Lingering clouds hung high over the peak as they exited to the East. Sun was coming fast, but the first couple of hours offered flat light and a stout wind to get the New Years party started. Here is a shot of Chris who was leading the charge of festivities from the word GO!! A fresh machine till was the highlight of the morning session, with good traction top to bottom on both sides of the hill. With the variable morning light, I was keeping a close eye out for changes on the transitions. Consistency was good and staying with the prepared lines was the call. Regulator was offering smooth wide open lines, with some of the granular deposits offering some very nice moments of silky goodness. You got to love those gems when you come upon them. Here is a great shot of a first day, first tram crew, who were stoked to be getting a birds eye view of the path down from the Tram. I was able to point out the obvious path off the top, which was the important first step to getting a good start to the day. I know they will be back to get the deep goods when the big cycle hits. As the day progressed, the sides of the trails were offering the deposits that let you dial in the needed turns to keep it real. Tomorrow, look for another great morning of top to bottom, back to back laps. Nice corduroy will be offered on both sides of the hill, and I anticipated fairly light traffic. Perhaps the Sun will be shining from the start and we can get that reflected light from Superior to illuminate the details in those sections that are obscure before the Sun gets up higher. See you there for the early lines and hard hitting laps that are perfect for pre dump conditioning. See the Line, BE the Line!!

The skies were overcast with a stout wind hitting the peak this morning, making the visibility a tad challenging. The smooth groomed runs helped the issue with good consistency that made the details easy to negotiate. Both sides of the hill are well covered on the prepared lines, with only a few spot where some pebbles have been kicked up into the mat. There is plenty of traction, especially if you look to the sides of the trails, but firm conditions persist and a solid approach is needed to keep things real. Here is a shot of The Chairman Of The Board considering the beta being introduced at the morning Forklift recon. His wisdom is invaluable going back out on the hill. Tomorrow, look for clearing skies with colder temps as a cold front passes through overnight. Conditions will continue to be firm, but look for the corduroy to offer smooth lines for the morning session. I will be looking for those deposits of Gun Powder for the soft goodness that lies there. The off trail sections on the Peruvian Gulch remain variable, with interference patterns well established on the heavily traveled lines. Still, there are areas to explore and a few pockets of soft snow. I will be staying close to the prepared lines till we get more snow after getting a look around. See you there for the morning session and the fast laps. IBBY!!

A bonus 8:45AM Tram left the dock on the dot and I was left gaping as I had dawdled for first Tram, DOH!! No worries as the morning corduroy was on tap and offering a smooth carvey texture top to bottom on both sides of the hill. I was working the terrain features on the Peruvian side of the hill, taking advantage of all those rolling sections that let you work the high angles on each turn. With the light morning traffic, getting the most out of the fresh carpets was a real treat. Gad 2 was offering some very nice lines, with lower Bassakwards feeling particularly carvelicious top to bottom. I just love those freshly tilled man made sections that feel like perfect wind slab. The Snow Making Crew and the Cat Crew have done an outstanding job keeping the hill covered on the prepared sections and making solid traction a nice feature when you go for the high edge angle. As the day progressed the middle sections got a bit scraped off, but the sides were holding the dry chalk that let you keep the pace real and under control. Tomorrow, look for more morning corduroy to be worth getting there early to get. Both sides of the hill are very workable, but I have been favoring the Peruvian side to take advantage of the terrain variations. Weather is in the forecast, but there is not much in the way of precipitation expected. Dress for weather and wind, with flat light happening with the overcast skies. Traffic will be a bit heavier, but the chair access makes motoring around the hill fast and fun. See you Sunday after I take a day off. Peace Out!!

