There was a powder topping on the dance floor for today’s last day of the season festivities. With a surprise morning of bright Sun, smooth groomers and off trail magic, it made this a last day to remember. I was a little tentative to sample the off trail, but the lines were fairly smooth and the nice accumulation made for easy predictable turns. Here is a shot of the Morning Crew visiting the Landing for a last look at the back bowl. The Groomers were offering a mix of Winter and Spring consistency that felt out of place for this time of the year, but they offered smooth predictable turns top to bottom. Here is a shot of Tramrat getting the first couple of turns on a carpet of AHHHHHH! The Road to Provo had some amazing lines that were deeper than I expected, and I got a line that felt Winter fresh with just a hint of breakable underneath, but it was so consistent it was no issue. Hoopie’s got the Grooming nod for the first time of the season and it felt great with the steep smooth line wide open and vacant.The Grooming Crew pulled out all the stops, as all the carpets were seamless and perfect. The Guardians Of The Galaxy were rockin’ the hill and were stoked to be here for the last day. They have spent a lot of time getting the goods in the far reaches and it was good to have them with us on the hill. After Noon, we stopped buy to pay respects to #1 and all those who have left us. It was fitting to stop and salute those that lived large in full effect. We can do no less than keep on the tradition. What a great day to mark as the last day of the Season. I will be doing a Season Wrap up in the next few days when I let it all settle out. Stay tuned. As Joe Man The Snowman says, ” Don’t Skimp On The Groove Sauce”!!

The total snowfall for the season broke 400″ with the addition of the 4″ of new snow that fell on the hill. The rain was thunderous on the skin of The Trailer all night, and I took advantage of the patter to get some extra snooze time. Up on the hill, reports of difficult visibility and variable consistency made my decision to bail on the day seem like a good call. The lower elevations were very sticky and it helped to stay on the upper mountain and the prepared runs. With no Mineral Basin and no Road to Provo, the options were cut short. Here is a shot of the Canyon taken from 14000′ over the Salt Lake Valley by a friend of mine. It is rare indeed to get a perspective like this. Tomorrow, look for a better day with some partly cloudy skies and, perhaps, a break in the weather. I will be looking for the Groomers to be offering the best consistency, as the off trail will be tricky with all the sun cupped texture to the substrate. Be careful with the sticky factor coming off the steep sections that will send you over the handle bars if you are not ready and they really can’t be predicted. Tomorrow is the last day of the Season, so traffic should be brisk and the energy on the hill high. See you there for the festivities. Stay Frosty!!

It was a very soggy start this morning with rain on the Plaza and light snow at the peak. There was a very light turnout for the opening bell and here is a shot that Neil took of Sully and I holding down the back of the Tram. Zero Zero visibility on the peak broke as you descended, with much better visibility on the open slopes. Mineral Basin was offering some deep smooth carpets of chiffon that felt luxurious underfoot, but after just two runs the quality went South and it was time to hit the front side. Peruvian Gulch had a more set up feel that had a sorbet consistency that made me dial it in deep for each turn. The last third of the hill was very damp with rain falling, but the ride was still slick with no sticky spots. I had to call it once we all hit the Plaza and retired to the Forklift to access the options. It was snowing on the Plaza at 11:30 AM when I left for the day. Tomorrow, look for another day of weather. There may be some overnight accumulation that will add to the variability. Expect some frozen substrate as the temps get colder. Look for the Groomed lines for the best ride, with the off trail offering some very difficult texture to negotiate. I will be taking the day off to catch up on Trailer maintenance. See you Sunday. IBBY!!

