It was much warmer this morning, letting me put the top down and go with just the sunglasses and a light windbreaker.  Mineral Basin was already good to go, with nice lines thanks to the Grooming crew.  The front of the hill had frozen up lightly, but still needed a bit of time for the break to go off.  The Forklift Chair was waiting for me, and when I returned to the hill all systems were GO.   Regulator was perfect sorbet sweetness that felt like back country corn.  The Peruvian Gulch was also offering that corn goodness on the smooth Groomers that had only minimal cookies that melted away with the warmth.  The hard corps crew was lapping the Tram, getting the goodness on the lower mountain until it began to get too soft.  The consistency stayed nice up high, and the Little Cloud Chair was the go to lift after Mineral Basin got too soft.  There was a great band on the plaza in the afternoon, making the spring plaza scene fun and entertaining.  Tomorrow, look for  another early break, with the residual cold in the snow firming up the front side of the hill.  Sunshine is promised for the morning session, so the break will be fast and sweet during that window that delivers the sweet sorbet excellence.  Here is a shot of the Jammie Jammers, who were suited up for fun and really laying down the LAW!!!    Keep an eye out for the Powder Mafia, who are going to be on the hill and rocking out.  See you there for the fun.   IBBY!!

It was a beautiful morning with much warmer temps. to start the day.  Mineral Basin was offering the goods right out of the chute and, with the low attendance, made the hill seem like a private resort.  The front side of the hill had a slight dusting from an overnight impulse that added a bit of tooth to the ride.  The Cat Crew did a great job of industrial smoothing, and they punched an extra special line on the lower section of Willows.  Once again,  I took advantage of the  early firmness to hit the Forklift Chair to let the front soften a bit.  At 10:15 AM. the corn goodness was back country perfect, and I kept hitting the top to bottom pace to get in as much as possible.  Regulator was also early to break, and the corn shavings were a delight, especially at the velvet break stage.  Yummmmm!   Harper’s East was also a revelation that kept delivering well toward Noon.  Clouds began to build in and some quick showers began to fall, but moved through very quickly.  Here is a shot of some exquisite corn goodness out in the far reaches, where I sojourned in search of the goods.  It was short but sweet and certainly worth the exploration, but the machine worked steep lines offered similarly excellent quality, so why go to such lengths when the goods were close at hand.  Tomorrow, look for another great morning, with the hill still holding up nicely, the Groomers smooth treats, and a morning with very little traffic.  The break time should be similar, so don’t be late, as the window is short and mostly over by Noon for the high quality corn conditions.  See you for the fun in the AM.  Syrup won’t stop ‘ Em!!!

It was 25 Degrees on the peak this morning, with a light breeze blowing and a very light turnout for the festivities.  Mineral Basin was looking good in the Sun, and the Groomers were prepped and ready to go.  I chose to check the front of the hill, finding the Peruvian Gulch firm with plenty of tooth to hold an edge.  I had dressed for the cold, but took a break on the Forklift Chair to let softening occur.  The freeze broke quickly, and by 11:00AM even Regulator was softening up and offering some very nice corn goodness.  More folks arrived to partake of the late season bonanza, where the energy was high, and folks were lapping the Tram and hitting the lifts, getting as much as was possible before the consistency got too sticky.  Here is a shot of the inimitable Flex La Luge, who was digging deep and demonstrating some serious chops as he plied the goodness of Maize!!  MAZOLLA!!    Clouds moved in around Noon making the visibility variable, with a bit of light rain falling.  Tomorrow, look for a dryer day, a similar timing on the freeze break, and great conditions.  I think it will be brisk again on the peak, so dress for the chill and drop the layers as the day warms up.  Off trail is smoothing out, but there seems to be some variability here and there after the light accumulation of the past few nights.  See you there for the morning session.  Peace Out!!

