Today was a transition day between Spring and a Winter Storm that is moving in tonight, tomorrow, and into Wednesday.  High winds were kicking on the hill out of the South making the warmish temps. seem much colder, and those Mineral Basin chair rides brisk to say the least.  I had dressed for Spring, but my light jacket was just on the fringe of too light.  The Groomers were smooth, however, they were a touch crisp with a consistency that was edgeable.  On the front side of the hill, the Groomers were firm as well, with a fair deposition of transported snow that gave those lines enough tooth to keep turning without too much shwag.  The off trail on the High North was still cold and dry and was receiving the transported product that was being blown in.  There really was not enough loose snow to build up any wind lines, but it was nice to get a solid edge set when needed.  Here is a shot of Timp. from the top of The Baldy Chair.  Tomorrow, look for a storm riding day, with marginal visibility, building accumulation, and a firm underlying pack.  Remember the smooth lines from today and avoid those South and West aspects that were quite unworkable today.  There will be no softening as there was today, so look for those High North aspects for the best traction. Stay with the trees for reference and the reflected light.  High winds will also be a feature, so be looking for those lines that are profiting from the direction, which will be filling in the low spots and tree lines.  See you there for the return to a Winter feel as Spring begins.  Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

It was the first day of Spring and the much warmer temps. were happening right on cue.  Mineral Basin was offering the smooth goods, with White Diamonds, Lone Star, and beautifully worked Lewis and Clark lines that kept me lapping the steep smooth carpets all morning.   I ran into Brenda, who was also exploring the far reaches and finding the corduroy just what she was looking to see for the morning foray.  On the front of the hill, the Big Smooth was finally prepared for the first time of the season.  The Big Smooth consists of Upper, Middle, and Lower Primrose Path, which was offering smooth, dry, chalky excellence top to bottom. I had to pound out several of those lines, making me a bit late for the breakfast debrief.  The balmy temps. began to work the pack, which was beginning to break nicely around Noon.  I was finding some lines beginning to feel velvety smooth as the Sun broke the pack.  It was nice to have Spring begin to bring that feel.  The High North is still holding the cold, with the dry chalk building up the pile as it got worked.  That feature was especially good on the Upper Cirque.  Tomorrow, look for a refreeze as the residual cold in the pack sets it up.  There may be some overcast skies, as the weather is beginning to change with a storm moving in during the next few days.  Winds will be building out ahead of the system, so look for transported snow to be filling in the lines.  Just keep your eyes open for the goods as they develop.  The hill is in great shape for the next installment, with most of the big lines still smooth and reliable.  Watch those due South and West lines first thing in the AM. until softening occurs.  IBBY!!

It was a clear cold morning with a sky that was a super dark blue.  It is always a stunning sight contrasted with the snow covered peaks and bowls.  The Groomers were still offering the smooth carpets of corduroy, with the Sun lighting the Mineral Basin for the morning session.  Here is a shot of the Bookends looking smooth, phat, and steep.  The overall cold temps. are still keeping the High North off trail dry and chalky, with easy turns in the softness.   On other aspects you can expect to find some variability in consistency, but it is fun to do the explorations to challenge your route finding.  Interference patterns continue to build, however, the amplitude is low and the lines are easy to manage.  As the day warmed up the usual aspects began to get hit by the Sun and the ambient warmth, which made those firm lines a bit softer.   Tomorrow, look for another cool start to the day, with a bit firmer consistency on the South and West facing aspects, however, follow the Sun and they will come around when they break.  I will be on the hill again tomorrow to get a first hand look at the outlying sections to see just how much the warming is morphing the pack.  See for the opening bell.  Stay Frosty!!

The sky was clear this morning, but the cold and the wind were still in full effect.  I am glad that I dressed for the conditions, as the Sun did not seem to be making much of a difference for the morning session.  As anticipated, the Groomers were offering smooth lines, however, they were a bit firmer in Mineral Basin and much firmer on the front side of the hill.  The off trail was still holding the cold, but my forced foray into an East facing aspect made me beat a hasty retreat back to the smooth and buffed offerings.  Still, the High North was still soft and workable, with dry chalky quality holding strong this many days after that last accumulation.  Here is a shot of the East Twin that had been blasted by overnight winds that had scoured the high elevations.  The cold and wind kept the snow quality preserved, though it seemed more like mid January than late March.  Traffic was very light and quick turnarounds were a nice feature after the high traffic storm events.  Interference patterns are beginning to build in again as the traffic works the popular lines, but smooth shots are still easy to find.   Tomorrow, look for another cold morning, but warming is in the forecast, so we might see some improved ambient temps. in the next couple of days.  The Groomers will still be offering the dry chalk, but expect the firmness to continue to require a bit higher edge angle.  Look for Mineral Basin to be offering the Sun lit lines as the time change darkened the front side of the hill again.  The hill is in great shape, with great snow to be found especially on the North facing aspects. See you on Sunday as I will be taking tomorrow off for R and R.  Peace Out!!

