The light was flat this morning with the Sun having a very hard time burning through the cloud deck. At times I thought it would succeed but it did not quite.  The Groomers on the Peruvian side got a lot more consistent with yet another work over, making the top to bottom feel much nicer.  I was finding dry chalky corduroy and the carving was feeling sumptuous in some places.  The lower mountain was smooth and firm, and deliberate, well anticipated turns made the turns feel much more like the real thing.  While I was touring around I came across this cool little guy just minding his own business.  It is raining here at the Trailer as I write this so, tomorrow, look for some small amount of accumulation for the morning session.  The forecast is for snow over an extended period, so perhaps the tide will turn.  Look for re worked machine lines on both sides of the hill.  Regulator has been very firm lately, and will continue to be so even with a bit of fresh.  The Peruvian gulch will be offering the most consistent lines  with the best visibility.  Still, be on the look out for little surprises to be out and about.  Thanks to the Mountain Crews for keeping the hill fun and fast.  See you for the early lines.  IBBY!!

The winds were nuking this morning and the Tram was running on a trip by trip basis.  I was anxious to get back to the Peruvian Gulch to sample a bit more of the new terrain and try and get a handle on the lines.  The winds at your back, coming across the big flat above phone 1, was a wild ride as it felt like I had afterburners going.  With the flat light, due to the overcast, it was just a guessing game about what was going on underfoot as I was shot across the flat. Yikes.  On the Gad side of the hill, Regulator was very scoured, but did have a bit of grip if you worked at it.  The wind also began transporting some dust to the prepared areas, with Lower Chips Face offering some smooth and velvety turns.  After 3 laps the Tram was taken off line by the wind and the Peruvian Chair was fired up, but I made the retreat to the Forklift Chair to assess the options.  Here is a shot of Mineral Basin as this was the first time I was able to ski Chips from the top. It is looking like it will need quite a bit more cover before it is ready for prime time.  You can see the Sun was trying to add some light to the flat conditions.  Tomorrow, look for another day of firm training runs, with the Groomers offering the best lines.  There is some spauling on some of the Cat Tracks that is hard to avoid, but it is just pebbles and do not do much to the edge.  That is what a stone is good for.  Look for those steep smooth lines to keep the energy high.  Having new terrain to ply helps keep the training runs entertaining and interesting.  See you for the early morning laps.  IBBY!!

With the weather reporting clouds for today, it was a treat to see the clouds moving off and blue skies taking the stage for the day.  After the weak system moved through, it left colder temps. to start the day off, but warming was not far behind.  Both sides of the hill are open now with Gad 2 rounding out the options.  Machine work made the morning session more consistent after the high winds of yesterday.  Here is a shot of one of the snow guns turning out the product with ferocious volume.  The resort has invested a lot in this system in recent years and has really been paying off in a big way during this early seasons kick off.  It will also pay dividends later in the season during the melt when those thin spots are holding the pack long after they would have melted off otherwise.  Thanks to the Snow Making Crew as well as the Cat Crew for keeping things smooth and fat.  Tomorrow, look for another nice day, with early Sun, though the weather dude is indicating some high clouds later in the day.  The Groomers will be the good to go for the morning session. Coverage remains good, however there are some spots on the Peruvian Gulch that you will want to keep an eye on.  I am looking forward to the the Lower Chips Face section, which is steep smooth and just what the doctor ordered for the training laps.  I took today off to rest up and now I am feeling much more relaxed.  Thanks for the shot Mr. Scott.   See you for the fun in the AM..  Stay Frosty!!

The Sun surprised me today by burning through the high clouds that still were moving out ahead of this next impulse.  Temps were a bit warmer, but, with the high winds, the wind chill was a factor.  The Peruvian Gulch opened with the Peruvian Chair offering the uphill access around 10:00AM.  We waited around to be there for the first ride up of the season, and we had fun hanging with everyone that stayed on hand. Here is a shot of The Sky Pilot giving Thumbs Up on the opening bell of the Chair.   The Tram was delayed opening due to the high winds, but opened later in the morning.  The Peruvian Gulch was negotiable with the snow making that had been done over the beginning of the season, and the Cat Crew did a nice job making the main lines down the hill consistent.  The off trail was super wind slabbed out and was not recommended even a little bit.  I tried a section out just to see, but was turned back with a deliberate kick turn to head back to the firm and the smooth. This is  a shot of the Middle Cirque which still is not ready for prime time.   Lower Chips Face was the high point with smooth velvet on that steep section that let you dial in some arcs that felt good under foot.  The high winds really scoured Regulator, leaving it very firm with not much in the way of traction, however,  I was able to get a bit of grip with the proper shmooze technique.  Tomorrow, look for some light overnight accumulation to, perhaps, be present if the forecast holds up.   Look for firm conditions to continue on both sides of the hill.  The Peruvian Gulch lines will get a rework, so look for a bit more consistency there, but do not get too excited off the beaten path.  I don’t expect traffic to be heavy, but it will reflect a weekend surge.  See you Sunday after I take a day to rest up.  I will post non the less.  Peace Out!!

