I am off to the High Desert to set up the Trailer in it’s Summer location.  Already, the volume of pressure to download the TRANSMISSIONS  is prompting me to get the antenna array up and running in short order.  On the way out of town I stopped to say goodbye to the CHEF, who was working in his garden, which is coming up rapidly.  It probably has something to do with the 70 gallons of used coffee grounds he put in the soil.  Here is a shot of the CHEF himself, as he was dealing sternly with the weeds.  They don’t have much chance when he is on the case.  Here is also a shot of the Rhubarb that was being highlighted by the setting Sun.  These are some of the biggest leaves I have ever seen.  I will be sneaking back to town now and again to check out the hill, so check back for updates on the Summer festivities.  Peace Out!!

The last day of the season was a celebration of life as evidenced by the ebullient energy of the faithful who showed up to send the snow pack back to the BIG CYCLE.  Here is a shot of the snow pack that is still on the hill as it is now in full retreat down the canyon.  Out in Mineral Basin, the Groomers were offering sweet sorbet for the light traffic that was on hand for the opening bell.  Folks began to arrive in droves as the morning warmed up and the hill became a bit more crowded.  There were great costumes on the hill and the energy was high for this festive day.  Here are two shots of my favorite costumes that I saw.  There were so many great examples I was blown away.  As the day came to a close, there was pond skimming up on Lower Anderson’s Hill, where it was wet and wild.  Down on the Plaza Hectic Hobo and Two and a Half White Guys were providing the groove for the partying folks.  Here is a shot of the scene on the deck as the band was rocking the crowd.   Also, as part of the last day Celebration, was a fund raiser for the Sherpas of Nepal who were killed in the Everest avalanche.  The Plaza was jammed with folks and it was a great send off for the season.  I want to thank all the folks who follow my site and wish you all a safe and fun Summer.    I will be getting the Trailer ready for the trip to it’s Summer spot at the undisclosed location in the high desert where I will continue my investigations into the arcane and Hyperdimensional  realms.  I will be posting about the Summer happenings and developments on the hill.   Stay Frosty!!

The clouds had moved off for the most part as the system moved East, leaving only a few stragglers.   The Sun shine was a welcome sight, making the dance floor shine with all the added water from the rain.  Here is a shot of Powder Paradise, which had been given a very nice till for the morning crew.  The corn was prime for the very first run, and consistent turns felt luxurious top to bottom.  Traffic was light for the first part of the morning, but folks began rolling in as the morning progressed.  Regulator had a bit of a breakable crust on it that made it a bit tricky until the traffic broke the lens, after which the sugar was delightful.  It was a very festive day with folks arriving in costume and flair to celebrate these last days of the season.  The melt off is obvious now, but the cover remains good top to bottom, however, you will have to be aware of the changes.   Here is a shot taken from the chair that seems something of a Non Sequitur.   Tomorrow, look for another great day to get the last of the season.  There will be lots of fun, and a bit of pond skimming on lower Anderson’s Hill, which has a small opening to the water.  Entertainment is on tap on the Plaza, so be sure to hang out for the Plaza Party.  Here is a shot of the fun, with Backwash providing the groove for the folks.  See you there for the early runs and the best of the day.  Syrup won’t stop ‘EM!!

The rain was rapping on the skin of the Trailer this morning as I got up to head up the hill.  I seriously thought about sleeping in, but I rallied and was on first chair at 8:00AM. Here is a shot of the very few of the faithful who were on deck for the opening bell.  Up on the hill it was not raining at all for the first hour, but it was cold and threatening with some visibility issues.  Mineral Basin had much better visibility and was offering some very nice sugar on the groomed runs that felt luxurious and fast.  Moving to the front side of the hill, Regulator was feeling just as consistent, as the Grooming Crew had put a fresh till on the dance floor.  The Road to Provo was also very smooth and consistent, and I was glad that I had made the effort to get up there for the morning session.   Rain began to fall around 9:30 AM and really seemed to be filled in wall to wall, at which point I headed for the Forklift Chair to see how it would shake out.  I bailed after a lovely breakfast and hoped tomorrow would be more reasonable.  Tomorrow, look for much improved weather as the storm has moved off here and the skies are clearing.  Look for the Groomers to be offering the goods, but the off trail may take a while to soften if the temps are cooler in the AM.  Be aware of some of the melt off on some of the main runs, but for the most part the coverage is still excellent.  Dress for a cool morning and be there  early for the best of the day.   IBBY!

