The hill was covered with a wonderful installment of Ultra Light Essence, which, I think, is the best powder of the season thus far. It was just blower perfect, however, the bottom was in play demanding full attention. The openings were quick in coming, with The Road To Provo opening just after Noon, and the Faithful waiting for the drop. Mineral Basin was wonderful, but the pressure for the goods back there made the line formidable. Here is a shot of the Sap Sisters, who helped make the wait for the peak a pleasure. How could you not love such a beautiful day. I checked out numerous aspects, finding great turns wherever I went. The base has covered most of the features, but the strainers continue to be boney. After Noon, some clouds began to move up The Canyon from the Valley and it looked so dreamy floating down in the mouth. A real heavenly sight. Tomorrow, look for a very cold day, with some wind affected aspects, as and East Wind was beginning to work the hill. It should still be soft all over the hill and the off trail aspects are feeling great and let you dial in a full charged approach. I will be breaking out the new skis very soon as the coverage is so good, why not get the full snap crackle and pop of a new ski. Traffic on the hill will still be big, but the lifts on the front of the hill were offering no lines all day. Dress for the cold and watch for frost bite. This installment was all time light and you can expect great turns all over the hill. Stay Frosty!!

Winds blew hard all over the hill this morning, with just a couple of Trams getting run up the line before the wind became too high. Visibility was very difficult, but the smooth groomed lines made it easy to stay in the pocket. Mineral Basin had a bit better visibility, but riding the chair was just a tad too demanding for me, so I concentrated on the front of the hill. I took an early breakfast break to assess the options, and made one chair after the break to get a larger look at the hill. I stopped and visited #1’s shine and celebrated another great season as we head into the new year. This is a shot he was featured in Ski Magazine way back in the day. Tomorrow, look for some fresh Essence to have fallen overnight as it is snowing here at The Trailer as I write this. The wind as working the pack all day, so look for smooth lines were the transported snow was filling in the low areas. Coverage on the hill is improving by the day and the snow making efforts are still happening, though the concentration has been moved. Look for the low angle aspects to offer the softest lines and remember the steep strainer sections will be boney and will demand your full attention. Traffic will be brisk once again, so get there early for the festivities. The chairs have been handling the volume nicely, and waits are extremely short. It will be cold again, with continued snow, so dress for weather and cover exposed areas. See you there for the last day of the year. Speed Safely!!

Cold and overcast skies were on tap, making the visibility a bit variable. There were some moments of Sun around Noon, but clouds lowered later in the afternoon and visibility remained flat. Off trail lines are offering some softness, but there is a bit of a crust underneath from that last installment that had a high moisture content. Still, the terrain is still fairly smooth, with only the most heavily traveled lines building interference patterns. There is some static underlying some of the marginal lines, but further out the consistency is holding up nicely. Here is an beautiful Snow Angel that Wynonna made the other day when the freshness was just begging for some extra love. Tomorrow, look for a Storm day, as a front will be moving in with cold temps., stout winds, and heavy snow fall at times. I think the heaviest accumulation will be later in the day. The Groomers will be offering the reliably smooth carpets that will be easy to negotiate in variable visibility. Off trail will still be offering overall smoothness, but expect the interference patterns to be well established on the heavily worked lines. The crusty layer will still be in play, so be looking for blown in accumulations of goodness that may be in the mix as the storm moves in. Dress for cold and be sure to protect your uncovered skin areas. Add an extra layer if you are going to be working the chairs. I think traffic will be a bit lighter, and with the lift capacity, any lines should be very short lived. See you there for the storm riding fun. IBBY!!

