There was big wind this morning as the front begins to move in from the North. The winds kept the Tram in the dock for the morning session, but the chairs and Mineral Basin was open via the tunnel. The wind was scouring the open slopes and it seemed the snow was in the trees. There were lines on the upper mountain that were gathering the available transported snow and were offering some nice velvet lines. I took only a couple of runs as I was dressed too light for the wind, and I went to the Forklift Chair to assess the options. Here is Team Haymarket VA., who were finishing up their stay and are avid readers of the site. They got the goods all last week and were enjoying the ambience of the Forklift. I so enjoy meeting all the folks who read my site and share in the stoke. Last week was great and this week is staged to be another big one as well. Forecasters are enthusiastic and the radar is looking wall to wall now. I bailed on the day to get down the Canyon before the front moved in. Tomorrow, look for a storm day in the first degree. Check the road access in the AM. and expect significant stormage. The hill has been prepped by the wind and is ready for a fresh coat of Essence. This is an exciting weather event and it is going to be all time. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!

The Sun was shining and the sky was ultra blue this morning, but some interesting lenticular formations formed over the hills on both the East and West ranges. Those formations usually indicate snow in the offing and the Weather Dude is agreeing with the assessment. Stout South winds were blowing hard ahead of the frontal passage adding some dust to the Groomers and filling in some of the low spots on the hill. Here is a shot I took yesterday of Mary Ellen Gulch looking pristine in the afternoon Sun. This was the first sojourn I have taken out that way this season and I found good cover and soft snow all the was around the dial. The Road to Provo opened today to the delight of the Faithful who were on hand for the occasion. The quality out there was still really good, and much of the underlying crunch was muffled with the new cover. The traverses continue to improve as more snow is added and I was able to negotiate every traverse I scouted without much problem, so going far afield is becoming good to go. Here is a great shot of Team Berman, who were wrapping up their present stay. They brought the goods and got all of it. I am so glad they were not disappointed. ” Things are looking good Andrew”!!! Tomorrow, look for a variable weather day with the real stuff coming later in the day. Look for the Groomers to be offering the smooth lines and super soft Hydro Velvet. In variable visibility they will be the place to be. Look for some wind loaded lines to be here and about with the overnight wind working the hill. Kazoodi held yet another of his amazing designer pizza parties last night, and Mikey M, of Barone/s Pizza, was in attendance offering up some very outside of the box combinations. Pictured here, however, is Kazoodi’s own personal Chicago Deep Dish Extravaganza that he made specially for the occasion. We also celebrated Mikey’s son’s birthday who was having the time of his life. Happy Birthday sprout!! See you in the AM for the start of a big cycle. Peace Out!

It was a picture perfect morning, with clear cold skies, fresh Essence waiting in the wings, and perfect carpets on all sides of the hill. Traffic was heavy starting early and working the chairs got around the crowd. Mineral Basin was just amazing, with bright Sun, and perfect powder on all aspects. Lewis and Clark was the sleeper area, as everyone was focused on the Mineral Chair and the open lines went begging. Here is a shot of Mikey M. getting the goods on The Keyhole while the crowd was busy elsewhere. With the blue bird day and perfect snow, this had to be one all time day. While the day warmed up, it did not make the snow manky, and power blasting was easy and smooth. I was sticking to the know smooth lines to avoid interference patterns, as the bottom was becoming more in play as the hill got worked. Still, there was plenty of great soft snow to find. Here is a shot of The Little Cloud area which is waiting in the wings. Tomorrow, look for another great day on the hill. The Road to Provo awaits and the groomers will be shredtastic. The traverses have improved markedly, and I did take a little “look see”, that found good access where it had been iffy until just recently. It is nice to have the hill back to it’s old self. Everything is good to go, enjoy the much improved conditions. Stay Frosty!