It was overcast, cold and windy this morning as the Northerly flow continued to deliver weather to the hill.  The Morning Crew made an exploratory Lewis and Clark foray, where we found the amazing Groomers had been lightly covered with wind deposited goodness to add just another level of luxury to the Dance Floor.  We just had to make numerous laps back there to get as much of that as we could, and take advantage of the Sun that was poking out through the clouds.  The cold had really preserved the quality of the snow all over the hill despite any aspect considerations, but that old layer was still in play.   The Sun finally broke out all over around Noon, but the cold temps. persisted.  I ran into Elaina, the Mountain Host, who was working the race event on Big Emma.  She was enjoying the Sun after dealing with the weather all morning long.  The Sun was a nice addition to the day’s ambiance and warmed the air just a touch.  Tomorrow, look for another day of great conditions on the hill, with fresh machine worked lines that will still be delivering the living room shag quality that was happening today.  The off trail will still be soft and blastable, however, look for that old layer to be problematic on the South facing aspects.  The Sun should be out in full force all day, but cold will still be happening for the morning session, with warming happening later.  Stay ahead of the Sun for the best quality, but all those High North aspect will be good all day long.  I did an interview on Alta Radio with The Locals Project who profiled me two weeks ago.  We talked about the project and their trip up to Jackson where they met great folks who make that place special.  Here is a shot of the event.  While leaving the parking lot, I got this shot of Superior which was getting a lot of traffic from those folks who made the trek to that lofty place.  You can see the nice turns on the apron below the upper pitches.  Great conditions are happening wall to wall.  See you there for the Winter like lines.  IBBY!!!

As anticipated, overnight impulses delivered extra accumulation to the hill and the faithful were on hand once again to get the goods.  Stout winds up high, cold temps. and variable visibility made the storm riding morning session a challenge.  The new Essence was much lighter than previous days and felt great where the deep pockets had been filled in by the wind.  The old layer was still in play, however, there was plenty of cushion to make the consistency fairly reliable.  The East facing aspects were the deepest lines on the hill, and I found some lines that were fully knee deep and blower.  Flurries continued for the better part of the day, but the Sun began to break through about 1:00PM.  Here is a shot of Boundary Bowl getting the first bright Sunshine of the day.  The cold temps. and overcast sky kept the snow quality soft and blastable all day long, even when the pack got worked over.  I was able to find deep pillows well into the afternoon.  Tomorrow, look for the off trail to still be offering nice soft lines over most of the hill, but I think those due South aspects will be very crusty underneath the new snow, so tread lightly.  The Groomers will be off the charts smooth with all this new product to work into the mat. As the low has moved off, there is still a Northwesterly flow and the temps. will still be quite brisk for the morning.  Stay ahead of the Sun, as it will be hitting the fresh snow quickly on those direct aspects, making the quality degrade quickly.  The North, West, and North East lines should hold up all day.   See you there for the First Boat of the day.  Stay Frosty!!

There was a 100 inch base reported today on the Bird site, and the faithful were in full attendance well before the opening bell.  With overnight accumulation added to yesterday’s installment, the dance floor was set for any step you would like.  While some of the old layer was still in evidence here and there, the high density quality offered great cushion that really made that old layer a non issue.  Here is a shot of my friend Mike getting it all on The Keyhole today. I think this shot exemplifies the great conditions that everyone was hoping for and the Promise of   the Wasatch delivered.  It snowed off and on all day and is snowing here at the Trailer as I write this. I went for the deep gut lines that were holding the most accumulation that had been augmented by the wind from yesterday.  There were audible hoots and hollers all over the hill and that was a great sound  to hear in the wide open spaces.  Someone also expressed the spirit of the day with this spontaneous writing in the fresh Essence covering the Snowbird Subaru.  I think this says it all.  Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation as the Northwesterly flow continues to bring impulses to the Front.  There may be continued flurries in the morning as well.  The off trail will be excellent once again on all aspects as the cold temps. preserved the quality.  The Groomers will be offering amazing Hydro Velvet as well, so it will be a full on shredfest for the morning session.  The hill is in great shape, and entrances that were a bit dodgy are much better covered after this installment.  See you for another great day on the hill with freshies wall to wall.  Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!