Light traffic and balmy temps. greeted the morning crew. Peruvian Gulch was open again with freshly tilled groomers top to bottom, and full on snow making efforts in full effect. Some of the Gun Powder lines were feeling very sweet and the over all consistency was excellent. The off trail sections of the upper mountain were developing the interference patterns with all the traffic going after the deeper off trail sections. The Gad side of the hill was good as well, with light traffic all morning. Later, traffic did increase a bit on both sides of the hill. After Noon, the Cirque Traverse opened quietly. The traverse it self was very interesting and some sections of the traverse required a very careful step by step approach to get across a couple of the thin sections. On the open bowl, there was some very nice soft snow. I chose the section that I knew had the most grass in the Summer. That worked out well, as I got the first real powder turns of the season that felt smooth and sweet. Here is a shot of Mineral Basin looking inviting in the morning Sun. Tomorrow, look for another day of freshly groomed lines on both sides of the hill. Look for the sides of the prepared areas to be providing the most traction as things get skied off a bit as the day moves along. There should be fresh Gun Powder on both sides of the hill and light traffic should be happening for the first hour or so. I got to meet Team Bosspack this morning. They were experiencing the Bird for the very first time and were stoked to have the Peruvian side of the hill open and offering a more mellow path down the Hill. I talked to them later in the day and they had a day that will bring them back again when we get more snow. See you there for the morning warm up laps. Speed safely!!

The temps were balmy on the peak this morning, with still air and very nice machine work top to bottom. The corduroy was holding up nicely, and the light traffic made the runs wide open. With Gad 2 open now, there are a lot more options, which spreads the crowd out over the hill. Back to back laps were the order of the day as the consistency kept the stoke high. Later in the morning, the Peruvian Gulch opened for the first time of the season. The mountain crew did a nice job getting it ready for the public and the cover on the prepared areas was excellent. I checked out upper Silver Fox on that rope drop and found soft but variable consistency off the prepared lines. I bailed to the switch backs to avoid the lower section where I hit the gut sections to find the deeper lines thus avoiding unseen features. Snow guns were working full on top to bottom and the Gun Powder underneath them was very nice and felt good under foot. Here is a shot of the lower middle Cirque shining in the Sun. Tomorrow, look for more man made efforts to make the early runs fun and fast. With the Peruvian Gulch open, there is a lot more terrain to add to the mix. I will be staying close to the prepared runs while we wait for more snow. Top to bottom laps will be good to go again and light traffic will make the hill feel like a private resort. Here is a parting shot of Makayla, who is back for another season. It was great to see her so stoked and ready to rock the hill. Be there for the morning session and the corduroy goodness. Stay Frosty!!

The morning was crisp and clear and I dressed for the occasion. There was a stiff breeze on the peak, but it was not moving any snow around to speak of. A beautiful new corduroy carpet was prepared that felt smooth and dialble for the morning session. Traffic was light, and back to back Trams were the order of the morning with top to bottom non stop runs to help develop the stamina. It is such a treat to see clear air in the Valley. Here is a shot of Team Mason, who were stoked to be getting the day started. As the day moved on, the quality remained consistent, with only the lower elevations getting a bit slick in spots. New sections of terrain were opened, with lower Bassakwards looking very good. The Wilbre Chair was open, with Harper’s Ferry open top to bottom. The lower section was in good shape, with only the tops of the willows showing. It is great to get these added sections of terrain added to the mix. Here is a shot of Team Taylor getting another fast lap on the Tram. It is so fun to meet so many folks who come to the Bird and have such enthusiasm being here. Tomorrow, look for fresh snow to be part of the mix as an impulse is predicted to bring snow overnight and into tomorrow. The hill remains in good shape on the prepared lines, and any added accumulation will really help the quality. Dress for cold, as this system is coming out of the Northwest. I will be making the trip to the Home Planet for the next few days, and there will be no way to get a link through the Quantum Foam. I will return just after The Holiday. Have a great time with the new snow that is on the way. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

7” of fresh essence fell on the hill with this impulse that moved through yesterday. Cold air was firmly in place and dressing warm for the temps was a good call. Stout winds out of the East moved a lot of the new snow off to the sides on the upper mountain leaving the firm prepared sections a bit greasy. Traffic was moderated for the first hour, but got more active as the morning progressed. As I was off the hill today I offer this piece of the art I have been doing to add some color and intrigue. Tomorrow, look for another cold morning. Grooming efforts will have been employed and the new snow should be blended into the mat, making for good traction for the morning session. I will be dressing for the cold an and using my best speed control techniques on the firm sections. When the snow gets deep, all the training runs will really pay off. See you there for the first Boat. Speed Safely!!

