The predicted cloudiness did not materialize until after Noon, when the cloud deck moved in with snow flurries beginning.  Those first couple of ours were sunny and nice, making the Mineral Basin session extra special.  There was some wind transported snow that had been deposited in the guts, where those lines offered a tasty treat.  Traffic held off out there as well, leaving the groomers uncrowded and arc-able!!  The front side of the hill was firm overall, but the Grooming Crew had left some nice lines to dial in.  Traffic was light, but folks started getting serious after the Noon hour.  Tomorrow, look for whatever accumulation that graces the hill to put some frosting on the cake, light traffic in the AM, and a great beginning to the New Year.  Check out those gut lines to see if additional accumulation fills in the low spots.  You have to look for the goods where it hides, and it goes to the stealthly.  Be there for it.  Here is another shot of Timp. off in the distance.  The view of that hill never gets old, and you can only get that shot if you go Louis and Clark.  See you for the first Boat.  Happy New Year!!!

It was a bit brisk this morning, with some transient cold clouds moving over the top of the peaks.  Sunshine did dominate the day, but there were a few periods of fast moving fog rolling through.  Mineral Basin once again offered the best skiing for the first while, with great groomers and no traffic, which made it seem like a private resort.  The off trail out in that area is still quite variable in quality, so look for the North exposures to hold the cold dry chalky feel.  I must have been asleep at the wheel because I totally missed the opening of the Road to Provo.  I went out there today to check it out, only to find it had been very worked over with interference pattens already well established on the most highly traveled sections.  Coverage is much better than I expected and the cold dry chalk on the North facing aspects felt good.  I also did an exploratory run out to the far reaches of the Exotic Trees to see what was up and was faced with what I had expected.  While the entire area had been well worked, and the features are obvious, that made picking my way down the last 600′ a real exercise in caution.   There was no way to charge a line, and it is wise to forgo this area until we get more snow.  Go if you must, but know going in that it is going to be a challenge.  The West facing is stiff and crusty, making those lines very difficult.  I watched some folks negotiating these lines and it too needs some freshening.  Tomorrow, look for some clouds and light weather to have moved in, which will make the visibility a factor.  The Groomers are still offering the best lines on the hill, especially for the early risers.  Here is a shot of Timp. with the cold clouds hugging the peaks.  It sure was nice to have the Sun burn it all off.  Rock the morning laps for fun.  Peace Out!!

A cold front moved through the area overnight, lowering the temps, but did not even squeeze a skiff out of the dynamic.  The hill is firming up again with the glazed spots showing up in the usual sections.  The morning corduroy was very nice indeed on both the front and back sides of the hill, and Mineral Basin was offering the carpet ride from the first Tram.  I spent some time out there before the folks started finding it there.  With the return of cold temps., the Snow Guns were working on the hill, making some very silky sections in the vicinity.  There were some sweet turns to dial in within these carpeted sections.  Interference patterns continue to build  in the heavily traveled areas, and the off trail is getting worked gradually.  Look to the edges for the soft snow which gets pushed to the side.  Tomorrow, look for another great morning of smooth cruising, with plenty of Sun on the back side to start things off.  Here is a shot of the East Twin  with very little cover.   I place this shot here to illustrate just how radical the terrain is before it gets covered.  When this all gets filled in we just don’t give this a thought, but this is a serious section of the hill.  Soon, we will get a chance to hit more of the available terrain when we get more cover.  In the mean time scope out the lines  you want to hit, so you know where the features are before they get covered.  See you the first Boat.  Ciao!!!!