Another night of no freeze on the hill, left all sides of the hill ready to rock top to bottom. Amazing carpets of deep sumptuous perfection were on tap wherever you drew a line. The Morning Crew worked the lines in Mineral Basin to start things off to enjoy the untracked deep pile lines before the traffic found it. On the Peruvian side of the hill, the prepared lines were offering better than back country goodness as it was smooth and slippery. With the significant melt off on the bottom of the hill, I was using Rothman’s way to traverse back to the Lower Wilbre section to bypass the dodgy bits. The window was open for a very short time and the pack hit the Slurpee Zone around 11:30 AM, however, the sticky factor was going to wait a big longer to manifest. Here is a great shot of Bliss Brother Burke, who was stoked to be rockin’ the hill with all the lines ready to go. I left the hill around 1PM. when some cloud cover moved over the hill filtering the Sun. Tomorrow, look for some inclement weather to have moved into the Front as a Low Pressure system will be present for the next few days. We will have to see how the day looks in the Morning in regards to temps and consistency. Look for the prepared lines to be offering the best on the hill, and look for tenderizing efforts for traction if it comes up frozen. We’ll see. Those melted off sections on the lower part of Peruvian Gulch will still require some walking, but there are exit options over off of the Wilbre ridge. Speed Safely!!

It did not freeze even a little bit, so all aspects were sorbet smooth to start out the day. As usual, The Morning Crew worked the Mineral Basin lines that had a deep soft chiffon feeling that let you experience a 100% full surface turn with all of the skis dynamics alive and kickin’. The Peruvian Gulch was awesome as well, with Anderson’s Hill and Who Dunnit offering fast smooth carpets that let you dial in your fully extended turns with unmitigated audacity. This was a day where you know you are getting some of the best turns of the season and there is no one there. I worked a couple of runs on the Peruvian Gulch and never saw another person… a Real private resort feel for sure. Here is a shot of a chopper dropping an avalanche mitigation device on a location at Alta. This pilot was amazing, just nailing the pick. I left at 1PM. but the pack was still feeling slick and fast despite the Slurpee Zone feel. Later, the sticky factor cropped up, making the consistency a bit dodgy. Tomorrow, look for some clouds to be part of the mix. I expect continued warm temps., so there probably won’t be a freeze again. I will be looking for the goodness to be ready from the word GO. All sides of the hill should be ready to rock, but I will still be working the Mineral Basin lines to start, in order to take advantage of those big smooth open carpets of AHHHHH. Straight Ahead!

In a Groundhog’s Day kind of way, today was another wonderful day of smooth sliding. There was a bit of a freeze overnight, but the break was fast and it did not last long. Mineral Basin was offering amazing lines that were sorbet sweet for the first hour, but the Lupine Loop aspect held up a bit longer as the Sun rises a bit further to the North. Peruvian Gulch was breaking fast in the order, and Anderson’s Hill had that soft and silky feel which enticed you to let fly, but I dialed it back to dig in deep for each savory turn, letting nothing go to waste. Here is a shot of a some unusual happy clouds suspended in the sky. After the breakfast break, the hill was going toward the Slurpee Zone in a hurry. Tomorrow, look for another early morning of the Goodness Of Maize. The lines will be prepared and perfect for the opening bell. The front of the hill will be breaking in short order, so move fast to get the best of the break. There is some serious melt off on the very lowest cat tracks on the Peruvian side of the hill, so there may be a couple of dodgy spots getting back to the Tram. Enjoy these stellar days of smooth sliding as it is coming to a rapid end. Dial it up, Dial it in!!

A week cold front moved through overnight, bringing the temps down just a couple of degrees, but enough to set the hill up for another day of corn goodness. Mineral Basin was offering amazing sorbet lines that made you feel invincible with the perfect sweet consistency. On the front of the hill, a few extra minutes would be needed to break the light freeze, but it was good to go with smooth prepared lines that would only get better with time. Here is a shot of the Fins at the mouth of the Canyon. I just love the magnitude of these rock features that make me think of the Gates of Heaven. All of the aspects broke as the day moved along, and even the lower aspects were feeling very slippery and fun. I did not feel any of the sticky factor before I left for the day. Here is a shot of “Kat” getting the soft goods. She has really caught fire this season. Tomorrow, look for another day of light traffic, smooth sorbet lines to start the day and an unfolding of the break around the dial. The hill remains in good shape despite the melt off with all these warm temps. A couple of the very lowest elevation cat tracks are showing signs of thinness, but there is plenty of snow to deal with it. As a parting shot, here is Winonna enjoying the flair that was brought by the folks who are so excited to be getting the goods. Everyone is keeping Snowbird GREAT. IBBY!!

