A surprise accumulation fell on the Wasatch this morning, causing very greasy conditions on all of the roads to the resorts.  Massive backups made for very long drives up to the hill.  I had to dig out The Trailer, where over a foot of fresh medium density Essence made it easy to kick back and enjoy the day off.  Up on the hill, the depth was over knee deep and from the shots posted on social media, there were few folks for the early session and very deep powder wall to wall.  With that much accumulation, most, if not all the underlying static would have been of no consequence.  Here is a shot from Robert Moyer, who made it up and was enjoying the casual pace and the fresh installment.  Thanks for sending that out to me Robert!!The snow kept coming until well into the afternoon and I had to re clear the antenna array.  Tomorrow, look for a great day on the hill.  There will be a road closure at 6AM., with a estimated opening at 8AM.  There will be a lot of pressure for the goods and I plan on taking a very leisurely approach to the morning.  There is plenty waiting in the wings, so it will be deep for everyone.  The coverage on the hill is fully fat, with all of the real features gone until Spring.  All the entrances are in good shape and any line you chose will be one for the memory logs.  Here is another of my explorations with paint to add color to a stormy day.  I love the vivid colors and the interesting dimensions.  See you for the amazing morning that awaits.  Speed safely!!

A few more inches were covering the dance floor this morning as the Morning Crew headed out to Mineral Basin.  Though the visibility was variable with the continued snow fall, the required details on the runs were enough to keep the smooth lines well defined.  Those un tracked  inches over the corduroy made each turn a treat.  On the front of the hill, beautifully buffed lines had been prepared that made me do back to back laps to get as much of that goodness as possible before it was discovered.  I motored off trail to see how the ride was, and found the existing rumble to still be fully in play, but the medium density of this installment helped take some of the sting out of the transitions.  There were isolated pockets of wind deposited product that made those lines quite a bit deeper, with only a hint of the bottom static.  I kept working those lines as they were being totally ignored and seemed to fill in with each run.  After the morning breakfast session, I had to say so long to our friend Frank, who has been here for a couple of weeks and is leaving until later in the season.  He got some great snow during his stay and spent the morning skiing with The Chairman of The Board.  I love how fired up he gets when he gets dialed and just SIZZLES!!   Tomorrow, look for more Essence to be added to the pack.  The off trail should be getting better with each addition, and the cushion will help mitigate that rumble.  Still, be watching those high traffic areas, as the interference patterns that built up have high amplitude and will continue to be interesting in the variable visibility.  Snow should continue during the morning hours before breaking after Noon, so dress for storm riding.  As a parting shot, I offer this piece of art that I did last Summer during the hot days.  Since I never actually touch the paint in any way, it is always a surprise to see what will manifest.  I just try to stay out of the way and let it flow.   Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

After a short stretch of High Pressure, a fresh coating of Essence covered the hill.  Though it started out being only a couple inches of primer coat, the continued precipitation began to build up.  It was snowing hard when I left at 3:30 PM. and there was 4” in the parking lot.  The medium density product began to adhere to the old layer, offering a nice cushion, however it was not nearly enough to dampen the off trail rumble.  I drove off the prepared area in the low visibility in Mineral Basin during the first run, and was rudely awakened to the fact that I had gone askew.  DOH!!  All of the smooth lines from the past few days were still holding strong, and I was using these known lines to keep the flow smooth and consistent.  When you can’t see, it is more about flow and feel than anything else.  Traffic was light and walk on Trams were happening all day.  Here is one half of Team Martin taking advantage of the roomy ambience on the Tram dock.Visibility was problematic all day long, but staying close to the trees helped with reflected light making the details stand out better.  Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation to have fallen overnight.  Hopefully, the medium density will continue to cushion the old layer and fill the widespread rumble.  There was little to no wind today, so the snow seemed much lighter as it built up.  You can expect another day of storm riding, so keep in mind those lines that have been holding the smooth and stay with the Groomers for the best ride.  IBBY!!

The weather dude called for increasing clouds for the day’s festivities, but the clouds held off until well after closing, leaving the day sunny and bright wall to wall.  The Groomers were still offering the smooth carpets that were big mountain perfect.  Lines that had been worked days ago are still holding the smooth, dry, chalky feel that kept me returning lap after lap to tap into the rare pitches that are steep and long.  The temps. were still brisk for the morning session, but the day warmed up nicely, with those steep due South aspects feeling a bit like Spring.  With weather on the horizon, I was checking out the off trail lines, where the interference patterns and variable rumble live, in order to get a game  plan for when the next installment covers the dance floor.  During the afternoon session, I took a pit stop at the Mid Gad Restaurant and met John and Casey from Marble Falls Texas.  This is their first trip to the Bird and have been reading the site for a month out ahead of the trip.  They were stoked to be enjoying the Sun and snow and are really going to love it when it gets deep in the next few days.   I really love to meet the folks who read the posts and are inspired to join the festivities.  Tomorrow, look for clouds to make visibility interesting.  Look to the Groomers for the smooth lines that will help that flat light navigation.  That off trail will be very bouncy even in the best of visibility, and it will take some cover to begin to  mitigate the rumble.  The hill is still in great shape for this next installment, and with just a bit of wind to begin smoothing the lines, it will go a long way to getting all lines back to big mountain smooth.  Wild weather is often a feature of life on the Peak. Here is a shot that Wynonna sent of a very lazy Ice Puppy trying to take a nap on one of the Adirondac  Chairs on the Summit Patio.   IBBY!!