Several cloud decks moved over the hill at various times during the day, making the light go flat from time to time.  As anticipated, Mineral Basin had been machine worked nicely, offering smooth velvet for the first couple of hours.  The Sun did make the visibility come alive when it did get out from behind the clouds and the day was a much better with the light.  Lines for the lifts were very light, but there were quite a few folks out on the slopes, with the most congestion in the usual choke points and concentrated runs.  The off trail is becoming stiffer as the days pass.  Aspects that have seen direct sunlight are very crusty.  There are some wind affected sections as well, so look around for the best lines. The Cirque traverse remains covered, however it is becoming a bit icier as it gets worked.  Use caution out there.  Here is as shot of the Sunday Cliffs looking inviting as they have not seen any Sun at all.  Perhaps soon we will be able to sample those lines.  Road to Provo remains closed, though continued work is being done in preparation for the opening.  I will keep you posted.  Tomorrow, look for some weather to have moved through, with lingering clouds.  There may also be some small amount of accumulation. Nice.  Be looking around at the features in advance of the next cycle, so you know  what is under the new cover.  Be sure to keep your eyes up hill as there is high downhill pressure.  Listening to the stray sounds of folks in close proximity will help keep you abreast of what is going on around you.  See you for the morning rock fest.  Peace Out!!

The inversion continues, making the peak temps. very pleasant.  With these short days, the Sun is long to rise up to illuminate the West side of the hill, so it was an extra special treat to have Mineral Basin offering some ripping smooth velvet on the Groomers out in Powder Paradise.  The Baldy Express was also offering some very nice buff for the morning crew looking to stay in the bright sunshine. The Cirque Traverse opened for the first time, offering a full range of choices.  The traverse is in good shape for now, however it will get consistently more distressed as days pass.  It looks like there are plenty of lines to choose from on both sides of the hill.  A bit of care is all that is required.  The interference patterns continue to build on the heavily traveled sections, though there are nice long lines on the outside sections of the runs.  Look there for the extra softness that gets pushed to the sides.  Work was being done on the Road to Provo, so perhaps we will see an opening in the near future.  Tomorrow, look for another day of Spring like temps,  Winter quality snow, great early morning carpet rides, and a wide open vertical fest.  Look for great skiing early in Mineral Basin for the morning session as the darkness inhabits the front side of the hill.  Get ready to rock the smoothness in the AM.  Here is a shot of Joman suspended high above the Mineral aspects.   Rock On!!

The Quantum Foam had been stirred up along the boundary terminus of the Andromeda Galaxy as I made made my way back from the Home Planet.  The turbulence was significant, which made aligning the proper time line a difficult endeavor.  I am pretty sure I got it right, but there was one shoe missing without cause which makes me wonder.  Right or wrong I am back and will be on the hill again in the AM.  The inversion is back again as the air quality goes south here in the Valley.  That makes it the perfect time to get up on the hill and get the fresh air of the higher elevations.  Powder Paradise was opened today adding to the available terrain, and the faithful took full advantage of the great snow that was resident out in that area.  The coverage is fair off trail, though one needs to exorcise caution, but as the areas get worked the features will be revealed and the surface quality will improve.  This improvement is evident on many of the other off trail sections that are being worked in.  The only aspect of the high traffic is that the very heavily traveled sections are building some interference patterns, however, the cadence of these patterns are long and easy to negotiate.  Tomorrow, look for warmer temps up high as the Sun gets up in the sky,  the groomers to be extra buffed for the early session, and a great day to be on the hill.  Here is a shot of one of the fractal refractions in the Quantum Foam just before I hit the Hyper Drive.  See  you in the AM.   IBBY!!

There was some delightful accumulation overnight that had a very creamy consistency.  The wind had stripped some of the high points of the West facing sections, but it was filling in other sections as well.  Traffic is increasing as folks arrive for the holidays, and there is a marked increase in Talent on the hill.  Be cautious of fast movers as the full court press is on sometimes, especially when freshness beacons.   I have been keeping a wary eye up hill continually.  The Exotic Trees are filling in now and have some very nice lines to be found.  Mineral Basin is still limited in terrain, but the snow back there is quality and the coverage is good where the Guns have been working.  Interference patterns are beginning to soften and smooth, so keep and eye out for additional lines as the wind works the hill.   The weather is supposed to improve; be looking for fun when you can open it up.  Struggling in the fog pents up the urge to hit it hard.  I will be stepping through the STAR GATE later today and may not be able to get posts up for the next few days.  We will see how the Sub Space Channels are working.  Here is a shot for the holidays .  See you in a few days.   Ciao!!