It was 25 Degrees on the peak this morning as the first Tram docked, and I was not under dressed this time.  There was a light dusting on the dance floor, which was distributed over the hill in varying amounts, but no more than a half an inch.  There was a dark cloud deck over the peak, which was juxtaposed with the Sun drenched Valley.  Here is a shot from the peak that shows the interesting difference in lighting.  The Groomers were frozen, but edge able with the light coating, though I hit the Forklift Chair to let softening occur.   By 10:30AM the snow began to break, offering granular corn goodness, that felt luxurious and predictable.  As the day wore on the quality began to soften into a sorbet quality that felt like back country corn.  Thanks to the Cat Crew for setting the hill up for such a treat.  The Sun began to make intermittent appearances, illuminating the hill and helping the consistency, though the cloud cover that kept moving in kept the sticky factor at bay for the duration.  Later in the afternoon a snow squall moved in but was very short lived, giving way to another window of bright Sun.  Tomorrow, look for some additional light accumulation from the impulses that are moving up from the South.  We will have to wait and see if the Sun is out in the AM, but in any case there will be some great conditions, with the cover holding up very strongly.  The Grooming has been stellar, but watch for cookies on the hill that are symptomatic of working wet snow.   That is spring skiing, and they melt into the mat as the hill softens.  Just be aware during those early runs.  See you there for the early Trams.   Ciao!!

The low pressure system began moving into the Front, with a cold morning and a brisk breeze.  There was not a hard freeze, but the first runs were crispy and needed a bit of time to break.  With the flat light I opted to deny Mineral Basin and worked the Peruvian Gulch, which had been nicely worked by the Cat Crew.  There were some chunks and cookies here and there, but the visibility was good enough to easily avoid the Gnar.  I took the early window to let things warm up and soften by riding the Forklift Chair, where it is always good.  After a nice breakfast repast, the hill was ready, offering granular sugar that was really nice and carveable.  Regulator was not far behind and the feel all the way to the bottom was a treat.  There are only hints of melt off on the Cat Tracks, so they are still good to go.  Tomorrow, the unsettled pattern continues, so expect another cold morning and dress for wind and weather.  I  dressed for how I wanted it to be this morning and was soundly chilled by my light attire. BRRRR.  It did warm up a bit, but there was still a bit of a nip in the air.  Lines off trail are beginning to develop more wide spread interference patterns, so check things out from the Tram and try to avoid the deep ones, especially when they are frozen up.  See you for the first Tram attack in the AM.  Here is a shot of the Blue Plate special offered up for the Lunch service at the Forklift Restaurant.  Zac really put on the  BAM on this one.  NICE!!!   IBBY!!

As anticipated, there was not overnight freeze, which left the hill firm but very edge-able top to bottom.   Mineral Basin was the go to area for the first runs, as the Groomers had been smoothed nicely, with sugary granular sweetness to carve on.  As it got tracked out, it became a bit lumpy, but those early runs were worth the price of admission.   The front of the hill also was good to go, and was smooth and free of ruts and cookies, letting you hold the line with wild abandon.  Nice!!!  The Gad side of the hill was a bit firmer, but broke quickly and offered great lines.  As the morning wore on, the off trail got soft enough to begin offering lines all over.  There were interference patterns developing some serious amplitude with the heavy traffic that was drawn to these favorite lines.  Overall, however, the hill is fairly smooth and the rumble is minimal.   There was a great spring fever bringing out the flair in attire that was fun and energetic.  Here are two shots of a couple celebrating the May 5th holiday, and my good friends who were celebrating their anniversary in the attire they wore when they were married on the Hidden Peak years ago.  Congrats guys.  Tomorrow, look for some overcast weather as the low pressure begins to work back into the Front.  We will have to see what happens with the visibility issues, but sticking to the Groomers will be the favored morning runs.  Coverage is still excellent over the entire hill. The Chickadee Chair will be closed for the season beginning tomorrow, so plan on parking in the main lot to avoid this closure.   I will see you for the first Bucket.  Stay Frosty!!