The Tram is down for the weekend, and the Peruvian Chair was fired up to access Mineral Basin and the Peak.  Out in Mineral Basin, White Diamonds had been given a fresh till, which was just right to start things off.  I kept lapping that sorbet delight until the lower part of the run got a bit soft.  The Road to Provo had also been given a fresh till, which also was a delight.  The melt off during the week did affect some of the exposures, so it got a bit tight in the choke going into the Goblin Gully section, so slow the roll going around that big left hand round house turn there.  Regulator broke around 9:30AM, where the granular goodness was downright perfect.  Here is a shot of the untracked sweet sugar consistency that was on tap there. It was so good I just kept doing laps until the traffic got busy.  Upper Peruvian Gulch opened off the Peruvian Express, with the off trail offering a back country experience complete with sun cupped surfaces, but with a nice soft feel.  It had a bit of rumble going on, but it felt good to get the extra terrain.   Tomorrow, look for more great conditions on the hill, so be sure to get there early for the best of the day.  The first three hours get the best results.  The lower mountain is still good to go, but watch the sections near the shrubberies  and rock bands where you might punch through.  Here is another shot of  the Twins and Little Cloud still holding the great cover.   Syrup won’t stop ‘EM!!

There was High Energy here at the Trailer yesterday, and High Energy up on the hill as the faithful were squeezing the juice out of the last days of the season.  Mineral Basin was primed and ready for the morning crew, with White Diamonds offering a steep, smooth, sorbet feel from the word go.  Folks were putting the hammer down as the conditions there were just right to let it fly.  Here is a shot I took of the goods there, and you can see the trenches left by a Carvesaurus Rex that indicate a total commitment to the fall line.  Nice!!  I chose to squeeze as much of the sorbet flavor that I could, as these turns will have to last through the Summer.  The Front Side of the hill had frozen up a bit, and needed a while to break, but when it did the consistency was sweet.  There was a lot of traffic on the hill, but there were no lines at all and max vertical was easy to rack up.  There is still a lot of snow on the hill top to bottom, and next weekend will provide a solid base to work with.  It will be no problem accessing the bottom of the hill, and the Cat Tracks still have ample cover.  Last year I had to hike some of the very lowest sections, but this year will offer no issues.  We might see some weather this week, so I am expecting to, perhaps, see some re surfacing of the pack.  Here is a shot of the Corn Goodness I was mining yesterday out in the far reaches where the perfection was all time sweet.  See you for next weekend’s festivities, and in the mean time I will be dealing with the Orion issue that cropped up yesterday.  I will have to enlist the assistance of some of my Galactic Federation friends to set them straight.  No worries.  IBBY!!

There was bit more of a freeze on the hill as the first Tram hit the peak.  Mineral Basin had been treated to some very nice Grooming thanks to the Crew.   White Diamonds was offering back country quality corn on the first runs, but it was not going to last long as it was already sorbet sweet.  There was some exquisite corn goodness if you went to the effort to access the goods, and the supportable crust held up for over 2 hours.  I kept stacking and racking my tracks to keep the dance floor smooth for tomorrow, when I know it will once again be going off.  Here is a shot of one of the pitches that was just a gliding traverse away.  No one was following me so I had it all to myself.  The front of the hill did not take long to break, and Regulator was very nice and fast.  The Road To Provo also was offering some very nice quality, and after the break, the consistency was smooth and silky off trail.  Nice touch.  Tomorrow, look for the Grooming to be offering the best of the morning session, with Mineral Basin good to go from the first Tram.  The hill is breaking around 10:00 AM, but it only holds up for a while until the sticky factor crops up.  I was honored to ski with the Elvi today, and here is a shot of me and the gang rocking it old school on the Plaza before we headed up the hill for the annual Running of the ELVI!   Thank you, thank you very much!!!   Peace Out!!

