The morning rain turned to snow at the 7000′ level as I drove up the Canyon. On the hill, there as a solid inch on the dance floor and it was snowing briskly at the peak. Visibility was difficult, so I was sticking to the trees to take advantage of the reflected light and solid reference points. The fresh dust covering the machine worked lines made every turn feel like luxurious flannel that was silent under foot. All of the machine worked lines were offering a dry chalky feel as the cold snow was still keeping the mat fresh and fun. The only area that had a freeze was Big Emma, which had had tenderizing efforts that offered plenty of traction. I thought about a trip into Mineral Basin, but the visibility kept me working the front of the hill, however, reports coming back for the Breakfast Recon. spoke of smooth dreamy lines that had the velvet touch going with no one out there to mar the finish. Here is a shot of Scott, who has been reading my site everyday for the last 10 years when it went live. It was so fun to share the stoke and all the little obscurities we laughed about. After 1:00PM., the clouds lifted and there were a few windows of Sun and the temps rose a bit, making the lower elevations get a bit manky. Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to be offering still dry chalky lines on the North facing aspects. Mineral Basin should still have a soft feel on the machine worked lines, but check the off trail for variability. I was doing some sampling around the dial today to see how things were shaking out, so expect interesting conditions off trail. Full Sun should be working the hill, so stay ahead of the Sun to get the best of the day. I will be taking the day off to rest up for the week. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

The light was variable today, as the Sun would make periodicly brief appearances during the day. The Groomers were really sweet on all sides of the hill, as the fresh installment gave the Cat Crew some good material to work with. Mineral Basin was offering smooth dry chalk on the prepared lines, however, the off trail was very difficult as the snow was morphing after a couple days of settling. Peruvian Gulch was offering dry chalky machine worked lines top to bottom, and the Anderson’s Hill-Lower Primrose Path line was just killer top to bottom. Even Regulator was offering smooth soft lines to start out the day. Here is the Brozyna Tribe who are celebrating 45 years coming to The Bird. It is so fun to see them show up every year and enjoy the Spring ambience. The cool temps. during the day kept the pack in good shape, which only began to get manky at the very lowest elevation. The pack remained fast and fun, with very smooth consistency. Tomorrow, look for flurries to be in the mix as a storm moves South of the Front. The Groomers will still be offering the dry chalky feel, as the Sun never got a chance to work the pack. Visibility will be an issue so dress for weather and use the trees for reference. The off trail will still be tricky after I checked around the dial and did not find much in the way of consistent softness. With the flurries, there should be an extra bit of buff for the morning session. IBBY!!

It was cold and Sunny as the Tram hit the peak. The leftovers were waiting in the wings, but I chose to dial in the Peruvian side of the hill while the crowd moved to Mineral Basin. The Groomers were offering very soft buffed lines that were smooth and silky, but were a touch punchable, where if you stuck the turn too hard you would break through the surface layer. I was feathering every turn to keep the consistency smooth and light. Regulator was offering smooth lines right off the bat, with only a few echos of the old crusty layer coming through. Off trail, the old layer was still in play and it paid to give it respect. The Road to Provo opened after Noon, and it was worked over in minutes. There too, the substrate was fully in play and, with the overnight consolidation of the fresh snow, there seemed to be less depth than was up for grabs yesterday. Still, it was fun to look around and test out the lines. Here is a shot of the Goods waiting in Mineral Basin. The temps. remained fairly cool all day and only the direct Sun aspects were affected, but lower down on the hill the manky factor cropped up. Tomorrow, look for clouds to be making the light flat as a brush by moves to the North. Look for the Groomers to be offering great soft lines that will be fresh and cold once again. That punchable surface should be mitigated after the carpets have been re worked and a full dial in can be executed. The off trail will be variable, with the High North still offering the dry cold snow. Traffic will be light and back to back Trams will be fun and fast. Speed Safely.