With just a dusting on The Trailer this morning, I did not think there would much accumulation with this installment. Today’s surprise accumulation was some of the very deepest Essence of the season, and the quality was blower on all sides of the hill. The wind was working the peak and it was snowing heavily as the day began, which seemed to keep the pack filling with wind transported snow. The bottom was fully in play, but there were some areas that had deep enough accumulation to make the bottom no problem. The interference patterns were very tricky as it was very hard to see the transitions in the very marginal visibility. I went and scouted out a few lines I had only thought about due to the tough approach, but today it was all good to go and full face shots were coming with each turn. The Faithful were in full attendance for the occasion, but there were plenty of chair options to get you up the hill in a hurry. Here is a shot of Buzzy Skigrinn, who pulled into the Forklift caked with the face shot evidence. As the day progressed, the consistency became a bit variable, with the crispy bottom layer becoming more of a factor. I was using long averaging turns to minimize the variations. Tomorrow, look for clearing skies, cold morning temps. and plenty of fresh Essence waiting in the wings. The traverses have been getting much more approachable, but care still needs to be used. I will be looking for the smooth lines that make the variations much easier to negotiate. Those remaining areas will be opening as mitigation efforts are completed. Look for the traffic to be heavy again, so work those chair options to keep you moving up. See the line, BE the line!!

Heavy South winds were pounding the hill to start out the day ahead of a system that will be moving in tonight. Thick overcast and light flurries made the visibility a tad challenging with the blowing snow giving the Groomers a bit of dust on some exposures. Mineral Basin was closed due to the wind, however, the front side of the hill offered plenty of space with the light traffic. Back to back Trams were easy to make and max vertical was on tap until the wind caused the Tram to close. When I stopped in to The Summit on first Tram, I got this shot of the roasting chickens and potatoes getting golden brown for the lunch crowd. There are so many great menu options up there for lunch. I worked the chairs after the breakfast recon meeting, finding some wind loaded lines that kept filling in as the wind pounded the hill. Tomorrow, look for some snow to have fallen overnight and the storm to be moving out during the day. Dress for cold and weather and expect a fair turn out of The Faithful to be on hand if any appreciable accumulation is posted. The wind did not do too much to mellow the interference patterns on those high traffic areas, but the cadence is long and round, making most of those sections very approachable. Still, expect the bottom to be in play and go for the known smooth lines for the best ride. Visibility could be challenging once again, so stick with the trees for the best reference points. See you there for the freshies. Speed Safely!!

The overcast and flurries for this morning’s session did not materialize and bonus Sun was on tap for the early risers. Mineral Basin was offering sumptuous carpets of Hydro Velvet that let you explore your inner Ligety. A slight delay on the Baldy Chair made me move back to the front of the hill, where I found smooth cruising lines with Gun Powder deposited below all of multiple guns that were working on the hill. The long wafts of wash landed long down the hill, leaving perfect powdered sugar on the steep sections. I dialed it back as extracted maximum juice from each turn. I had to lap that goodness a few times before I stopped for breakfast. By Noon clouds in the Valley began to move into the mouth of the Canyon. Here is a shot of the Heavenly look of the clouds. The afternoon session was fun and fast and the low traffic made for back to back walk on Trams. The clouds did move in and the light went flat now and again. The off trail was well worth looking for the smooth lines that were still holding up. While the temps. did warm up, the snow remained nicely refrigerated and never got manky. Here is a shot of the Mid Gad Restaurant with the the tunes rocking the vibe. Tomorrow, look for a mix of weather and some blustery conditions. Look for wind loaded lines for the smooth that may be waiting here and there. The Groomers will be offering the usual epic carpets of Hydro Velvet. Coverage is good and the traverses improve with each additional accumulation. “….Explode into Space…”!!!