There was a very light turn out for the 8:00AM opening of the Peruvian Chair this morning.  There was a warmth to the air that said Spring, but that warmth did not fully freeze the snow pack.  Mineral Basin was offering some back country smooth corn goodness, but the off trial was only barely supportable, and a heavy edge set would break the crust.  A smoozed turn would keep you on top, and if you thought light, you would reap the rewards of a smooth feeling delight. Here is a shot of the excellent cover during the first descent down Lupine Loop.  The Road to Provo also was calling with perfectly smooth lines out there.   I made a couple of laps out there, but the very thin crust was very fragile, and did not last long before the warmth made it unsupportable.  The Groomers out there were very nice and was the place to stay if the off trail lost the support.  Later in the day, the warmth made the pack more consistent, but the sticky factor was in full effect as the warmth affected the pack.  Here is a shot of  The Rasta Chutes looking pristine as I made my way up the Little Cloud Chair for the second lap.  Tomorrow, look for another light freeze, so getting there early will get you the best of the day with very little traffic.  The cover is excellent, and the cover back to the base is excellent as well with grooming to get you there in style.  Watch the off trail down on the lower elevations as it is unsupportable and is not recommended.   See you there for the morning goodness.  Stay Frosty!!

The wind was nuking this morning as we waited for the first Tram with conditions very much like  a deep Winter storm.   The Tram went down due to wind, and the Peruvian Chair was fired up provide access to the mountain.  The wind was so strong that this too was shut off after only a short while.  Reports of trees falling in the high wind were coming back as the few chair riders descended.  Conditions on the hill was very variable with a crusty layer with wind slab on top.  When the Tram was called off, I made a bee line to the Forklift Chair to wait out the maelstrom.  Here is a shot of the scene out on the Plaza with the wind leaving pine tree boughs and snow blowing around like it was January.   I have to admit that I did not wait for the re opening of the Tram, but my calls to those who did told me that there were fun times for the last day of the full operations.  I am glad that they got things going, but my knees were not up to severe variations.  I want to thank all the folks who make the bird turn;  The Patrol, Lift Operations, Grooming Crew, Snow Making, the Forklift Crew, and all the many people that work hard to make it happen seamlessly every day.  The Bird is such a vast expanse and it amazes me that it goes so smoothly.  It was a great season and I am glad to have shared it with all of you.  I will be reporting on the coming weekend opening, so stay tuned for the updates.  Thanks to all of you who read this site and it is a great pleasure to meet you all.  Stay Frosty!!!

A late afternoon snow squall yesterday left another dose of goodness on the dance floor to greet the morning crew.  The Groomers were offering a velvet Winter feel for the first two hours that made back to back Trams fast and fun.  The Sunday Cliffs opened up where boot top deep frosting was on tap for those who made the long traverse to get the goods.  Here is a shot of one of the prime drops that my buddy Dave sent to me, with one of the glimpses of Sun to light the line.  I was just behind him on the Traverse and got the drop further down the line.  It was so sweet and spreadable that I just could not believe the quality this late in the Spring.  But, this is the Promise of the Wasatch after all.  The quality began to deteriorate as the ambient temps warmed up a bit, and the visibility began to be obscured with clouds moving up the Canyon.  Tomorrow, look for another impulse to move into the Front as the flow is still active and is predicted to bring some more of the goods.  I expect quite a crowd to be on hand to enjoy the last day of the full time operation, so get there early for the best of the day and stay for the festivities on the deck.  The hill is still in great shape, and with all the recent snow that has been added, many shots that were sketchy just last week are back in the mix.  See you there for the first Boat!!! IBBY!!