There was an inch of freshness on The Trailer this morning as I rolled out to head up to the hill. In the parking lot it was snowing heavily and only a couple of inches was piled up. During the Tram delay first thing, I hit the Forklift Chair to let the dust settle and get fueled up for the day. When they refired the Tram up, there was a solid foot of fresh Essence that felt luxurious, but the old substrate was fully in play with very little cushion. I was sticking to the low angle lines to take advantage of the trees to get some reference in the full on blizzard conditions. A lot of the hill was open and I went looking around for unexpected goodness and found it right where my hunch led me. It seemed like the Peruvian side of the hill was just a tad deeper, but all sides of the hill were offering wind blown lines that were filling up as fast as you could ski it. It was a free refills powder day, which held on to the great quality all day long, as the Sun was only occasionally peaking through the fast moving clouds. The traffic was very low and back to back Trams were easy to make, but it also gave you the ability to go far afield and still walk on whatever Tram happened to be ready. I took a few minutes and hung out in The Summit to enjoy the heavy weather from the comfort of this amazing facility. This is the scene out the window as the storm raged outside. I could not wait to be able to do this during the time they were building it and I take every opportunity to take it in when I get the chance. Tomorrow, look for great Groomers that will be very soft and velvety. There is plenty of great powder waiting in the wings, but, with Sun in the forecast, it will be a race around the dial to stay ahead of the Effects. The hill is amazing wall to wall, and a great day is guaranteed. Dig Deep!!

The South wind was blowing hard to start out the day, but it did not detract from the ground pounding fun that the bright Sun brought to the party. Mineral Basin was offering dry chalky corduroy lines that were being continually buffed with transported goodness from the off trail areas. The Morning Crew made numerous laps back there to get as much of the soft velvety lines as possible. With the Baldy Chair off line for the Season, we were unable to hit the Lewis and Clark lines that have been the go to shots for the Crew. Here is a shot of the big wide open lines that were ground pounding fun. You can see the wind whipped plumes coming off of the Twins. On the front of the hill, the Peruvian Gulch was offering dry chalky lines on the upper mountain, but down on the lower sections, the pack had frozen solid and only the tenderized lines that drove out to Who Dunnit where offering a deep sugar consistency that let you bypass the hard pan until softening occured. The Gad side was similar, with dry chalk on Mark Malu, but got very firm below the upper section. The pack did not really break until 12:30PM, when the sorbet feel began to make those lines good to go. Here is a shot of The Bruce Tree that I mentioned yesterday. The wind really cranked up at 1:30PM, sending me packing for the day. Tomorrow, look for a storm riding day as the precipitation is predicted to begin before dawn. You can count on the Groomed lines to be providing the smooth consistency, but be cautious of the off trail, which will be a tad tricky with that frozen underlying crust to negotiate. The off trail should improve as the accumulation happens, but use your Spidey sense to feel it out. Visibility could be interesting as well. See you there for the fresh frosting. Dial it up, Dail it in!!

There was a high cloud deck shielding the Sun, which kept the pack from getting too soft, but the visibility was very flat. I had to use my full faith and trust in the smooth prepared lines and just go. Mineral Basin was offering very nice tenderized lines that still had some of that cold snow feel. Lewis and Clark was also fast and fun and the Morning Crew made a few fast laps back there before hitting the Peruvian Gulch for a bit of definition supplied by the trees. Very soft tenderized lines were available, and I made a few hot laps there to get as much as possible. I avoided Regulator, but took the Road to Provo to hit Mark Malu, where the still dry chalky lines were living. The ambient temps. of yesterday really did affect the snow clear to the peak, leaving a crunch on the off trail lines that I tested out. Here is a shot of Sully and Rick holding the new sign for the Bruce Tree, which is a tribute to Bruce Springsteen. It is hiding on the hill in an undisclosed location, but can be stumbled upon if you look far afield. Cool temps. kept the pack from morphing too much, and the glide factor stayed fast and fun. Tomorrow, look for a windy day ahead of the front predicted to move in later during the day. I will be dressing for warmer temps. but the wind will determine how layered I get. The Groomers will be offering smooth lines that will be fun for the morning session. Mineral Basin will be where I will be hitting the open ground pounding lines. With the warming temps., the pack should be softening nicely. The off trail will still be a tad tricky, so know going in. See you there for the first Boat. IBBY!!

After a long stretch of stormage, the Sun came out and the visibility was 20 20, with leftover powder to treat the Faithful who might have missed out on yesterday. The air still had a nip to it to start the day and a high cloud deck during the early hours helped keep the Sun from burning the product too quickly. The Groomers were offering mid Winter quality that let you explore your inner Ligety. Mikey M sent me this shot of his friend Doc getting the goods. The day warmed up and the Sun was working the pack in the direct aspects, but the High North was spared the ambient temps. Tomorrow, look for awesome Groomers wall to wall that will still have that mid Winter feel. Be sure to stay ahead of the Sun as the day will warm up as a stout South wind is predicted to be pumping ahead of a front that will move in later in the evening. Look to those High North aspects to still be holding the cold. The hill is in great shape and more product going into Monday will be a very nice addition. I will be back on the hill in the AM. and I will get a close look at the variations as they unfold. Straight Ahead!!

