The clouds had moved off to the East for the opening bell, leaving the Sun shining brightly.  It was quite warm on the peak and the Mineral Basin Groomers were going off with perfect timing.  Lupine Loop offered sorbet that is as good as it gets, and laps on that side of the Bowl were vacant and just plain delightful.   On the front of the hill, the light freeze needed more time to break, but there was plenty of traction on the granular tenderized surface.  It is full  speed ahead on the peak facility as workers are moving forward on the build.  I am excited to see how this develops and am looking forward to seeing the finished product.   The front of the hill broke quickly with the warm peak temps., and it was not going to take long for the snow to get too soft.  Trips to the bottom of the hill are now more difficult as the Bass Highway has melted off, and there are sections on the West facing section that you will have to walk across.  Coming back down via the Tram is advised, so bear that in mind as you plan your lines.   Here is a shot of two lovely folks from Iraq who were visiting the Bird for the first time.  They were really stoked to be on the peak and marveled at the high peaks and plentiful snow every where.  Tomorrow, look for another morning of early corn goodness.  Early risers get the best of the day, as the pack does not hold up very long with the warm morning temps.  It   is such a treat to get those smooth sorbet lines that have untracked excellence.  There is still plenty of snow on the upper section of the hill, but there is melt off revealing some of the surface features, so be watchful.  Stay Frosty!!

It was a beautiful warm morning to start the day, and there had not been much of a freeze except on the front of the hill, where it needed just a bit more time.  In Mineral Basin, the corn was just perfect to start out the session.  Dialing in deep carved arcs was a delight that kept me doing laps there to absorb as much of the goods as I could before it went away with the pounding sunshine.  After the first hour, the front of the hill was going off with Regulator hitting the sweet zone, which also carried down to the bottom of the hill.  Here again, it was not going to last long and getting it all before things went south was key for the day.  Here is a shot of the High North showing just how much the ambient warmth had affected the pack, as these roller balls indicate.  On the lower mountain, the soft and sticky consistency was quick to develop, making laps on the upper elevations the call to squeeze the last bits of corn goodness out of the pitches.  Mark Malu held out longest with that North facing aspect, but the  lower flats would stop you cold if you did not dial it back before entering the sticky ZONE.  Tomorrow, look for more great corn early in the day.  A fast moving cold front is predicted to move through overnight, so there may be some clouds and a bit stiffer freeze in the AM.  Still, Mineral should be good to go from the first Tram.  The Bass Highway is getting very thin, so enter and work this section with care. Here is a shot I took as I entered the mouth of the Canyon this morning, with the Sun illuminating the fins on the South side of the Gates to Heaven.  This is a huge, massive piece of mountain that gets lost in the Winter shade.  Be there early to squeeze all the goodness out of the day.   Don’t forget to SIZZLE!!

There was a long delay for the Tram this morning as there were unforseen problems up on the peak.  I took the opportunity to ride the Forklift Chair until we could get up on the hill.  This crew of big wave surfers from Maui were tackling orders of Power Spuds and Power Toast to get fueled up for the Corn goodness to come.   When the Go sign was given, the snow pack had softened, offering some of the best sorbet of the season.  If there is such a thing as  perfect corn, this was it.   You could do no wrong in the ultimate consistency that was just a delight.  The lower elevations were getting sticky, but the upper part of the hill stayed excellent, with Mark Malu offering smooth lines on the Groomed sections.  Here is a shot of that big upper section looking as smooth as it was.  You would have to do some serious hiking to get up to the high reaches of the back country to get big mountain terrain like this, and here it is all lift serviced just for us.  Tomorrow, look for another excellent day of Corn Goodness beginning with the first Trams of the day.  You can follow the Sun from the opening and get the goods as the aspects break around the clock.  The lower section of the hill is still good to go for the early hours before it becomes too sticky.  The Grooming has been great, and they have touched up the thin spots with some stashes that are placed strategically.   Here is a parting shot of Mr. Scott with the upper section of Mark Malu in the distance.  We had just decided to hit that line instead of Regulator, and it was a hard choice between two shots of perfect. Nice problem to have.  Syrup won’t stop ‘EM!!

