The rain was pounding the skin of The Trailer all night long, signaling that the goods were being delivered up on the hill. It was still raining hard when I started the day, but I had pressing chores to accomplish that were very time sensitive, so I had to take the day off. Reports coming off the hill were indicating a thick wet Spackle that did not fully cushion the ride. The Groomers and known smooth lines were the place to be, and the low angle aspects were feeling the best. Visibility was at a premium, so sticking with the trees was the best for reference. A shout out to Big Jim, who returned back East after a great season. I am glad he got the corn goodness last week! Tomorrow, look for a cool day with some wind and clouds moving through. I will be looking to the Groomers for the smooth ride and the best consistency. I think this new product will mix into the mat nicely. If the temps. get too warm there may be some stickiness to deal with, but we will have to wait and see. Reports also noted that the off trail is very tricky with a frozen crunch living there. I will be on the hill first thing in the AM. See for the morning session. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

With colder temps., the pack was very frozen to start out the day and the Sun was trying to burn through a high thin cloud deck. There was a very light turn out for the first Tram. Here is a shot of Wynonna suiting up for the day’s festivities in an empty locker room. There was an electrical outage on the hill, and Mineral Basin was delayed for the morning session. Peruvian Gulch was the best alternative to start out, with smooth lines that were consistent, but very crispy. The Sun came out a bit, so working the aspects that saw the most direct rays were just breaking, giving you a bit of traction in between sections of sheen. I kept working the fast laps on Peruvian Gulch and stopped in at The Forklift to wait for softening to occur. After breakfast, the break was in full effect, offering amazing sorbet lines that kept me lapping the goods to squeeze out the goods. Regulator and The Road To Provo broke last, with sorbet goodness there as well. Later, the lower elevations morphed into the Slurpee Zone, but the sticky factor never cropped up even on the flats. Here is a great shot of Team Utah, who were stoked to be getting the break just as it was going off. I like it when a plan comes together. Tomorrow, look for a storm day as the Low that was predicted moves in. We will have to see how it comes in, but I am hoping for some thick cushioning Spackle to start out, with a lighter accumulation as the day progresses. Dress for weather and stay with the known smooth lines to keep the ride consistent. Lake Effect took the Plaza Stage to round out the day with some great sounds and excellent playing. IBBY!!

Another beautiful day was on tap, offering the corn goodness on all sides of the hill. Back country was open again and the cognoscenti were fast after the tours that would be some of the best tours of a life time. With the warmer temps., the corn was breaking more rapidly and you had to stay out ahead of the break to get it all. Here is a shot of Mike McCarthy who was getting the goods on Long John Silver. This is one epic pitch that lets you dial in the sorbet goodness. Back on the hill, there was great corn on all aspects, but with the warm temps. the pack hit the Slurpee Zone and things got sticky. Here is a shot of the Deck at The Summit with folks enjoying the Peak Experience. Tomorrow, look for a front moving in later in the day. I expect wind and warm temps. again, so dress for variations in the weather. I still think we will get the break in the pack, so be looking for the usual pattern, but it probably will go off fast. I will be back on the hill again after my day off, and I am hoping to be driving with the top down. Dial it up, Dial it in!!

With a peak temp. of 50 degrees to begin the day, there was going to be a fast break to the pack. Mineral Basin was offering smooth sorbet lines on Powder Paradise, with Lupine Loop needing a few more minutes to break. Traffic was very light and fast laps were in full effect. Lupine Loop was quick to come on line and the Morning Crew shifted gears and hit those lines just as they were going off. On the front of the hill, Peruvian Gulch was breaking fast as well, with Anderson’s Hill and the lower elevations holding crispy lines that were just on the verge of breaking, so a close eye and a quick breakfast break at the Forklift put us right back in the window. Regulator broke a full hour earlier, with the right hand of the Groom line offering sorbet goodness that made me reflect on those corn runs on Red Baldy out in White Pine. Here is a shot of Brian Beck getting the goods in White Pine, which was open today and was in perfect shape for a big tour. By 1PM., Mark Malu was fully ready for fast laps on the Little Cloud Chair so you did not have to go to the bottom of the hill, which was hitting the Slurpee Zone. With the very bright Sun, the rays were really hitting hard. Here is a shot of JP, who was sporting a Sun shade for the nose. Not a bad idea to keep the Sun from cooking it. Tomorrow, look for another fast break, as the temps. are predicted to be even warmer. There may be some wind about as the weather is changing up for next week. Look for another rock around the clock to stay ahead of the break for the best of the day. This week was one of the most enjoyable stretches of great turning of the season. There was very little traffic, lots of wide open sorbet carpets to work all day if you followed the Sun. Stay Frosty!!

