A lot of wind overnight changed the complexion of the hill wall to wall. The West aspects got stripped off a bit, leaving those fat lines of yesterday a bit thin going into the day. There was still plenty of traction and the wind did provide some smoothing, but those ripping into the fat lines from yesterday were caught dealing with some tight lines today. When the Peruvian side of the hill opened after Noon, the pack was fairly wind affected, however, the turns seemed to be fairly easy to work. I thought they would have been grabby, but most of the off trail was good and much of the gnar had been covered. I ventured off the beaten path, looking around for beta, and was pleasantly surprised by how much improved the conditions were from just a few days ago. Here is a shot of The Powder Hound, who flew in just ahead of the storm and was stoked to be getting the goods today. Early in the morning, the visibility was quite variable as clouds moved through the higher elevations, but the smooth surfaces helped mitigate the issue for the most part. Sun did manage to make some breakthroughs, shedding some nice Sun light on the dance floor. I met The South Florida Deep Powder Snow Blowers, who were here for the first time and excited to encounter the hill. I know they had maximum fun as I ran into them later in the day and they were all very stoked. Nice!! I so enjoy meeting folks who are new the the area and see how excited they are to meet the hill. Tomorrow, look for great grooming to be offered on both sides of the hill. The new product will be tilled into the mat, making for some exquisite corduroy. The off trail will still be offering soft snow, however, expect the interference patterns to rebuild quickly. I will be dressing for a moderated temps. and medium winds. Here is a parting shot of the Bingham Mine across the Valley with the snow highlighting the grade variants. It is nice to see the air so clear. See you there for the morning corduroy extravaganza. Peace OUT!

It was raining hard here at The Trailer as I left for the hill and the rain did not turn to snow until the 7000′ level. With high winds and dumping snow at the base it was a good sign to start the day. The Faithful were in full attendance in anticipation or the fresh goods. The new snow was very dense, but cold, making this installment a perfect Spackle layer to fill in all the low spots covering much of the extraneous features that have been lurking. The wind was nuking top to bottom, and the higher elevations were getting blown smooth to a wind buffed perfection. It was a real treat to be able to dial in a righteous turn with solid traction and power to burn. As the pack got worked over lower on the hill, the harbor chop began to build, but a slow, round approach mitigated the variations nicely. This was the perfect accumulation to really get the pack going in the right direction. Here is a shot of Joddy from Cape Cod who is here for his 15th season. We were both stoked to have got the day stowed away and were enjoying the moments of deceleration. Tomorrow, look for a cold windy day. We can look forward to the opening of areas that were closed today. Look for those Northeast aspects to have accumulated a lot of the snow that blew in all day today. All those interference patterns should be well covered, and the hard pack surfaces should be just a footnote on the season now. Look for those smoothed wind lines that should be easy to find and there may be some additional accumulation tonight. See you there for the morning offerings. As Joe Man The Snow Man says,”Don’t skip on the groove sauce”!!

The rain was falling with a light patter as I left The Trailer this morning and it was 47 degrees. It was 42 in the Bird’s parking lot and still raining, but there was a flurry of the Faithful waiting for a shot at the fresh coating that seemed to be waiting in the upper elevations. Here is a shot of the bull pen waiting for the bell. Up on the hill, there was a wide range of consistencies depending on elevation. The top 1000′ was soft, high density powder that felt great underfoot and seemed to bond to the firm layer underneath, mitigating the variations beautifully. The mid elevation was still nice, but began to exhibit some of the wetter characteristics of the rising temps. The lowest 500′ was quite thick as the snow had turned to rain, but the Spring like granularity of the pack was fun and dialable. Over all, it was much better than I had expected, and numerous runs were required to get the full effect of this new installment. Here is a shot of Sarah, who was on Deck to help the guests get their day started. She brings a bright Sunny light to a misty gray morning. Tomorrow, look for more snow to have fallen as the storm continues to bring the goods. The off trail will begin to offer much improved lines as the variations get filled in. The wind of yesterday filled in much of the high amplitude interference patterns on the Northeast aspects, making those lines fun and fresh. It was fun to get off the old same thing and explore some new lines. The Cirque Travers has reopened, but use caution on the approach as the cover is still a tad dodgy. I will be looking further afield tomorrow to get a better look at the hill as the options expand. Another great day is on tap for tomorrow, so be ready to get get the full traction effect. IBBY!!