A cold Northwest flow brought very cold temps. to the hill, and it also brought some amazingly light Lake Effect Essence to go with it. The cold temps. kept the snow perfectly refrigerated, creating cold smoke trails of glory with every turn. With the bright Sun, Mineral Basin was the place to be, where the Sun made it feel much warmer than it was. Lewis and Clark was offering perfect carpets of AHHHHHH, where you could dial in your inner Ligety. Team Budge was gathered on the border with Alta checking out the options and firing up the Stoke factor. They were scoping out those off trail lines that were waiting and empty. It would be a full hour before the Faithful would find the outland lines. The Groomers on the front side of the hill were smooth and consistent, with Gun Powder underneath all the Guns working hard to add base to the lower Peruvian Gulch. Later, the firm layer began to come into play and the traffic increased, so a more conservative approach was needed. The temps. remained cold, but the Sun took the edge off the morning chill and I was able to dispense with the nose protection. Tomorrow, look for the cold temps to still be in place, and protect the exposed skin areas. The Sun should help a bit, but the snow will remain soft off trail and the Groomers will still be offering the carpets of AHHHHH for those looking to dial in the high edge angles. Traffic should be brisk, so get there early and use the chair options to skirt the Tram back ups. Don’t Forget to SIZZLE!!

As anticipated, it was cold with variable visibility. There was an initial push for the Tram, but it was quickly pumped up the hill and walk on Trams were happening quickly. Back in Mineral Basin, there was some Sun shining, and perfect carpets of AHHHH provided top to bottom goodness, with the off trail soft and workable. With no one on the lifts, it was easy to do laps. On the front side of the hill, the snow continued to fall all day long which was piling up soft and light. I was working the smooth lines to take advantage of the wide open lines in the variable visibility. Here is a shot of the Subaru Mascot on the Plaza Deck covered with the ultra light Essence that was falling all day. I took some recon runs, looking around and seeing how different aspects were shaping up, and while the coverage is getting better, I will still be staying with the fat guts and steering clear of the high points for a bit longer. I stopped in to the Mid Gad Restaurant to get a Hot Cocoa and ran into Team Too Much Wine, who were taking a break and recharging for the afternoon session. Tomorrow, look for more righteous Utah light to have been delivered overnight as it was dumping hard when I left at 8 PM. The road was backed up early so I took advantage of all the great spaces to hang and got some great Pizza at The Wildflower. It was a great day and a big day. See you there for the freshies in the AM. Dial it up, Dial it in!!

I stepped back through The Portal around Noon from my time on The Home Planet. Here is a shot of the Event Horizon on re entry. What a treat to come back to find an overnight sensation that put frosting on the cake. Medium density Essence was delivered and it looked really good in this shot Jake sent me of Lewis and Clark. I will be excited to get out there tomorrow and check it out myself. Jake also sent this very cool shot of The Peak with trippy crystal flakes floating in the air. Tomorrow, look for a bit more freshness covering the hill, The Groomers wil be perfect Hydro Velvet wall to wall on all sides of the hill. It will be cold, so dress for weather and expect some variable visibility. Conditions are great, and I can’t wait to get back and getting some of this early season Fluffulessence! Prime Time!

An intense and fast moving storm passed over The Front late last night, leaving a fresh installment of Essence on the dance floor for today’s festivities. The sky was clear and the temps were cold, with a brisk wind working the aspects. Mineral Basin was open again today, offering a huge expansion of the available terrain. The Grooming efforts were offering carpet plush lines that let you dial in your inner Ligety! Here is a shot of Mikey M. blowing up the Essence with unmitigated audacity. The Faithful were on hand for a great day of freshness, but the uphill capacity kept things moving, and with Mineral in the mix, let you work the patterns to stay ahead of the push. Here is a shot of Flyin’ Brian Beck maintaining minimum altitude while charging the line. Tomorrow, look for the Groomers to be offering the carpet smooth feel as the new material gets tilled into the mat. The off trail lines have improved markedly, and you can find great lines that have been wind smoothed during the past while. I have been working lines that I have totally avoided till just yesterday and I was lovin’ it, however, I am still sticking with the fat lines and steering clear of the margins. An approaching storm will be preceded by a cloud deck, so expect visibility issues all day. I will be going Off Planet for the next few days and will be out of range of the Inter Web. But, you can expect great conditions to be happening for the duration, as a classic line up of storms are poised to move through one after another. The hill is in great shape to accept these additional installments, and you will be stoked to dial in the lines you have been waiting on. Watch Your SIX!