The storm system finally began to make it’s way into the Front today.  Last night the rain was pelting the Trailer with an insistent patter that signaled snow up on the hill.  There were no signs of accumulation going up the Canyon, and the frozen glaze in the parking lot did not reveal the 3 to 8” of high density grauple that was waiting up on the hill.  High winds were moving the product around, stripping the high spots and filling in the low spots, so there were deeper deposits to be found. That old layer was fully in play, and those frozen aspects were difficult.  The High North lines were offering the smoothest, deepest turns that felt good underfoot.  On the ride up First Tram I caught this image of a sucker hole opening up in the Valley.  By all evidence the storm seemed to be over, but the weather filled in and bands of heavy precipitation and wild winds began to pound the hill, shutting the Tram down for a bit while the front passed through.  The Morning Crew did an exploratory Lewis and Clark in a deep white out, which tested all the inner sensory skills.  Variable accumulation was found and the deeper spots felt luxurious in between the scoured hard pan of the old frozen layer.  That combination was interesting in that visibility.  Here is a great shot of the Chairman of the Board, considering the feed back coming in from the field during the morning Forklift debrief.  Tomorrow, look for significant additional accumulation to have fallen for the morning offerings, with continued snow fall off and on all day.  There may be road restrictions, which were no problem today, but may well be tomorrow.  The higher density will be cushioning the old layer, but do expect some reveal where the wind has worked the windward aspects.  Look for those low guts to be holding the deepest deposits, but still be looking for the smooth lines for the best ride.   Dress for weather and be ready for the staggered openings as the control work is completed.  See you there for the return of Winter conditions.  Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

A major storm is rolling toward the Front, and today was showing the first signs of the approach.  Thick high clouds obscured the Sun and a stout breeze was blowing, which was transporting some snow around the hill.  The High North was still holding the cold, even after the warmth we had.  The Groomers were offering some very nice corduroy, except on those due South and West aspects which did get worked by the warmth.  I found dry chalky lines top to bottom, with only the last 200′ of the hill offering the crispiness that I was anticipating.  Here is an interesting cloud formation that seemed to be creeping up from the South which I took from the peak on First Tram.  Visibility was good, but the light was flat, so I stayed close to the trees for the reflected light that helped with the definition. Light snow started falling around 10:00AM., that was a relief as the deck temp. was saying 41 Degrees.  With a peak temp. of 25 Degrees and that stout wind, the pack was not going to be softening very much at all.  The forecast is for significant precipitation to begin around Midnight tonight and will extend through Tuesday, so get ready for the goods to be delivered.  High winds will also be associated with this system, so we can expect some interesting conditions.  Tomorrow, dress for storm riding that should be quite interesting.  Check the road report in the AM. for restrictions, as the road could be greasy.  The Subaru Winterfest was in full swing today on the Plaza, with ski demos and a lot more fun things to check out. This Snowbird Subaru will be getting covered with the goods in the next couple of days and just when we need it.  Though it looks like Spring is here, Winter is not over yet and deep powder is just around the corner.  Gird your grid for a big one.  Straight ahead!!

A mixture of Sun and cloud bands moved through the Front today, but the weather that was predicted did not really materialize.  The Groomers were the the go to lines after yesterday’s warmth had touched most of the aspects.  From my vantage point down here at the Trailer, it looked as if the visibility was variable from time to time and I wondered just how the pack would be influenced today.  Here is a shot of the upper section of Pipeline which I took from the Road to Provo.  This gives that line some perspective that you don’t get unless you get right in front of it and have the lighting giving it some depth of field.  Tomorrow, some light accumulation may have fallen overnight, if the forecast holds up.  Temps. will be quite a bit colder as this next system begins to move in, though the cold front is not expected until much later in the day.  Once again, visibility may be an issue, so staying with the smooth lines will be an advantage as well as staying close to the trees for the reflected light. Traffic should be moderate and fast laps will be fun to make.  Here is a parting shot of Snoopy digging the Sun and great soft snow on one of the High North aspects. I will be back with a first hand report tomorrow.  See you for the opening bell.  IBBY!!