Monday was a day of changes on many levels.  The Peruvian gulch was closed for the season, and as the Tram ascended the cables all I could think of is what line I was going to choose.  Out in Mineral Basin, the Groomers were Winter smooth, with dry chalky lines, but the visibility was interesting as clouds moved in and out of the bowl.  On the Front of the hill Regulator was as good as it ever gets, with dry chalky dust  that felt like velvet top to bottom and you could do no wrong.  The Road to Provo was delayed opening, but opened fairly quickly with some dense wind affected lines that made you pay attention.  Here is a shot of the Sunday Cliffs looking smooth and inviting as the clouds revealed the treasure trove of fresh lines.  While it was hard to tear myself away from the smooth carving lines of the Groomers.  I just had to get out on that Traverse to get some of the last deep snow of the season. Here is a shot of the line I chose way out under the Altar section of this expanse, where I found consistent high density snow that made me hold tight to the fall line to insure that I did not get caught up by the thickness.  I did, however, have to tell myself to pull out of the line early enough to make the traverse back to the Chair.  I did two laps there just to get as much as I could because it was not going to last long with the pressure on the hill.  Tomorrow, look for the off trail to have been worked by the Sun and will be most difficult, though the High North might have a bit of softness left.  The Groomers should be good as well this early in the cycle.  The afternoon was getting very manky with the warming temps.  Traffic on the hill should be much lighter after the push for the last lines was finished.  As a parting shot for today, I leave you with this look over into Mary Ellen Gulch as the North facing lines were peering through the cloud bank. There are some very interesting lines here.  Peace Out!! 

There was a full on Winter blast on the peak this morning as the faithful were on hand to deal with the new installment that fell overnight.  Marginal visibility and stout wind felt like it was mid February as I was feeling my way down off the peak.  With limited access to Mineral Basin, I chose to check out Lupine Loop to avoid the clamor for the front of the hill, where the pressure was mostly directed.  The high winds out of the West was piling the drifts up on the cat tracks, making it dicey in the limited visibility.  The Groomer there was consistent and velvety and, it too, felt like a mid February day.  On the front of the hill, Peruvian gulch had a light accumulation that was wind affected, but was feeling good under foot, but the bottom crunch was fully in play.  The Gad side of the hill seemed a bit more inconsistent with tiles and piles making the ride a bit touchy dealing with the variations.   The Gad Zoom Chair was  operating, which helped take some of the pressure off the Tram.  There was a demo day being held for the PSIA attendees.  Here is a shot of the line up of big mountain skis at the Dynastar tent. I can’t wait to get my hands on a pair of the new breed.  Tomorrow, look for improved weather as the system moves out of the area, fresh Groomers that will feel mid Winter creamy, and light traffic for the morning session.  The Peruvian Gulch will be closed for the season as the construction efforts begin on the peak facility.  Mineral Basin should be offering some very nice conditions for the morning session, but if the Sun begins to shine, the quality on those direct aspects will not take long to get manky.  It sure is nice to get this extra accumulation going into the week.  Warm weather and a renewed corn cycle will be on tap for the coming week.  Get ready for some corn goodness.  Stay Frosty!!

The rain was cacophonous as it pounded on the Trailer all last night, signaling the arrival of fresh Essence on the hill.  The morning dawned clear as the storm clouds had moved off for the morning session.  On the hill a beautiful coating of freshness treated the attendees with enough cushion to make the off trail good to go. Here is a shot of the Upper Cirque looking mid Winter good with fresh tracks marking the occasion.  Photo:  Matthew Fischer.  Clouds moved back in as the atmosphere heated up and the moisture moving up from the South which reduced the visibility, though there were times the clouds lifted and visibility improved.   The Rain is pounding on the Trailer once again as I write this, so look for some additional accumulation for tomorrow’s festivities.  That cushion will help make the new product feel even more consistent.  The temps. will be quite a bit colder as the cold front moves through overnight, with some activity still holding on for the morning hours.  There should be some clearing as the day progresses.  I will be there dark and early and will have a first hand report for tomorrow’s post.  IBBY!!

I was woefully under dressed this morning as there was snow falling and a brisk wind blowing when the Tram hit the peak. Surprise!!!!  I hit the front side of the hill to get some better gear for the conditions and found that there had not been a freeze in the pack.   The prepared lines had quite a bit of give, making turning easy and consistent.   I found very consistent lines on my return to Mineral Basin as the snow continued to fall with just a hint of accumulation that gave the lines a bit more traction, but also felt a touch sticky.  I checked out the Gad Valley by way of Mark Malu, where I found the same consistency that made the turns smooth and easy.  Visibility was a bit variable, but it was easy to see the details.  The clouds cleared off a bit as 11:00AM ticked off, and the visibility improved with some Sun peaking through from time to time.  I got this shot of some old snow shining in the morning sunshine.  Later in the afternoon the clouds began to build up and cooler air kept the pack from getting too sticky on the lower section.  Tomorrow, this weather system will have filled in, bringing more precipitation for the day.  You may find some accumulation form the showers that have been pelting the Trailer this afternoon.  The Gad Zoom Chair was brought back into service and will be available for the weekend traffic.  Coverage is good all the way down to the chair, but there is only a path to the South of the Mid Gad Chair to access the Zoom Chair.  I will be taking the day off tomorrow to get ready for the coming week.  Enjoy the new product on the hill.  Ciao!!

