The morning started out Sunny and I had hoped for a warm day, but clouds moved in rapidly and the day remained a bit cool.  Up on the hill, clouds covered the sky, making the visibility flat and variable at times.  The Groomers were the place to be, with the recent accumulation mixed into the mat. The conditions on the hill remain pretty much the same as they have been, with the off trail still a bit tricky, but still workable if you take a direct approach.  Here is another shot of one of the floral arrangements at the center.  I am always intrigued by the fractal math ofnature and how buds like this conform to the Golden Section so perfectly.   Tomorrow, look for another partly cloudy day with winds out of the South East as the Low Pressure passes to the South.  Temps. will still be cool in the AM. so dress for the chairs, but warming will occur on the lower elevations later in the day.  Softening will occur later as things warm up, but those early lines on the fresh smooth are a nice way to start the day.  See you there for the morning session.   See the Line, Be the Line!!

A light skiff was delivered overnight, which made the ride buttery smooth for the morning session.  The forecast Sun only made a couple of very brief appearances before thick clouds moved in to make the visibility a bit difficult.  Here is a long shot of Mark Malu, which had been machine worked, waiting in the wings for the Road to Provo to open after control work was completed.  The Sun had been shining on here for a second, but I could not get my camera out and booted up before the light went away.  The Road to Provo did finally open around 10:30 AM.  which offered some interesting consistency after all the days it was closed.  There was a zipper crust that made things interesting, but some of the aspects managed to avoid that issue.  Visibility out there was challenging with little in the way of reference to guide the way.   Still, it was great to have the new terrain to work after all this time.  Preliminary work is being done on the first TrackCable.  Here, a technician is getting the block and tackle set up to pull tension on the bottom end before it is released from the giant counter weight down in the drive room.  This will be a very interesting process to watch as they progress.   Tomorrow, look for better weather, freshly worked Groomers, and some softening if the temps. warm up.  The off trail remains variable with a significant underlying rumble to deal with.  Look for the Groomers for the smoothest ride. Traffic should be light with no waiting for the lifts except for the opening bell. Check the Bird site for lift availability.   I will be taking the day off tomorrow for R and R.  Enjoy the Spring conditions.  Stay Frosty!!

There was added accumulation covering the dance floor this morning as the day began with falling snow, cool temps. and variable visibility.   More accumulation had fallen up high, however, yesterday’s installment had set up solidly but was cushioned a bit by the new product.  Visibility was interesting up high, but good enough to dial in some good lines.  I was exploring far off the prepared lines, and found some fairly deep sections but still was bouncing off the bottom for the most part.  The untracked lines were feeling the best, even though the high density product kept you on your toes.  I went for the outside lines on the smooth runs for consistency, and had a nice time spreading the frosting underfoot.  As the pack got worked over, the consistency became quite thick and sticky, so I gave my knees a break and called it good.  Since the visibility was marginal, I offer this bright shot of fresh cut flowers from Julia’s masterful hands at Living Creations, who provide the arrangements for the Bird.  She is a very talented lady and I always take a close look at the new presentations she brings.   Tomorrow, look for some improving weather for a day or so. We may get a few sightings of Sunshine on the hill. Look for the Groomers to offer the best ride. The off trail will be tricky, but explorations will be fun to look into.  Perhaps we might get  some new terrain, but we will just have to wait and see what shakes out.  Coverage is very good after all this new product, making the top to bottom lines fully fat.  I will be looking forward to wearing a lighter coat.  IBBY!!

The rain that was pounding the Trailer all night long translated into a significant dump of high density Essence.  Clear skies, pleasant temps., and 16” of fresh drew a full response from the Faithful who were on hand and waiting for the opening.  With all the water in the snow delivered over the last few days, the control work took quite a while to get the hill ready.  It was not unit 10:30AM before the opening bell sounded.  With the Sun on the new snow, and the high density, the quality as a bit thick.  As the warmth worked the pack, the manky factor was being felt quickly.  The higher elevations fared a bit better, with late Spring face shots blowing up.   Here is a shot of the Snowbird Subaru covered in the benchmark coating that was resident up high.There was lots of slide activity with the control work and some big slides were evident, especially on the Peruvian side of the hill, which is now closed.  Here is a shot of Lower Silver Fox looking about as fat as it has all season. We will have to wait until next season to revisit this pitch, but it is not going anywhere, so not to worry.  Tomorrow, look for some more precipitation to be occurring overnight with more unsettled weather still upstream.  The hill will be offering some better options after all this cover, as the off trail seems to have improved quite a bit in just a day.  Still, be on the lookout for unseen variations.  See you for the morning offerings.  Straight Ahead!!