There was no freeze overnight, so the entire hill was prime to start out the day. Mineral Basin was offering deep sorbet lines that felt sumptuous and smooth top to bottom. Lupine Loop too was just right to start, and that last pitch above the chair was back country steep and smooth. On the front of the hill, Peruvian Gulch was good to go as well, and The Morning Crew was working the various lines to get the most of the break. During the breakfast break, I met Team Maddie, who were enjoying the relaxed ambience of the Forklift Restaurant. After the breakfast break, the pack was beginning to get a bit manky at the bottom of the hill, so I stayed up high to dial in the lines off The Road To Provo. Tomorrow, look for a front to have moved through overnight, bringing cooler temps. and some cloud cover. I hope it moves off quickly as the day begins, but I expect some crispy lines to be on tap. Look for tenderizing efforts to afford some traction on the lines to the bottom. There is still plenty of cover top to bottom, but the Skier’s Bridge is melting back quickly, so expect to stop as you come around the corner. With the festive feeling day, Sponge Bob was right at home as he celebrated his birthday rockin’ the hill in full regalia. Rock ON Bob!! Keep It Tight!!!

The temps. are getting warm as the High Pressure slowly moves over The Front. There was a light freeze overnight, but the window was very short and you had to be fast to keep up with the break. Here is a shot of one of the Industrial Smoothers parked on the peak. Big wide open lines were on tap for the Morning Crew out in Mineral Basin, where smooth sorbet carpets were feeling luxurious. Lupine loop was breaking fast and had that big drop above the chair offering the steep sweet goodness. On the front of the hill, Peruvian Gulch was fast and fun top to bottom, and there was very little traffic. It is like a private resort when it gets like that. Here is a shot of the Moon over the ridge on the Twins. The break went off wall to wall and the lower elevations got the sticky feel going that sent me back to the peak to stay up on the upper elevations. I met up with the Powder Mafia, who were celebrating their annual Crusty Fest. They were in rare form and were really loving the corn goodness. Rock ON guys!! Tomorrow, look for a very balmy morning as cloud cover moved over the Front. Don’t look for much of a freeze if the temps remain high overnight. Mineral Basin will be offering the big smooth lines, but I expect the entire hill to ready to go from the opening bell. There is great music on the Plaza, so plan on sticking around for the festivities. IBBY!!

After the recent past accumulation, the freeze thaw cycle is beginning to corn up the pack. With that corning up, the consistency has improved top to bottom, with some very nice granular feeling lines. The Grooming Crew has done a fine job of tilling the mat to provide the tenderized lines that get you by the frozen sections. Mineral Basin was offering wide open lines, with the Lupine Loop section softening a bit behind the Powder Paradise lines. That was a positive feature, making the goods back there lasting longer into the morning. Regulator softened fairly early, but tenderizing efforts had been performed there as well, and the soft granular feel was luxurious and smooth. I dialed back the roll to take advantage of the deep feeling pack that was a real treat. Mark Malu was offering smooth Cat prepared lines that were firm to start out the day, but softened nicely around Noon. Here is a shot of a dead tree at high elevation that had a beautiful patina. The sticky factor cropped up around 1 PM and I bailed to save my knees from the extreme variability. Tomorrow, look for another fast break as the temps. are expected to be warmer than today. I still expect a freeze in the pack, so be looking for the usual break pattern to be in play, but keep an eye on the options to stay on top of the break. Coverage remains very good top to bottom, with only the very lowest cat tracks showing some discoloration. See you there for the morning session and the Powder Mafia’s Running of the ELVI who will be on the hill celebrating the Crusty Fest. Keep an eye out for the fun!! Straight Ahead!