Ripping lines were offered on all sides of the hill, with Mineral Basin offering sunlit corduroy carpets that let you explore your inner Ligety.  On the front side of the hill, Anderson’s Hill and Lower Primrose Path were smooth, dry and chalky, with the shaved chalk building up in the gut that made the ride butter smooth.  Between the lines in Mineral and the front side extravaganza, I just had to do round the world like laps.    While out on a Lewis and Clark exploration, I came across Walter Mc Connell MD., who is still ripping the hill.  He has had the locker next to mine for over 30 years.  It is always a treat to visit with Walter and share his joy and dream.   Off trail, the interference patterns are becoming more widespread as the hill gets worked, with low amplitude rumble making the ride a bit challenging.  The snow quality is stiffening up, but the High North aspect are still holding the cold dry feel and are well worth exploring.  Look for the lines that stay shaded for softness and avoid those due South aspects as they are getting some surface crust.  I got this shot of the moon framed by the old dead wood tree.  Tomorrow, look for increasing clouds as a new cycle begins to move into the Front.  The Groomers will be offering consistently smooth Hydro Velvet carpets that are well worth being there early to experience.  Be sure to look for those additional machine worked lines that have been holding the smooth and are a real rarity, so get them while they are buffed.  As a  parting shot, here is Brian Beck getting the real deal out in the Exotic Trees.  There are still lines to be had with a bit of vision.  See The Line, BE The Line!!!

A very light dusting covered The Trailer this morning, and there was a light dusting covering the hill as well.   The corduroy was perfect top to bottom, especially in the bright Sun, which made being above all the inversion clouds extra special.  Here is a shot of the Shmegma still holding tough in the Valley.  The Morning Crew hit Lewis and Clark for multiple laps on the amazing carpets of Hydro Velvet that were un tracked and blissfull.  With no traffic, it made for really fun ripping and fully laid out turns.  On the Front of the hill, Regulator, Mark Malu, and lines on upper Silver Fox were offering dry chalky quality that made return laps a must to get the goods while they were on.  There are still soft lines on the High North aspects that feel great, and with the filled up entrances, makes getting to the goods easy.  Here is a shot of fresh tracks laid down by Tramrat. Tomorrow, look for more great cruising on the freshly prepared Groomers that will still be offering deep pile goodness, especially during the morning session.  Traffic has been brisk, but there are no lift lines anywhere.  I was doing back to back walk on Trams all day long, that made getting those steep buffed lines a real treat.  Sunny weather is still hanging in there, so visibility will be 20/20. The snow quality is still dry and chalky wall to wall as the Sun has not yet begun to morph the product, except in the most direct aspects.  Still, there is plenty to find where ever you choose to drop a line.  Grab hold of these mid Winter days as they slip by all too fast.  In parting, here is a shot of the Pfeifferhorn  looking very 3D in the clear morning air.  Speed Safely!!

The sky was clear and the air was cold to start out the day, with the inversion still holding the Valley in the murky clouds.  When I got to the Peak, I had to stop and get my own shot of the inversion layer.  Those shadows really give it some dimension and scale.  All sides of the hill were offering the corduroy delight that had been prepared, and the Mineral Basin offering had the early morning Sun and light traffic to kick of the festivities.  A number of new lower mountain pitches had been given the treatment, with steep, dry, chalky goodness, making those offerings worth a fast lap to get it all.  Lower Primrose Path had the shavings building up in the gut, which pushed the quality into the rare category that the crew will be talking about for the rest of the season.  The High North aspects are still holding some of the soft quality, while other aspects are stiffening up.  All the entrances that have been very sketchy have become much more approachable, and I will now feel  much more confident dropping in on those lines.  Here is a look toward the South with the inversion filling in the low spots and leaving the peaks looking like islands.  There was quite a crowd on hand today, but the lift lines remained short and fast.  Tram laps were easy to make, and it made it that much nicer to get those buffed lines top to bottom.  Tomorrow, look for more incredible Machine Worked lines to be offering sumptuous corduroy for the morning session.  The Sun should be out again above the inversion, making the hill feel like another world.  But of course, it is!!  I attended yet another of Kazoodi’s Pizza extravaganzas last night, where lots of different styles and flavors were offered for the tasting.  Here is some of the gang waiting for the next pie to come out of the oven.  Mikey M, once again, brought the goods from his restaurant, Baron’s in LA., so we could sample some more of the recipes that have been in the family for generations.  Very strong work getting all the ingredients all together and baked off perfectly at high elevation.   In closing, here is a shot of Brian Beckgetting the goods yesterday out in the Exotic Trees.  The quality of the snow was all time and there is more in the forecast.  IBBY!!