Once again, there was an early morning patter of rain on The Trailer, signaling a fast moving impulse that delivered a very nice treat to the hill. High density grauple covered the dance floor, but the bottom firmness was in play. I was aiming for the smooth lines I have been scoping out the past few days and was rewarded with consistency on each section I worked. Mineral Basin opened first thing and many of the Morning Crew ventured into the very difficult visibility back there. That new installment felt best on the low angle aspects that felt smooth and silky. Traffic was light and back to back Trams were fun to make, and with the smooth lines dialed in, it was fun be able to work lines I have been avoiding until we got this coating. Here is a shot of Mikey M getting it all and blowing it up. Yes, it was that explosive!! Tomorrow, look for another fast moving impulse to have delivered even more goodness on the hill. Looks like there will be clearing skies as the day progresses, and I would be looking for the smooth fresh lines out in Mineral Basin and be sure to check out the lines on a Lewis and Clark sojourn, you won’t be disappointed. The Cirque is skiing very well as the low traffic has kept the pack fairly smooth and dialable. I will be taking the day off so be sure and get the goods for me. Stay Frosty!!

After yesterday’s wind and snow event, many aspects of the hill got filled in and smoothed over. Lines that had abrupt interference patterns were filled and offered very nice long lines of wind slab goodness. I was taking lines I have been avoiding all season to take advantage of the rare conditions, but also to get that wind slab feel that is so exotic. The Groomed lines were smooth and had plenty of tooth to get an edge, and the resulting dust was piling up on the sides of the lines, offering some really silky treats. Here is a shot of The Summit taken from Gorilla Pass. It is such an amazing structure in an amazing place. Traffic was light all day long and getting back to back Trams was easy and fast. I also went looking around Gad 2 and the lower West side of the hill, finding empty lines that made it feel like a private resort. Here is a shot looking into Mineral Basin, which will open tomorrow for the first time of the season. It should be a great adventure and addition to the available terrain. Raking up the vertical was so fun, with the fast access and open terrain. I met Team Flying Burrito, who were here from Whistler, and were taking in all the aspects and looking for the goods. I know they found the filled in areas as they were wide spread and a treat to see. Tomorrow, look for more great Groomed lines with those off trail lines still smooth and inviting. Look for the Mineral Basin opening. I don’t know what the timing will be, but be there early just in case. There is weather in the forecast, but I think we might sneak in a sunny morning and if Mineral opens earlier, the Sun will be lighting it up first thing. Keep and eye out. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

Rain pelted the skin of The Trailer with insistence during the early morning hours, signaling the arrival of fresh Essence up on the hill. The wind was pounding and the Tram was down for the morning session. The hill was covered with a delightful coat of fresh frosting that was smooth, soft, and predictable on the low angle aspects. The steeper pitches were scoured by the wind and were not nearly as tactile as the lower aspects. I did a couple of Gad Zooms to try out the product, but with a foggy morning brain, I left my vest at The Trailer and I was woefully under dressed despite adding my extra layer. There was not much of an opportunity to get a shot for today, so here is a shot of Mikey M pulling one of his Trademark Pan Pizzas out of the oven at last week’s Pizza Extravaganza. After Noon, the clouds began to move off and the Sun came out, so I am sure the day turned out to be a great one. Tomorrow, look for that fresh coating to have been tilled into the mat, making for some soft dialable carpets. It should be a sunny day with mild temps, and the details will be well defined with the clear skies. Off trail will be variable as the new product filled in the low spots, but there could be some firm sections as you move though the interference patterns. Traffic should be very light once again, but folks will be beginning to arrive for the holiday. Still, plenty of vertical should be easy to get. IBBY!