More Spring frosting was added to the pack this morning and it continued to fall all day long.  While the rain pounded the Trailer all night, there was only a few inches of freshness for the opening bell.  The temps. were a bit colder this morning and the product was a bit less dense than it was yesterday, making the turns much easier to negotiate, especially after it got tracked out.   The Morning Crew went to the top of the Hill and worked the fresh lines on Regulator which felt smooth and dialable on the Groomed sections.  The off trail was still difficult after the wet product from yesterday froze up.  Gad 2 opened up, and the off trail there was much deeper as it had not been worked in some days, though there was a big of a crust to deal with here and there.  The Trees there felt the best and were getting a lot off attention.   The 4 spools of Tram Cables arrived today and were off loaded up in the staging area behind the Plaza.  Here is a shotof one of the spools on the lowboy.  It weighs 54 tons and is one continuous thread that contains a fiberoptic element for data transmission to the peak and back. All the elements were in place for the arrival, with a huge Grove Crane staged up and ready to off load each of the 4 trucks.  Here is a shot of the first spool being lifted off the low boy.  The folks standing around will give you a sense of the scale of the load.  Tomorrow, look for more accumulation to be delivered overnight, but how much is uncertain.  Look to the groomed lines for the best quality as the off trail will still be challenging.  Check for lift availability as it changed up today, so there may be more changes.  Shuttle service is available from the Center to the Gad lifts, and is quite quick and easy for the folks with lockers.  Dress for storm riding as it was quite wet on the lifts with all the snow falling. Visibility was only tricky up high, but was quiet good down low.  See you there for the morning session.   Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

A few inches of fresh frosting coated the hill today, as snow fell from the low clouds.  Visibility was variable and the snow density was high, with the top of the hill shrouded in clouds.  The new snow was good as long as it was untracked, and we got some nice lines on the fringes of the Groomers that had escaped detection in the clouds.  The snow from yesterday had frozen tightly, and the Groomers were firm underneath the new product.  Staying with the prepared lines was the call, as off trail was difficult and needed your full attention.  Light traffic on the hill, made for ski on lifts, which kept the pace going.   I took an early breakfast break after the first few runs to assess the options.   Here is a shot of the fresh cut flower that graced the breakfast table. Snow squalls moved  through with some very high intensity at times, which added to the pack.  Later, a break in the clouds let some light shine on the hill, but it was short lived as more impulses moved in.  There is access to the hill only from the Gad parking area, and is not available from the Plaza, so the shuttles are lapping from the Plaza to the Lower Lot.  Keep that in mind when you are planning your day.  Tomorrow, look for some overnight accumulation if the forecast holds up.  There will be more precipitation again tomorrow, so dress for storm riding.  Depending on the depth of the new product, stick with the known smooth lines, but if there is more significant accumulation, you can try a bit off trail.  There is still plenty of cover top to bottom, and there are no rocks to deal with anywhere.  See you there for the morning session.  Stay Frosty!!

A foot of Spring Frosting coated the hill, and the faithful were in full attendance for the opening bell.  The new product was very high density, which cushioned the old layer, making the ride smooth and silky for when it was untracked.  When the pack got stirred up, the harbor chop rose quickly.  The Peruvian Gulch opened a bit later as well as Mineral Basin, which did not take long to get worked over.  Here is a shot of the Snowbird Subaru sporting the deep coating of freshness there on the Plaza.  Before the Peruvian Gulch opened the Sun came out and illuminated the dance floor with tantalizing vistas of the new product waiting in the wings.  Here is a shot of Lower Primrose Path that illustrate how spreadably smooth the new frosting was riding.  It was great to see the energy on the hill.  Tomorrow, look for more precipitation to be moving in during the day.  The Groomers should be offering great lines of smooth corduroy, but the off trail may be a bit manky.  We will have to wait and see.  Check the Bird site for chair availability.  The base is back up over 100”, so there is plenty of snow going into this last stretch of the season.  See you there for the morning session.  Peace Out!!