It was a sleeper powder day, as a few inches of very nice quality Essence covered the dance floor. The wind was blowing hard on the peak and the wind chill was really sharp, sending me back to the locker down the front side to dress up. The bottom was fully in play and sticking with the known smooth lines was key. I went and visited some of the lines I was working last week and they were still smooth, though the visibility made it very tough to see as driving snow continued to fall for the morning session. There were a couple of brief sun patches that did not last as more impulses were coming up the Canyon. Here is King Shmedley, who was really stoked to have the new fresh lines. The Morning Crew went over to Lewis and Clark with a contingent going through the Alta gate to get first tracks before the first Alta skiers hit the top of the lift. Here is great shot of the morning breakfast commiseration. As the day progressed, the new product got cut up and a tad choppy. I was sticking to the smooth lines, even though I was going far afield. Tomorrow, look for unsettled weather in the AM, and I will be dressing for weather this time. Groomers should be offering ultra smooth Hydro Velvet as the new snow gets turned into the mat. I will be looking for lines that were overlooked in the difficult visibility. Traffic should be fairly light, but be there early for the first tracks on the living room shag. Straight Ahead!!

It was a Sunday Funday, with bright Sun, fresh Essence, smooth groomers and early Trams to kick the day off. Mineral Basin was offering some amazing lines as yesterday’s heavy impulse late in the day left some spots knee deep. The Lewis and Clark explorations found amazing low angle goodness where there was absolutely no bottom. I made a few quick laps there to get the most and a fast lap to the Road to Provo to snag one of the lines I have been massaging all last week and it was prime and smooth. Here is a fun shot of Laura from France, who had just stepped out on the Peak for the very first time. I was very stoked for her and it was a great day to have as a first day! There were plenty of great untracked lines to be had, and shots that I had not skied were good to go with some of the deepest accumulation on the hill. Here is a shot of the lower Chamonix Chutes apron. My tracks just on the right of the rope line. Later in the day, the wind picked up out of the South and I was driving with the top down.
The wind was beginning to buff out some of the lines, which kept there me late in the day to take advantage of the improving conditions. Tomorrow, look for incoming weather and deteriorating visibility. Look for those smooth lines of today to be most reliable in the marginal vis. The Groomers will be shredtastic, and may have some wind blown goodness sweetening the surface. I will be looking for the wind to have loaded some of the High North aspects and may be worth taking a closer look. We will see. See you there for weather. Stay Frosty!!

A quick blast of Essence was delivered today with cold temps. and wind driving the product to the low lying areas. Visibility was at a premium, and sticking to the trees made for some spacial reference. There was a bit of a lake effect, as there were periods of heavy snowfall adding to the goodness. As anticipated, the wind had worked the hill and was offering some really special lines if you looked for them. Here is a shot of Vince, with a fully frosted beard from driving through the face shots he was getting on just one of those exploration runs. Tomorrow, look for a cold morning, with clearing skies and much improved visibility. I will be looking for those wind lines that I did not get a shot at today. The Groomers will be ripping as well, with that mid Winter quality that holds up all day long. While there was not a large accumulation, there are going to be pockets that are holding more, so I will be checking around looking at some of the lines I was working last week that were holding the smooth. The traverses are getting a bit better, and this new snow will help with the access a bit. I will be back on the hill first thing and dressing for the cold. IBBY!!

It was a simply sizzling day with a cool morning, great corduroy, and wide open lines on all sides of the hill. The wind was brisk and was transporting what loose snow there was to season the prepared carpets. I was making fast laps on Lewis and Clark, where the untracked shag was full on shredtastic! On the front side of the hill, dry chalky quality was a treat, and the lower elevation had some very nice lines that kept me going back till breakfast. Off trail, the wind seemed to be adding a bit of consistency, but the low amplitude rumble was still keeping me honest. Here is a great shot of Joe Man The Snow Man and King Shmedley sharing the stoke on another back to back ripper!! Tomorrow, look for a changing weather pattern as a front is moving in out of the North. Look for those Groomed lines to be offering the consistency in the marginal light. The wind may also have worked some magic overnight, so look for wind lines to be a possibility on some aspects. Those wind loaded lines ought to be really fun and good to go for the early risers. I will be taking the day off as usual, have a great day. As Joe Man The Snow Man says,”Don’t Skip On The Groove Sauce”!!!