eye out for some gold.  Coverage is good with the last few days of accumulation adding to the pack in a big way.   It will be a great day, so be sure to get it all.  Here is a shot of the Twins cornice blowing streamers in the high North Wind yesterday.  Massive!!!   Ciao!!