A few inches of fresh Essence covered the dance floor for this morning’s offerings, as a Spring weather system moved in overnight.  Variable visibility was moving in and out all morning, with  a couple periods of Sunshine illuminating the hill.  Traffic was light, so for those who showed up, there was untracked lines on the Groomers to enjoy.  Later in the day, the cold front moved in and began to deliver even more accumulation.  Last week offered the opportunity to move through the Tunnel, which I rarely do during the Season.  Here is a shot looking back at Miss Kittyand Wilma as we made out way through on the carpet for the Lupine Loop extravaganza.  There are lots of artifacts from the mining days now displayed all the way along the way.  I  can only imagine when all these items were new equipment.  I feel like a time traveler sometimes now that I am here having the Winter experience on skis here in the future.  I often thinkabout how it will be 100 years down the road from now.  Perhaps on of those old miners was pushing this cart, thinking what life would be like 100 years down the road, and here we are.  Just a thought.  Tomorrow, look for more accumulation to be on tap for the morning session. It is raining here at the Trailer, so we can expect a fair amount of cover.  There should be a bit of clearing as a short High moves in, but more precipitation is predicted for early in the week.  This new snow will be a really fun way to finish out the Season and make the last laps on the Peruvian side of the hill.  See you there for the fresh lines in the AM.  Don’t forget to SIZZLE!!

Another sorbet delight was served up for the morning session, with Mineral Basin offering deluxe lines that were back country perfect.  White Diamonds had been given a stellar retill, with Lower Silver Dipper buffed smooth and consistently.  I had to slow way down just to dig in as much as possible to extract as much juice from each sumptuous turn. True, one could stomp the line and dial in the best centrifics imaginable, but I was looking for a more intimate approach to each turn.  On the front of the hill, the lines were a bit firmer, but with the warm South wind, it would be just a bit that the break would occur.  When the break did hit, the entire hill was offering the same sorbet goodness wall to wall, with even the off trail getting very workable.  These Spring days are just so great.   Work on the Tram began today, with a helicopter lifting gear to each tower.  Here is a shot of the A6 dropping a load off on Tower 1.The South wind was really picking up around Noon, and the temps. were really warm, but the snow quality was holding up as the wind seemed to keeping the pack from getting sticky.  The helicopter was having an interesting time with the pics in the wind, but it was impressive how quickly the pilot was able to hold it still and make the pic.  Tomorrow, the weather will have moved into the Front, delivering snow to the higher elevations.  The temps. will be much colder, so do not expect much in the way of the softening of the pack.  Visibility will be an issue , so dress for weather and remember the smooth lines from today.  Look for the Groomed lines to be offering the best ride, as the off trail could be a bit tricky.  I will be taking the day off for R and R.  Straight Ahead!!

More perfect corn was on tap for the Morning Session, as Mineral Basin was offering the goods.  White Diamonds and Lower Silver Dipper, as well as some added lines  offered exquisite corn goodness that rivaled any back country conditions you would hike to get.  Here is a shot of White Diamonds with the folks getting the goods before it got too soft.  This shot is steep, smooth, and is the aspect that we used to dream about long before it was lift serviced.  On the front of the hill, the break was going to go off in order as it has on these previous mornings.  At 11:30AM., Regulator was hitting that sorbet window, where each turn reminded me of the big Red Baldy pitch that is so hard to access, but Reg is precisely the same pitch and aspect, so I just imagine and dig in deeper.  At Noon the sticky factor cropped up below the mid mountain, so staying up high was the best bet.   While I was traveling through the Tunnel today, I was checking out thisshot of miners back in the mining days and wondered about life in the Canyon that long ago.  I have often thought that perhaps, in a past life, I might have been one of those guys as I am so drawn to be here and be high on the hill, when I noticed one miner here that was, perhaps, one of those I might have been.  Here is a closer look, though the resolution is not great.  I don’t know, just a thought.  Tomorrow, look for another great morning of corn goodness, though wind is predicted to be a factor as a storm system is predicted to move into the Front for the next while.  Mineral will be the first place to get the break, but with the wind, the rest of the hill may be breaking a bit sooner, so keep an eye on it. See you for the sorbet sensation. IBBY!!