There was not a breath of wind on the peak as we arrived for the day’s festivities. It was a bit warmer, but a full freeze did occur wall to wall. Mineral Basin was, as usual, offering the perfect corn lines that were fat fun and smooth. Turning was like frosting a cake with a paper knife on the lines off of Powder Paradise. While there were some aspects on Lupine Loop that were soft and ready, the steep sections still needed a bit more time. Traffic was light again, and the fast laps on the open carpets kept the Morning Crew busy while we waited for the Lupine Loop aspect to break. When it did, it had a real big mountain back country feel that necessitated more fast laps. Out of area opened today, which offered great back country corn goodness. Here is an amazing shot of Brian Beck throwing down on one of the most exotic terrain features in White Pine. One has to know where this feature lives as it is very secluded and it is rarely good. After the breakfast break, the Peruvian Gulch was prime top to bottom, offering sorbet goodness that made me slow down to dial in as much of the sweetness as possible. Of course, it was tempting to let fly, but sometimes it pays to smell the roses so to speak. Regulator broke around Noon and held up for quite a while with smooth granular excellence that also made me slow down to dial it in. By 2PM. the lower elevations were beginning to get sticky and staying up high was the call. Here is a shot of Frosty greeting each rider on the Little Cloud lift. Tomorrow, look for another amazing day of corn goodness top to bottom. I expect a similar break pattern that we have seen all week. Following the Sun and working the dial will reward you with the goods all day if you work the hill correctly. Be there early for the full on perfection that waits for you. IBBY!!

The temps. were 10 degrees warmer this morning, however the pack got a full freeze, which placed the break pattern a bit earlier than yesterday. Mineral Basin was prime, with wide open carpets of corn goodness from the word GO. Lupine Loop was going to need a few minutes to break, but the Powder Paradise area was in full effect and it was go time. An hour later, Lupine Loop broke and that last pitch above the chair was just like a big back country pitch that you had to hike to get. Peruvian Gulch was the next to break, but we got a nice window to work the Forklift Chair while the pack got just right. Gad Valley went off next, with Regulator breaking around 1PM. when those velvet lines were coming alive. Traffic was fairly light and back to back trams and walk on chairs were fast and fun. Here is a shot of a very nice turn out of the Morning Crew. Tomorrow, look for another perfect day of corn conditions, which will be breaking in the same order and around the same time as it has the last two days. It is such a treat to get the breaks all around the dial and around the clock. The High North is breaking well after 2PM, so you can be assured of getting in the sorbet zone in numerous times and places. What a serious treat!! See you there for yet another ground pounding day of the goodness of Maize!! Cool Runnings!!

Cooler morning temps. set the dance floor up a bit tighter, but the pack in Mineral Basin had broken, offering top to bottom goodness on Powder Paradise and the Lower Silver Dipper lines. Lupine Loop was still a tad stiff, so the Morning Crew took advantage of the low traffic to pound out fast laps on the dial-o-matic carpets. After the first hour, the lines on Lupine Loop broke and we worked the soft velvet lines that were wide open and vacant. On the front of the hill, both side were going to take quite a bit longer with temps. slow to warm up. After the Morning Recon. Meeting at the Forklift, the Peruvian Gulch was next to break and top to bottom lines of softening goodness was fast and fun. Low traffic on the hill made laps there feel like a private resort, with untracked corduroy still left begging lap after lap. Regulator broke around 1PM., and the lower elevations on the Gad side broke as well, offering yet another top to bottom extravaganza which was hard to beat. At 2PM. Mark Malu finally began to break, completing a full run for the Sun day of corn goodness. I stopped in at The Summit to bask in the energetic vibrations. I got this unusual shot of one of the subtle features. Tomorrow, look for another great day of amazing corn conditions. The Grooming Crew has done an amazing job of resmoothing the big lines to big back country standards, which you would find if you had hiked for them. I marvel at the expanse of ground pounding smooth that we get to have lift accessed, after spending so many years looking there and contemplating the future. Well, the future is here and it feels great. Once again, stay with the Sun and follow the break as it unfolds. Mineral Basin will offer the goods and the rest will follow in turn. You can take that to the bank. See the Line, BE the Line!!

