With the Peruvian Gulch the only area open for the early morning session, the decision was made, but the Snow Guns were turning out some very nice product top to bottom.  It had the feel of smooth Flannel that just said carve.  Looking for the smoothest lines covered with the over spray was optimum and stood up for a long time if you kept to the sides.  The firmness still is in play but the new additional man made is a bonus.   The lowest section of Chips requires a bit more attention as there are few pebbles littered in one small section of the mat, but a controlled line will avoid the features.  Off trail has been getting some traffic, which is exposing some of the features.  As I said yesterday, it is well to check out the features before we get the new snow next week so you can dial in the lines with confidence.  Regulator was closed all morning for some slope detail work, and it was very nice indeed when it opened again, fully illuminated in sun and smooth.   Tomorrow, look for some flat light if the high overcast moves in as predicted,  smooth lines with some fresh goodness on the machine worked runs, and a light traffic morning, which will be perfect for vertical maximization.  Here is a shot of some of the peaks to the South taken from the entry to Mineral Basin when I was checking it out.   See  you tomorrow for more pre dump recon runs.   IBBY!!

While folks are dealing with the shopping frenzy of Black Friday, the smart folks were taking advantage of White Friday by getting the goods that are more important.  I tried to post yesterday, but the ZETAS had the sub space channels jammed to keep me from getting the post up.  Fortunately, the conditions have remained unchanged.  The firmness persists, but that feature keeps the hill from scraping off with the holiday traffic.  The cover continues to be solid on the prepared runs, but off trail still needs caution when treading off the beaten path.  It is a long season and there are training laps to put in, so that when the goods do begin to dump, all systems will be good to go.  Tomorrow, look for another nice day with the morning session affording the best lines of smoothness courtesy of the Cat Crew.  Here is a shot of Snow Guns pumping out the Gun Powder on Regulator, keeping it fresh under the guns.  Yumm!!  See you there for the first boat, as I made it back through the Fractal Portal in one piece.  Stay Frosty!!

It was another beautiful, still morning for first Tram, with high energy ready to get some of the silk from the Machines.  Peruvian Gulch opened at around 11 AM, which provided an entirely new perspective to the day.  The coverage on the main prepared  runs was excellent, and the upper mountain had fair coverage off trail, however the wise money will wait until there is a bit more snow to wade out of the Boat.  I did dip my toe in the water on a couple of exposures and found a real range of consistency.  Most sections have quite a zipper crust on the surface, so use caution.  The Lower part of Chips was very firm, but well covered.  Tomorrow, look for a bit more traffic for the holiday, but I still suspect the first couple of hours to be casual.  Be sure to check out all the lines that are yet to fill in so as to get a good look at the foundation.  Those reefs you want to avoid are in full relief, so dial those in so you can charge a line when you already know the placement.  Worth taking to time to look around.  Here is a shot of the Tram Goddesses, ready to rip it up on first Tram.  They showed super human execution on those first morning runs.  Nice!!!   I will be making the Jump to the Mother Ship for the next couple of days, so while I will still be posting, I will not be on the mountain.  I will, however, be getting the inside scoop, so you know the info is fresh.  Have a great holiday.  Gobble Gobble!!

There was some very nice coverage on Regulator to greet the morning crew who showed up for the relaxed conditions.  The base is adding up with the machine made sections getting fuller.  I got some very nice untracked turns during those first few runs.  When the Sun rose up, illuminating the dance floor, it was much easier to spot the silky lines that extended well below the guns.  Nice!!  The Peruvian Gulch is going to open in the morning, so that will open up a new set of options to explore.  The main lines over there seem well covered, but some of the periferal areas still look like they need a bit more cover.  Some of the fat guts look like they will be good to go, but the quality looks very variable with some zipper crust sections that might be interesting to negotiate.  That is an exciting addition and will go  a long way to spread the traffic out a bit.  I am going to work the main sections and just dip my toe in the off trail to see how it feels. The Chef would say, “Never get out of the boat”, but I think a bit of cautious exploration will be well worth the effort.  Tomorrow, look for another low traffic morning with fresh Gun Powder to be the order of the day.  Those velvet turns are certainly worth the effort. Here is a shot of the Peruvian Gulch from the Plaza. It is looking much better after the snow we have seen recently.  See you there early,  IBBY!!

It was very low key for this Monday morning, with a light turn out for the first Tram.  The early morning run down Regulator was graced with a velvet dusting of fresh Gun Powder that felt luxurious under foot.  After an hour the Sun got high enough in the sky to illuminate the dance floor making the lines pop out.  I got some very nice untracked turns under the guns as the traffic did not see the lines early on.  Bonus!!.  The Cat Crew did a very nice job working the recent freshness into the mat, and it made a difference in the over all feel.  The consistency held up all day without any chop build up, and with the traffic working the field, it seemed to get better with time.  Tomorrow looks to be another Blue Bird day, with fresh machine worked fun for the early risers.  Here is a shot of the West Twin with a silver bird tracking the sky unaware of the fun fest 30,000′ below.  Well, someone might have been looking down thinking about lost opportunity, or not.  Take advantage of the training runs during this early season to be fully ready for the goodness in store.  See you on the first Boat.  Ciao!!