The Sun was shining this morning, but there were very high thin clouds moving through all day long. For the most part it did not mar the visibility, but later in the day, after 2 PM, the clouds thickened and the lights went out.  There was nice traction as the temps. were markedly warmer, and the consistency of the ride was a treat after those few firm sessions.  I was doing the laps from the Tram to Gad 2 to break things up and add a new dimension to the day.  With the Quads kicking it out with no lines, it is fast and fun to just jump on and get another lap going.  These Quads have been a real game changer.  At the end of the day I joined Mat Crawley  to clear the Snow Cam up off of Gad 2.  Here is a shot of Matt standing next to the plot. He showed me the new cam that looks East toward Regulator, so you can get an expanded view of the hill from this one location.  This lens looks really trippy  with the reflection on the lens.  Oops,  I put the shot for the camera in the wrong spot.  Oh well.  While I was slogging in to get to the plot I crossed this pristine section of powder with happy rabbit tracks getting first licks on the fresh accumulation.  Tomorrow, look for clouds to be happening as a system is moving through with not much in the way of precipitation.  The Groomers will be offering the best lines, and the Peruvian Gulch is promised to open, so look for some fresh new terrain to work after all those Gad runs.  I am still working on stamina training and moment focus.  It will all be worth it when it gets good and deep.  The Peruvian side looks to have some very nice machine worked lines, and I am looking forward to laying down some arcs.  Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

The temps. were warmer yet this morning with 21 Degrees on the peak.  It still felt cold, but I guess I am not yet acclimated to the cold quite yet.  While full machine work was done over night, the firmness was a bit more acute, however, that is more a reflection of the severe condition of my edges than anything else, as the folks with the sharpies were having no problem at all.  Continued snow making offered the pockets of Gun Powder that were a treat in which to dial in a turn.  Nice feel.  Coverage remains consistently good as the guns are blazing top to bottom, which is good to know if you are bringing a fresh tune to the hill.  The crew was breaking up the flow by visiting Gad 2 and making a full lap to the bottom of the Gad Valley.  Coverage there is quite good as well with just the firmness the only issue I had to deal with.   Here is a shot of Mr. Scott on the left and The Carvinator on the right after we hit the top of the Gad 2 Chair. You can see the high clouds that began to move in around Noon, making the light go a bit flat.  Still, visibility remained good.  Tomorrow, look for some cloud cover to be affecting the lighting.   Full Grooming efforts will be on tap and the temps. are still good for top to bottom machine accumulation.   Look for those nice areas of fresh Gun Powder to get a taste of the soft and smooth.  See you there for the first Boat.  I’ll Be  Blasting You!!!

High pressure has moved over the state and with it the temps are on the rise.  It was 11 Degrees on the peak to start the day, which was pleasantly warmer than yesterday.  Extensive Grooming top to bottom offered nice traction with some light dust on the upper elevations and full on snow making efforts were continuing down lower on the hill.  I got some first tracks through a few of the Gun Powder accumulation areas that made me feel like I could still make a real turn after shwagging  on the firmness for that last while.  It felt good to dig deep again.  The Sun was wonderful and air was still, so I kept doing laps to get some momentum going.  Here is a long shot of Regulator taken from the top of Gad 2 with the trees nicely flocked with Essence.  The coverage is still thin off trail and will have to wait until we get more accumulation, but the main runs are well covered and you have to look hard to find a pebble top to bottom.  On my way up Gad 2 I got this shot of the snow making device turning out the goods nicely back lit by the Sun.  Look for the smooth and tasty underneath the wash.  The accumulation carries quite away below the guns so slow down and get all you can get your edges into.  Tomorrow, look for another day of warming temps., a nicely reworked dance floor, additional Hydro Velvet, and low traffic to be the hall mark of the day.  I ran into these two shredding ladies today.  They were getting all of it, and they especially enjoyed the excellent Gun Powder sections over on Gad 2 as did I.  See you there for the training runs that are the best way to work into the coming Powder Extravaganza.  Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!