Stout warm South winds were working the high elevations, moving the snow around. It was stripping off some sections, and other sections were filling in. The upper Peruvian Gulch was benefiting from the wind direction. Here is a shot of the Twins with the wind transporting snow from the South aspects to the North aspects. I had thought there would be some residual softness after it got worked into the mat, but the wind had changed that dynamic. Still, there was plenty of traction to be had, though a more cautious approach was needed to keep the pace reasonable. With the wind at your back, that was a full time job holding the line but keeping it going. Traffic was quite light and the spacious Trams were a treat. That full on, back to back Tram pace was easy to make, delivering max vertical. As the day progressed the Sun became brighter as the high clouds thinned out. At 1:30 PM. the cloud deck of the approaching system began making it’s way into the Front and flattened the light. Tomorrow, look for a stormy day as the system will have moved in. Dress for weather and expect colder temps. Be watchful for those off trail sections that are inconsistent with interference patterns, but explore a bit looking for the sections that were filled by today’s wind: Think North East aspects. Before I dropped my last Tram, I stopped into The Summit at Hidden Peak to bask in the energy emanating from the Peak. While I as chilling, I met Don and Marie, who are avid readers of the site. Don was telling me that any day at The Bird is indescribable, and I would have to agree. It was a treat to meet them both and spend some time sharing the stoke level. See you there for the storm riding. Don’t forget to SIZZLE!!

Fog filled the valley, and residual clouds were rapidly leaving the hill as the First Tram hit the peak. A delightful coating of fresh frosting greeted the faithful who were well represented, stoked, and ready to go. This installment came in quite wet and seemed to bond well with the old layer, making the consistency very nice indeed. I was expecting dust on crust, but I encountered very predictable high density sugar that felt soft and silky under foot. Of course, there were those slick spots here and there, but I was pleasantly surprised at the marked improvement in the conditions. I was able to dial in some full on locked and loaded turns that I have been missing for quite a while. Here is a shot from the Peak looking East into Mineral Basin. Looks like a quintessential scene of Heaven, and it sure seemed like it this morning. Despite the morning push, the crowd thinned right out and it was back to back Trams all morning long. It was not until 11:30AM. until folks started showing up. Due to the higher moisture content and the low accumulation, harbor chop did not build up at all and the turns remained predictable and smooth. Those high traffic areas still are sporting the well defined interference patterns. It will take quite a bit of cover, and some solid wind to fill them back in. Tomorrow, look for another nice day with Sun in the morning and clouds moving in later as a few days of precipitation are in the forecast. The Groomed lines will be offering much improved consistency as this new installment is worked into the mat. Traffic should be quite light, so a max vertical situation is good to go. More off trail areas have been opened lately, but I am holding off on any further explorations off the beaten path for a bit yet. See you there for the corduroy extravaganza. Straight Ahead!!

Snow moved into the Front early with rain here at The Trailer all morning long. The rain in the Valley turned to snow around 1PM and looked nice as it began to build up. Up on the hill, 4″ fell adding a layer of traction to the mat. Visibility looked variable, with white out conditions up high on the open areas. It is nice to have the trees to add context to the runs when it gets dicey like that. Here is a shot I took yesterday of the Summit Deck in the morning Sun with the Stairway To Heaven in the background. Tomorrow, look for clearing skies, colder temps., and fresh corduroy to make the morning runs fun and fast. I expect considerable traffic to take advantage of the new product on the hill. I will be dressing for the cold and working the same lines I have been mining all week to keep it smooth. There is more snow during the coming week predicted, which will help improve the pack. I will have a first hand report for you tomorrow, and I will see you for the morning session and the fresh frosting. Dial it up and dial it in!!