Surprisingly, it snowed over night leaving 5 or so inches of freshness on the top of the mountain.  What a treat is was to have the new cover, but the firm surface below was front and center.  The temptation was to let loose, but the smart money dealt with the variations with a bit more care.  I saw a lot of missed turns and spin outs  by some who took it for grated.  Cover is still excellent on the main runs, but just off trail still needs more cover to explore.  The Sun came out for the early Trams, but some low hanging clouds moved in around Noon which make the visibility difficult on the top third of the hill.  The new snow tended to chop up, and the variations became a bit more well defined.  I took that a sign to leave and get ready for tomorrow.  Traffic should be much lighter tomorrow, so it will be fun to take advantage of the machine worked runs after the new snow gets tilled into the mat.  It is always great to get real product from the sky.  Be early there for the best of the day.   The battery in my camera was dead when I tried to get a shot, so here is another of my pieces or Space Art.  Ciao!!

It was a brisk morning with clear skies and a stout wind on the ridge lines that greeted the entusiastic first Tram crew.  There was not as much of a push for the early session, but that was well as there was still limited area on the run. Regulator was the only run open off the top, but the cover on the main section was excellent, however, off the main line was looking mighty thin.  The Snow Guns were pouring out some very nice Gun Powder and by staying with the threads of softness it was hard to tell it was not opening day.  I did not hit any rocks top to bottom and the cover on the lower mountain is getting better by the day.  When the Sun rose up high enough to light the dance floor it was good to go for a bit more power in the line.  Tomorrow, look for more goodness on the prepared runs, low morning traffic, and more sunshine.  It does get a bit more crowded as Noon approaches and the lower mountain gets a bit congested.  Be sure to find a side line and let the faster traffic have the middle.  Here is another shot of one of the Guns turning out some very nice product while we wait for Mother Nature to deliver the serious accumulation.  In the mean time props to the Snow Making Crew and the Cat Crew for making the hill smooth and ripping.  Stay Frosty!!

If the weather won’t cooperate the Snow Makers are working the guns in full effect.  After yesterday’s softer feel, the firmness returned, however the Cat Crew did a very nice job smoothing out the dance floor for today’s festivities.  The sky was clear and cold and the traffic was quite light with a nice relaxed feel, though it payed to pay attention to the surroundings as fast movers were hitting it, but with more room to work it was not a problem.  Here is a shot of one of the Guns back lit with the Sun building up the base on Bassakwards where there used to be a major reef before the advent of snow making on the mountain.  To have these sections well covered is a luxury that you don’t appreciate without the long memory of days in the past when it was much tougher to get the hill open.  I remember the patrol and ski school shoveling snow from up slope on plastic sheets to feed the Cat Tracks and provide cover for the thin spots.  Nature will provide, but in the mean time it is nice to have such great efforts to make the hill come alive.  I was able to dial in some nice untracked lines below a few of the guns where the Gun Powder collected.  It was velvety smooth and really was worth getting as much out of the turn in the short sections of goodness.  The Snowbird Site is calling for the Tram to be open tomorrow with Regulator open from the first bell.  I will be making an exception to my no Saturday rule to be there for the First Tram of the season.  It is going to be fun for all, be there for the festivities.  Peace Out. 

The rain pounded the skin of the trailer all last night and I thought there would be a substantial accumulation on the hill this AM, but there was no lift to this system so there was only 1.5” for added freshness.  While that might seem disappointing, the quality and smoothness more than made up for any lack of depth.  There were fresh lines to be had on the early runs, and after yesterday’s firmness, the added cushion gave dynamics to the my turns that I could not access yesterday.  Lower traffic on the hill made the pace a lot more relaxed with not so much apprehension about  the fast movers.  With no line in the maze, it made for back to back chairs and rapid fire laps. Nice!!  The drive up the Canyon was fogged in, but above Tanners Flats the visibility cleared up and the clarity was very good, though the light was a bit flat.  That was no issue negotiating the smooth runs, and I racked up a good morning’s session before  hitting the goodness of the Forklift Chair.  Tomorrow, look for some additional accumulation as the storm system squeezes out the last vestiges of moisture.  Continued good coverage on the main run keeps the rocks covered and out of play.  Off the prepared runs, however, it is still thin and untrust worthy.  It feels so good to make the turns and feel the energy that everyone is bringing to the hill.  Get there early for the best of the day.  Here is a shot of the Home Planet taken from orbit during my last visit home.  IBBY!!

There was a fair turn out for today’s festivities under cloudy skies with the stoke factor running very high despite the low base. It was so great to see all the familiar faces which always seems like you saw them all yesterday.  The snow pack is quite thin, but the snow making has covered the one open run so that no rocks are exposed.  I saw only a couple of pebbles that had been turned up, but there was nothing to worry about as long as you stayed on the prepared sections.  The off trail was looking dubious at best, however there were lots of folks working the side lines.  I was not even going to sample those lines, and will wait until there is more snow.  The traffic on the hill was contained to the one run, so it was best to keep to the sides and let the fast movers have the middle part of the hill.  The lower road from the Center over to the lower Gad Valley is not recomended, so the shuttle is the best option for now.  The Bass Highway coming back to the Center is well covered and good to go all the way back, so there is no worries on that front.  The forecast is for snow overnight, so there might be some freshness for the morning session, but it will go fast.  Though it was not an epic opener it was nice to have the hill open and turns to be made so the rust can be shaken off.   Here is a shot of the Twins, which will give you an idea of the coverage.  See you for the first chairs in the AM.  Peace Out.