The break went off much earlier this morning as the freeze was marginal at best.  Mineral Basin was offering some beautiful corn lines, and as things warmed up the off trail became good to go.  This was a treat after having to stay close to the Groomers for the past while.  The front of the hill broke much earlier as well, with Regulator going off at Noon.  A cloud deck moved in, keeping the Sun from working the product too harshly, keeping the consistency more granular than slushy.   Nice!!   The flow is now out of the South West, so the overnight temps will be substantially warmer, so the freeze is dubious.   This will accelerate the timing on the hill, making an early start much more desirable.  The coverage is still solid on the hill, with only some of the lower cat tracks beginning to show signs of melt down.  We will have to wait and see what the cloud cover will do for the morning session, but we can only hope for a bright Sunny Spring day.  Tomorrow, look for the hill to be offering Spring fun with no downside, so be there for the corn festival.  Only a week left of the regular season, and more snow is in the forecast, so be there for the fun. Here is a shot of my buddy Jake, who went back East for the season, so I thought I would send this out there by way of a send off.  Reflecto lenses are cool for such shenanigans.   Peace Out. 

It was another great day of Corn Goodness from bell to bell.  Mineral Basin was offering soft goodness from the first Tram and lapping the back bowl was a treat with very low traffic.  The Peruvian Gulch was firm, but was still holding some of the cold that penetrated the snow pack for the last stretch of very cold weather. It needed a bit of time, so I got with the Forklift Breakfast club early to let softening occur.   The Gad side needed a long time to break, but that is what keeps the day going strong, letting the different aspects break as they will.   The off trail sections that had been closed in the AM were opened up around 1:30 Pm when the softening was in full effect.   That offered some very nice lines, as the low rumble has been melting back into the pack.   Everyone was in full back to back mode as the hill hit the sweet spot, and it was great to see the high octane vibe, which was reminiscent of big powder days.  Tomorrow, look for another cold night, so there will be a freeze, and Mineral Basin will be good to go from the opening bell.  There is still a Northerly flow, so you can expect a similar timing on the hill.  There might be some late afternoon clouds building in as a Low pressure passes to the North, but for the most part it will be another Spring bonanza.  Here is as shot of Stratospheric Aerosol Geo Engineering marking a big X in the sky right over the peak.  How nice of them.   Syrup won’t stop ‘Em!!!

This morning was a sunny rebound from yesterday’s visibility issues.  The fresh snow had been tilled into the mat, refreshing the quality with some firm, but Winteresque feel.  Mineral Basin offered a White Diamonds extravaganza, with a smooth crystalline corn feel, and very light traffic.  The Peruvian Gulch groomers were also offering nice feel and consistency, which had no elevation variability due to the very cold morning.  The temps were still quite cold and stayed cold until late in the afternoon.   Regulator did not thaw out until 2:00PM.  when it became really excellent.  The Cat crew did a nice job of tenderizing lines on the hill, and the light wind deposited accumulation gave tooth to the ride.  Tomorrow, look for another cold morning, with great lines from the early hours, getting smoother and softer as the day warms up.  Follow the Sun for the best of the day, and expect nice turning as the dance floor softens.   The off trail is still very tricky, and requires a bit more softening to overcome the rumble, but keep your eye out for off trail goodness.  Here is a shot of some wild wind affected icicles that were arrayed on the Patrol Shack window.  See you for more Spring fun with the great cover and smoking lines.  IBBY!!

There were ultra light flakes falling on the Trailer as I headed up the Canyon this morning.  The peak temp was 12 Degrees,  ultra light fakes were falling, and there was up to 2 inches of fluffulessence covering the dance floor.  The Grooming crew did a nice job, and the covering of dust gave the frozen lines some cushion and feel.  Visibility was at a premium, but I visited Mineral Basin where the Sun was trying to peak through the clouds.  I was the only one out there, and it was eerie looking back up at my tracks on the big groomer with not another person in sight.  That was very rare indeed.  The Front of the hill was consistent top to bottom, with  enough visibility to make the turns solid, keeping the fall line good to go.  I stayed away from the Gad side of the hill, going for the trees for reference.  It was so cold today that there was not going to be any softening, and the cloud cover kept the flurries falling off and on all day.  Tomorrow, look for the new product to get worked into the machine worked lines, so they will be a bit more forgiving.  The Sun is promised to be shining, so get there early before the Rays start working it, though it will again be quite cold.   Dress for the temps, as it payed off this morning, and I was in full January layers.  Here is a shot of the Icicle display I was shooting the other day.   Syrup won’t stop ‘Em!!!