It was still stormin’ hard as the day began and kept on snowin’ and blowin’ all day long, which not only added to the pack, but preserved the goodness. After yesterday’s installment, another overnight addition made for a full on blower powder day. The density was a tad North of ultra light, but that added to the cushioning effect, rendering the old crusty substrate just a faint echo. The West side of the hill seemed to have a bit more crunch than the Peruvian side of the hill, but the goods were good wall to wall. With the Tram backed up to start out the day, I opted to work the chairs to stay ahead of the crowd. As the day wore on, the harbor chop began to rise, but the great quality and cold overcast weather kept it from setting up. I was able to blast through the thick of it with no problem at all. Here is a shot of the accumulation. The chorus of hoots and hollars was echoing off the bowls, which was testament to such a great April powder blast. Here is a shot of Brian Beck getting the goods like it was mid Winter out on Baldy. Tomorrow, look for a Sunny day as the storm moves off to the East. Expect cold temps in the AM, with awesome groomers, soft off trail lines wall to wall, and a lot of freshness waiting in the wings. There will be heavy pressure for the leftovers, so get there early for the occasion. The day will be warming up fast and it will be important to stay ahead of the Sun which will be affecting the pack from Sun rise. Conditions have rebounded in a big way from last Saturday, and the hill is in great shape. I will be taking the day off to rest up for next week. Speed Safely!!

The full effect of the storm arrival was in play as the Tram left the dock this morning. Heavy medium density Essence and high winds combined to make the smooth surfaces deep pile plush and luxurious. With Mineral Basin closed for the day, The Morning Crew focused on the Peruvian Gulch to take advantage of the low angle aspects that seemed to hold the deepest feel. Part of the Crew explored the Gad side, where they found excellent goods off of Gad 2 and the lower mountain. Visibility was at a premium, and staying close to the trees was key both for visibility and added snow retention. Back to back Trams were easy to make, as the traffic was light and most of the pressure was focused on the Freeride Competition being held on Silver fox. The Breakfast recon meeting was animated with reports coming in from all the open areas on the hill. Here is a shot of Barbie, who was taking good care of the Crew during the morning repast. The folks at the Forklift go out of their way to make you feel like family. She is indeed family!! Heavy snow continued into the afternoon, and I bailed to get down the Canyon before it got too greasy. Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation, which will probably be quite a bit lighter as the cold air moves in over the Front. The Lake Effect may kick in overnight and provide that fabled Spring Blower Powder that is an added present for the season. With enough accumulation, the bottom substrate will become less of an issue. Still, be looking for the the low angle aspects to be feeling bottomless. That is what I was working today and it payed off with untracked goodness with no pressure and no hype. See you there for the fresh installment. See the Line, BE the Line!!

This morning offered a full spectrum of consistency to start out the day. Mineral Basin was offering already prime lines that had softened to a Dream Whip feel that let you dial in your inner Ligety top to bottom. Lewis and Clark was also smooth and prime for ground pounding fun. On the Front of the hill, The Peruvian Gulch was offering the frozen crystal carpets that had me dialing it back to access more of the juice on each turn. As the day warmed, that side was next to break. On the Gad side of the hill, the Sun played the biggest factor in aspect choice, as there were some very firm lines, with a quick change of aspect offering smooth sorbet goodness. The Morning Crew was making fast work covering the hill from one end to the other all before breakfast. Here is a shot of the Crew at the top of Lewis and Clark. As the day warmed, the lower elevations became manky, however, there was a Slurpee feel that seemed to hold off the dreaded sticky spots, which did crop up at the very bottom. Following the Sun around the dial kept you ahead of the curve. Here is Team CVA Big Dogs@ Sugarloaf, who were ascending the Tram for the very first time. Their child was competing in the Junior Free Ride National Competition that is being held this week. They were really stoked to see the big terrain and they could see the venue from the Tram. Tomorrow, look for a storm day as the forecast is for heavy snow with significant accumulation during the day. Dress for weather and stay with the known smooth lines as the day gets started. It may take a bit for the consistency to improve as the bottom gets covered. The Groomers will be offering the goods to start and you can count on smooth. See you there for the return of Winter. Get It ALL!!