High winds were howling out of the South this morning, shutting the tram down and blowing all the loose snow off the prepared runs. The Cat Crew had done a nice retill of the runs, and the traction was there, but missing was the soft dust that kept the turns moving forward in each arc. I dressed for the cold, and while the pre frontal temps seemed warm, the wind and humidity really cut through the layers and I was glad I had that extra layer for just such the occasion. Traffic was super light and it seemed like we were the only ones on the hill. Gad 2 was offering that Election section that has all those nice terrain changes that add a lot of interest and variety. After two runs I made my way to the Forklift Chair to access the options for the day. Here is a shot of Team Shred accessing the options as well, but I am certain they went out and killed it. I left after the breakfast meeting and got some things done at The Trailer. Tomorrow, look for a fair amount of accumulation on the hill as it began dumping here at The Trailer at 1PM. and is still snowing as I write this. How much we will get is anyone’s guess, but it will go a long way to improving the ride top to bottom. Traffic will be a bit heavier than today, and the Tram will be back in play as the storm moves East. Be ready for some of those greasy spots to be reflecting through the new snow as it gets worked. Look to the sides for the best traction as that is where all the dust was pushed in recent days. I will be taking tomorrow off to get a new Tachyon inductor manifold installed in The Star Cruiser, as it is in dire need of a change out. See you Friday. Peace Out!

There is weather coming for the next couple of days, but the day was clear and balmy with all the inversion haze gone from the Valley. Here is a shot from the peak that pulls in the Bingham Mine across the Valley to show how clear it is down there after all the recent inversion overcast. Out on the hill, residual Gun Powder lines were available for the early risers, as the guns had been shut down earlier due to the warming temps up high. The Cat Crew did a nice job tilling the mat, leaving nice traction top to bottom that made those high edge angle moves work pretty well. The light crowd made back to back Trams a fun way to rack up vertical to keep the training laps fun and fast. Down on Big Emma, a nice line of deep rounded bumps have been built up with the traffic of recent days. There seems to be a good cadence to them, and folks were working them well. I was happy to stay on the smooth and consistent to be sure my knees last the season. The day warmed up with the rising Sun, and the pack got softer, however, no chop or rumble developed at all, so it was good to go top to bottom. Tomorrow, look for the weather to move in midday. The morning session could have some lighting issues with the clouds moving in, but you can count on the smooth carpets to help with any flat light issues. Precipitation will begin later and into Thursday. It is nice to see the weather coming around. Keep your fingers crossed. I will be dressing for weather and a fun day of prefrontal laps. As a parting shot I offer this crew who were stoked to be getting the first turns of the day when the temps were warm, the air still, and the dance floor well worked. It us so much fun to be around folks who are so happy to be standing on top of the world. Stay Frosty!!

Spotty clouds were sticking to the peaks this morning, leaving pools of sunshine and areas of flat light all in the same run. The temps were cool again, and I am glad I dressed for the occasion. A very nice fresh till was performed top to bottom, with Regulator offering long lines of residual Gun Powder that stretched down the right side for a tasty treat. The traffic was so light today that I was able to do the Tango with Michelle on a ballroom dancing Tram. There was plenty of room to move and we both new 10 of the 15 folks on the Boat. It was like a private resort all morning. As the day wore on, some of the central lines on the hill became a bit greasy, so it was wise to hug the shoulders to find those deeper lines that offered the most traction. The clouds seemed to thin out as the day progressed and the visibility was nice with Regulator getting bathed in full Sun almost every time I hit it. I love meeting folks who are experiencing the Tram ride and a day at The Bird for the very first time. Here is a shot of Team Rapple, who were stoked to be hitting the peak and were excited to be standing on top of the world. Tomorrow, look for another great day of early season training runs. Traffic will continue to be light, and the top to bottom consistency is good for dialing in those long looping turns. I will be looking for additional Gun Powder deposits under the guns and you can expect good quality with no stickiness when you drive into the soft carpets. That section of Gad 2 is feeling good, and the ride up the chair lets you get a good look ahead as the area fills in with the next installment. See you there for the hard driving morning laps. Straight Ahead!!