The predicted inclement weather did not materialize, and the morning proved to be bright, sunny, and offering perfect corn in Mineral Basin.  The front side of the hill had a surface freeze that was going to take a bit to break, but in the mean time Mineral Basin was sweet and smooth.  The untracked Cornuroy was a delight when finding a smooth groove, and I took the opportunity to get some 8’s on a hidden line that escaped detection for some time.  When the front of the hill broke, the top to bottom consistency demanded a back to back pace to get as much of that big mountain smooth as possible in the short window of goodness.  That window did extend a bit longer than yesterday, with those deep corn sections offering the sorbet sweetness that only mature corn goodness can provide.  As the Spring continues to progress, the Big Return is becoming more evident on the hill, however, coverage remains excellent with only some spalling abutments sprinkling some rocks on the cat tracks.  Here is a shot of the Little Cottonwood Stream beginning to show some signs of building volume on it’s way to the Cycle.  Tomorrow, look for another Spring morning with the goodness of Maize, however, there is still weather moving into the Front.  Afternoon weather seems likely, but the best part of the day should be another treat.  The off trail is worth a visit as softening occurs, and the High North is proving to be very entertaining and consistent now that some traffic has worked the lines.  The PSIA Academy is being held this week, and the concentration of great skiers is very high.  I have seen some serious turns being thrown down, and I have been taking notes on what I have been seeing.  It is fun seeing so many folks enjoying the terrain and snow quality.  See you for the morning goodness.  Syrup won’t stop ‘EM!!

It was another beautiful morning, with warm temps., already primed corn in the back bowl, and very low traffic for the entire morning.  The corn consistency was deluxe on the prepared lines, and a full on rock and roll approach was hard to resist.  On some of the steeper sections  I dialed back the speed to savor the sorbet delight beneath my feet and pretended I had hiked to get these goods.  I was going to squeeze every bit of love out of each turn.   On the front of the hill, the freeze was still a bit stout and needed to soften, but it was not going to take long.  After a Forklift repast, it was back to the goods as the front of the hill was going off and giving up the goods.  I love when the timing is predictable and hitting the mark.  Here is a shot of a section of old snow that had been skied, frozen, stripped by the nuking wind, and leaving a raised relief of days gone by.  Tomorrow looks to be a inclement day as a weather system is moving into the front with some colder air coming out of the North and moisture pushing up from the South.  That might make for some interesting conditions.  The break  may or may not happen and we will just have to see.   Keep in mind your lines from today to keep yourself lined up in case of marginal visibility.  Coverage remains very good and the Cat Crew is doing a stellar job keeping the thin spots touched up.  See you there dark and early for the exploratory runs.  Straight Ahead!!

The corn has matured enough now to offer a sorbet delight right from the first runs of the day.  Of course, Mineral Basin was offering the goods for the first hour and a half while the front of the hill thawed a bit.  Both Powder Paradise and Lupine Loop were prepared, and those early runs featured delectable lines that begged for a return visit.  Traffic on the hill began to build up as folks arrived, but there was no pressure for the lifts at all.  A visit to the Forklift Chair was a perfect time to let the front of the hill break.  Here is another non sequitur shot of residual tracks from the last storm spiking out of the rock face.  That line was placed days ago, but it still remains as a reminder of the deep.  When the front of the hill broke, the quality was going off in both gulches, and top to bottom sweetness was worth taking the time to slow down and dig deep into each turn to squeeze the most mojo out of the dynamic.  How sweet does it get.  Now I may be the only one, but I think perfect corn is as perfect as deep powder in it’s quality and rarity.  Coverage remains very good despite some melt off on the high points and rock outcroppings that capture the heat and melt the surrounding pack.  Mark Malu was offering the goods later in the day, as the High North orientation keeps the thaw from going off earlier.  That is a nice shot to lap when the lower sections of the hill get a bit sticky.  It looks like we might squeeze one more fair morning out of tomorrow, before some clouds move in due to a Low Pressure pumping moisture to the North.  Get there early for the back side boogie!!  Peace Out!!!