Early morning storm clouds moved off as the first Tram left the dock, leaving Mineral Basin bathed in bright Sun and Ultra Blue skies. Mineral Basin was offering perfect sorbet carpets that were off the chart sweet. With very low traffic, is was fun and fast, taking advantage of the wide open lines and untracked perfection top to bottom. When Powder Paradise began to get too soft, the Morning Crew hit Lupine Loop, which softened to offer big back country lines that we used to dream about before there was lift access back there. Here is a shot of Toad Hill when I used the telephoto pulled in to it’s longest length. The Front side of the hill broke about Noon, offering the sorbet delight that was waiting after we came out from breakfast. By 1:30PM. the bottom of the hill became a tad too sticky for my knees so I bailed. Tomorrow, look for another full on corn skiing extravaganza, which is rivaling anything that the back country has to offer. Follow the Sun like today to get the best of the day as it breaks around the dial. Mineral Basin will be offering the goods first thing, as I expect the front of the hill to be crispy once again starting out the day. Coverage remains excellent wall to wall, but the off trail is still difficult until sufficient softening occurs. See you there for the morning shred fest. Stay Frosty!!

Chasing the Sun was the order of the day, as each area broke in rapid succession. Mineral Basin was offering some really sweet sorbet top to bottom, which let you explore your inner Ligety. With the Sun high in the sky, it was not going to last long back there, but the front of the mountain still needed some time to break. The Morning Crew hit the Forklift Chair to wait for the front of the hill to break. Here is a shot I took at the bottom of Mark Malu with the Sun glaring off the frozen surface. After we went back out, the front of the hill was just hitting the sweet spot, but there was a very short window until the Slurpee Zone began to fill in from the bottom up. By 1:00PM. the lower elevations began to get the sticky feel that threatened to throw you over the handle bars. Here are the UVM guys who are avid readers of the site and stopped by to say Hi at the top of the Mineral Chair. Tomorrow, look for a front to have moved in overnight bringing flurries and colder temps. to start out the day. Overcast skies could greet the early risers and the softening timing may be delayed quite a while. I will be sticking with the prepared lines, but I might also take the day off to change out the snow tires on the Star Cruiser…. we’ll see. The off trail remains dicey, so tread carefully. I checked out several aspects here and there as I passed and did not find anything consistent. Speed Safely!!

With a bright, clear, blue sky, it looks like we are in for a righteous corn cycle. It was warm here in the Valley and up on the hill it would be warming up fast. The Groomers were still offering some dry chalky feel on the North aspects, but the increasing warmth was working the lower elevations. Off trail is still problematic, with only a few isolated spots of softness, however, there is that frozen substrate still living underneath. Here is a shot of Jimmy Whack and Dugan Lee chilling on the Plaza after a rousing day of ground pounding fun. Dugan looked a bit tatered after trying to keep up with Jimmy, who has been rocket propelled all season. Tomorrow, look for another beautiful Spring day with wide open Groomers on all sides of the hill. Mineral Basin will be the first to break with the Sun working the carpets. It will be a day to follow the Sun as the firm lines begin to break. You should be able to dial in the goods top to bottom till at least 2PM. until the ambient temps. start bringing the Slurpee Zone later in the day. I had a great day off here at The Trailer and will be back on the hill in the AM to chase the breaking lines as they happen. I love a good corn cycle. Straight Ahead!!