The wind was howling again this morning as a new impulse moved into the area, with limited visibility and transported snow filling in the low areas quickly.  Working the sides and hollows was the call, as the interference patterns have yet to be buffered by the accumulation.  Snow continued through out the day, and it seemed that the higher density was beginning to bond a bit.  The wind was stripping some of the high points where  the glaze was exposed.  Keeping the variations in mind was wise as seeing any type of indicator to it’s presence was nil.   I was most fortunate to be ambling by the Mineral Basin gate after lollygaging on the peak for a bit, and was greeted by the Patrol crew assigned with opening the gate for the first time of the season.  Here is a shot of the crew who was waiting on the word GO.  Just one other skier was on hand for the rope drop with no one else around.  There was every type of snow quality back there, so a cautious approach was warranted.  I made one pass through, but the visibility was tough so I moved back to the front of the hill to get some bearing.  Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation after the hill closes, much quieter  traffic on the hill, and much more consistent bonding as the density was holding high moisture and was not drying out.  It will take some more time to get a look at Mineral Basin as I needed to be able to see what was up.  So glad to get that area open as it is one of my most favorite areas back there.  See you in the AM.   Peace Out

There was just a skiff on the Trailer this morning as I left for the hill.  I did not accumulate too much more on the hill overnight, so the rumble was in full effect.  The winds were kicking hard on the upper third of the hill, which made the consistency a bit dodgy from time to time.  The visibility issues did not help the ride as it was very tough to see the the abrupt transitions.  This is not to say that the feel was not wonderful, it was, and the increased precipitation began to build up the cushion.  My knees were screaming at me as I was hitting the hill on my usual day off to make up for the few days that I will be OFF PLANET next week.  Mineral Basin did not open today due to the extreme conditions, but they will be working hard to get it open tomorrow.  Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation to be adding the the pack as another front is moving down out of the North.  There is talk of freezing rain here in the Valley, but that will translate into some righteous SPACKLE to further build the base and cover the features.  I am much more inclined to begin working the off trail now that most of the terrain has been worked over sufficiently.  The well worked entrances will still be scraped thin so tread lightly as you move through those entry points.  Fall lines are getting real now and a full assault is looking good, but on the machine worked runs still be expecting some of the slick spots to still be in play.  These spots will be becoming less an issue as the base builds, so know it is lurking in the usual spots.  Here is another shot of the very same atmospheric treat from last week.  I still can not believe this rarity, so I share this additional testimonial to such a rare sight. The COSMIC EYE looking right at us. Yikes!! See  you there for the morning fun.  Stay Frosty!!

After yesterday’s medium density installment, there was an additional accumulation of some fluffulecent ultra light dust to greet the faithful.  There was quite a push for the goods with a full maze waiting for the word GO.  Regulator was the only run open off the top for the first part of the morning, after which Peruvian Gulch opened with the echos of hoots and hollers floating through the air continually.  Folks were stoked and who could blame them.  It is beginning to feel more like it should after such a stretch of firmness.  Even the harbor chop was holding off due to the light density addition, but where the high amplitude interference patterns had been established earlier,  they were still very much alive and well.  The softness took some of the sting out of the abrupt transitions, but those areas were easily avoided.  Tomorrow, look for another storm to move in, adding to the goodness, and the opening of Mineral Basin as well as the Alta Connection.  This new snow will make the skiing out there much better, but it will be best to stay in the worked runs for the first while.  Here is a shot of Mineral Basin I took today with the floating dust glowing in mid air.  Such a beautiful sight.  Be there early for the best of the day and stay as the conditions get deeper as the storm unloads.  See you there for the festivities.  IBBY!!   Woops, something happened with the photo insert and I have no idea what. Hmmmm.  Later.