A high cloud deck moved off to the East just as the first Tram hit the peak, leaving a beautiful sunny day for the faithful to enjoy. The Cat Crew added an extra dose of love to the carpet, making the corduroy very carvey and sweet on both sides of the hill. Light traffic was a nice touch, leaving the slopes wide open and vacant. With the warmer morning temps., the snow guns were not pushing any freshness, but the quality of the mat made up for any lack of Gun Powder. Over on Gad 2, extra attention on the lower Bassakward section delivered a soft granular consistency that let you dial in real turns. That was a fun feature after dealing with some of the firmer spots during this past week. Here is a great shot of my friend Lutz, who was celebrating his birthday today, and was laying down some impressive turns, getting the most out of his day. Tomorrow, look for more nice turning for the morning session. Traffic will be a bit brisk with the weekend crowd, but it should not pose any problems at all. Weather is predicted to begin moving in sometime during the day. It is encouraging to see some changes coming our way, and we will just have to wait and see how it all shakes out. Here is a parting shot of Burke all ready to head up to Alta for the day. I don’t think I know anyone that has as much fun on the hill than this guy. Rock on Burke I will be taking the day off tomorrow to rest up for the week ahead. Speed safely!!

More high thin clouds moved over the range all day long, but they were thin enough to let most of the Sun’s rays through to illuminate the dance floor. A fresh till made the morning laps fun and fast on both sides of the hill. I was looking for those deposits of Gun Powder and was rewarded with some epic turns on the Peruvian side of the hill to kick off the day. Looking for the ignored lines let me keep grabbing those untracked turns lap after lap. As the day warmed up, the guns were turned off so you did not have to deal with the wash, and you could then enjoy the leftovers. Nice touch. I met Jimisir from Iraq on the Tram today. He was totally stoked to be at The Bird and is an avid reader of the report. I really enjoyed speaking with him on our way to the Peak. Seems everyone feels the energy that this place emits. Tomorrow, look for the temps. to be moderated again. I will be still dressing for the warmer temps, but I think the weather is changing. There may be some clouds moving in ahead of the changing weather. We will have to see how that pans out. I will be looking for those Gun Powder deposits to offer the same great feel that was going off today. A lot of folks were mentioning how nice it felt to make turns on those silky smooth lines. Traffic will be light once again for the morning session, so that back to back Tramathon will be good to rack up the vertical. See you there for the wide open morning runs. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!

High clouds screened the full rays of the Sun this morning, making the light a bit flatter than the recent past. A fresh till was delivered by the Cat Crew, offering very nice traction top to bottom on both sides of the hill. While the temps were balmy on the peak, the snow guns were pumping out the goods and I was aiming for the Gun Powder whenever I saw a gun throwing long lines down hill. Since the traffic was light, I was, once again, able to put tracks next to the tracks I placed the runs before. Those sections of perfection were a bright spot on a shrouded morning. Later in the day, the Sun did break through the clouds and the details were much better defined, making a more aggressive line more workable. Here is a shot of a snow wave I took last year. There are hints that weather is coming soon. Tomorrow, look for more back to back training runs for the morning session, and I expect traffic to be light all day. Look for the Gun Powder deposits to be offering good turns when you find the soft lines. Staying far to the sides buys deeper accumulation and folks seem to ignore the obvious, so take advantage of the oversight. We will have to see if the cloud cover clears or if these clouds herald some approaching weather. “… explode into space,…”!!

Traffic was very light all morning long, leaving the accumulated Gun Powder untrammeled for a number of runs as folks seemed to be drawn wide away from the fresh lines. Tram after Tram I was able to dial in smooth silky feeling turns on the untracked sections. The Cat Crew, once again, did a fine job re working the mat, and there was plenty of traction to keep the turns moving with intent. While the light was a bit flat before the Sun began to get higher in the sky, the consistency made the guess work more realistic. Here is a shot of Spencer and the control ship parked on the peak. It is like being a kid any time you can get up close and personal to one of these craft. The day warmed up a bit, but it remained cold enough for the Snow Making efforts to continue all day long. Dialing in those deeper lines felt good well after Noon. I stopped in to the Summit at Hidden Peak to get a piece of Pizza and enjoy the ambience. Here is a shot of Elizabeth who makes the best Pizza anywhere. Folks ask me where they can get the Pizza I post from time to time on the page and the Summit is where it can be obtained. They have the real deal pizza oven that just pushes the flavor quotient over the top. Tomorrow, look for another fast morning session of training runs that will help you dial in that elusive gray area that will prepare you for the rock solid feel of a locked and loaded turn in the soft snow. Look for the morning Gun Powder to be found top to bottom under the guns. That man made consistency has been excellent in the cold air overnight, and feels delightful when you dial in some high edge angle. See you there for the back to back, top to bottom extravaganza. Stay Frosty!!