As the last cycle ends, the inversion returns once again to fill the Valley with clouds, leaving the high elevations in the Sun.  Here is a shot that Revy sent to me looking from the peak over theValley heavily blanketed in cloud cover.  I always think  that this is what Lake Bonneville would have looked like 12,000 years or so ago before it drained out to the Sea, leaving the Great Salt Lake the only vestige of that once huge body of water.  I bet there were some great point breaks there back in those days.  I would like to have a time machine and go back and check it out.  The  groomers were offering incredible corduroy for the morning session, with the remaining areas opening with fresh tracks for The Faithful who were on hand for the last of the leftovers. Here is a shot of Mikey M getting a deep line on a High North aspect.  It was very deep and there were no smear moves here to make it look deeper.  It WAS that deep.  More on the way later next week and the inversion will be clearing out.  Tomorrow, look for another Hydro Velvet extravaganza for the morning session, as all the big aspects should get the magic treatment.  The Cat Crew has been doing a splendid job of making those big drops big mountain smooth.  Remember, Snowbird was back country before the Bird was built, so I try to hold that in my mind when I get those steep long pitches smooth and arcable.   My friend Dan Cameron used to tell me of his exploits over on our side of the hill before the Bird, and he was one of the young kids back in those days.  The off trail will continue to stiffen as the time goes by and the interference patterns will be building in the high traffic areas.  Coverage remains excellent with plenty of great sliding on all aspects of the hill.  See you there for the morning session.  Thanks For Sharing The DREAM!!

As anticipated, a heavenly inch of fresh Essence covered the dance floor this morning.  There was an early push for the Tram, and I opted to hit the Peruvian Express to get a jump on the traffic.  I was rewarded with un tracked perfection on Chips, Anderson’s Hill, and Lower Primrose Path, which had been buffed smooth and had that perfection that screamed 40”of Zero %!!  With the chair remaining uncluttered, I was able to make a few laps there before anyone caught on in the marginal visibility.  Off trail, the snow had begun to stiffen up, making the ride a bit more challenging to blast through the chop.  I was staying with the smooth lines to take advantage of the perfection, save my knees from a beating, and dial in as much presence as I could for each transition.  The visibility was off and on all day,  but the Sun made some tantalizing appearances at times.  Here is a shot of Boundary Bowl that looks as good as it is.  What a cycle.Mineral Basin opened today and The Faithful were chomping at the bit to get after it.  They were not disappointed with the very deep powder extravaganza that was waiting for them.  Visibility issues made navigating out there a bit tricky, but a stout fall line approach would keep you turning just by feel.  I stopped in to The Summit again today just to absorb the Energy blasting out of the Peak and took this shot of the dimensions of light and reflection coming from the upper floor windows.  This is just a linear moment in a Fractal Field!!Tomorrow, look for clearing skies, perfect carpets of Hydro Velvet top to bottom, more freshies waiting in the wings, and nice temps. to keep the day comfortable.  Coverage on the hill is fully fat, with lines filling in, terrain variations becoming muted, making any line choice good to go.  The hill is in great shape and lots of turns are still waiting to be integrated into your Akashic Wake.  Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

A fair amount of snow fell overnight and the wind had abated, so today’s offering was deep and delightful.  The Cirque Traverse was offering the early lines into Peruvian Gulch, but the Gad side lines were also deep and blower.  This has to be one of the deeper days of the season.  As more of the mountain opened, the traffic got spread out and pressure for the lifts evaporated.  I think the Essence on the Gad side was a bit lighter than the Peruvian side, but still it was a day that magazine articles are written about.  Here is a shot of Cory, who was ripping heavily!!We had a great time talking about the terrain options and how much the mountain changed in just a few days.   Most lines are smooth on the hill, so a full fall line approach will be rewarded . Tomorrow, look for a dusting overnight, with prepared Hydro Velvet to be insanely soft.  I am looking forward to some smooth cruising from the word go.  This is a hard post to write, as everything is good to go, so I have to just leave it at that.  Conditions are excellent wall to wall, the hill is in great shape, and there is still more waiting in the wings.  Stay Frosty!!