The inversion persists, leaving the Valley in the murk while the higher elevations get the Sun and fun. Wall to wall groomed runs were the call this morning for the perfect lines, while the off trail continues to get worked and is becoming a tad choppy with the snow becoming increasingly set up. Coverage is amazing for this time of the season, and it won’t be long until the all the features will be long gone. In the mean time, be aware of early season snow pack and proceed accordingly. The Middle Cirque opened, offering the best snow off trail, but it still is dense, which will really help the base as it sets up. Here is a shot of some of the Morning Crew members enjoying the ride up on first Tram. It is so great to catch up with everyone as they come back to kick the season into gear. Tomorrow, look for another day of Sun up on the hill, with the Valley still holding the inversion layer. I will be looking for the fresh machine worked runs for the perfect corduroy carpets to dial in the turns. I got to go with perfect when I find it and it will be available in abundance for the early risers. The off trail will be offering all the terrain variations you may be looking for, but it will still be challenging. Next week looks like there will be a solid storm coming in Wednesday, and then things will light up. Come on up and get out of the haze. It will be a rippin’ good time. Stay Frosty!!

The Faithful were on hand early this morning to get the opening of the Peruvian Gulch. After a slight delay, the gulch opened offering a huge selection of lines, with some obvious areas held out of the mix. Excellent grooming had been done to make those lines of un tracked corduroy an amazing treat. I was just looking around checking what’s what, so I stuck to the prepared lines and watched what was going on out and about. I will let the folks find all the features and it will be good to go after the next installment. Here is a shot looking into Mineral Basin from the peak. The fresh lines got worked over very quickly, and it was getting set up quickly. The west side of the hill was great as well, with very wide open lines as everyone was focused on the other side. Here is a shot of Superior shining in the Sun. It is getting worked from the peak, even with this early pack. Tomorrow, look for extensive grooming to have been done on all sides of the hill. The off trail will still be offering challenging conditions, that will require a deliberate approach to keep from getting knocked around. Those fresh snow groomed areas are so sweet, and felt like a deep pile rug. Got to love that. Here is a shot I took the other day that I noticed had a big ring in the sky, which is a sure sign of good things to come. I will be taking the day off tomorrow to rest up for next week. Get some of those great early morning corduroy lines. IBBY!

Traffic was very light this morning, with first Tram leaving with plenty of room to dance if one were so inclined. On the hill, the Grooming Crew gave the Dance Floor an extra dollop of love, as the carpet was a deep wall to wall shag which made every turn feel luxurious under foot. Hot laps were once again the happening game, with a walk on pace easy to keep. That lower section of Bassakwards opened today, filling out the West side of the hill. I am still going to let the off trail get a bit more worked before I venture forth. During an afternoon visit to The Summit on Hidden Peak, I ran into Team Baldy, who were taking in the ambience of the cathedral like space. I just love taking a few minutes to chill at the top of the world. Off trail is getting worked over pretty well, and the interference patterns are building, but the spacing seems to leave plenty of room to follow a line of your own. The obvious features are becoming revealed, but there may be others not seen, so tread lightly and aim for the fat spaces. Tomorrow, look for another day of full on top to bottom fun. Perhaps, The Peruvian Gulch may open, which will be a real treat. The work there has been done, and it looks very well covered, looking almost ready for prime time. I will be watching and listening for any High Sign of an opening. I am feeling good about the prospect. See you there dark and early for the opening bell. Speed Safely!!

The wind was nuking for the start of the day, with blowing snow, very flat light, and variable visibility to make it entertaining. The Grooming Crew had done a great job on the main runs, but on the higher elevations the wind was blowing the soft snow to the sides. Though the surface was a tad firm, there was still enough soft snow to keep the pace dialed in to deal with the variations. Off trail, the soft snow remains, but the underlying interference patters made those lines difficult. I was sticking with the known smooth and consistent lines to keep the turns dialed back. Lower on the mountain, the wind was much less an issue and the soft snow was easy to locate. The upper section of Gad 2 opened today, which offered some very interesting deep lines and a big expansion of the available terrain. I stopped at The Summit on Hidden Peak and found Elizabeth bringing hot Pizza Pies out of the oven. She takes a great deal of pride in her work and you can’t miss with these delights. Be sure to say hi when you see her. Sorry I cut off her face a bit there, but I wanted to get the pies in there too. Tomorrow, look for reworked lines top to bottom, low traffic, and excellent cover. I will continue to be working on stamina, and focusing on roundness. That is one of the best visualizations to keep the lateral forces moving down the hill. See you there for the morning fun fest. Keep it tight!!

With very light traffic, very cold peak temps, and wide open groomers made for some really hot laps as back to back Trams were easy to make. Once again the Snow Makers and Grooming Crew had prepared a top to bottom extravaganza that offered dialable corduroy carpets that were smooth and really fun. Off trail, the soft snow was still happening as the cold temps have been preserving the quality despite the Sun shining on the product. The snow making efforts are still full on top to bottom and extensive efforts are being applied to the Peruvian Gulch as well. Perhaps we will see an opening there in the near future. Here is a shot of one of the guns blazing and back lit at the top of Gad 2. I was sticking with the prepared lines to take advantage of the smooth consistency, while I get my legs in shape. More sections of the hill have opened, with some of the trees getting a lot of traffic, where the interference patterns are building quickly. Go scope out the lines so you know where the good lines will be waiting when we get fresh snow in the near future. Here is a great shot of Greg and Carol, who are avid readers of the site and were just arriving and taking breakfast at The Forklift to start the day out right. Tomorrow, look for more Sun, but there may be some high clouds moving in as a Low Pressure moves South. I think the temps may be warming up a tad, so check the Bird site for accuracy. On my last run I met Hitomi, who was stoked to be working the wide open line that was prepared off of Gad 2. She was so excited to be on the hill, and it was fun to share the stoke. See you there for another ground pounding day of training runs and maximum rock and roll!! Lay It Over Like Ligety!!

There was a mystical Sun light on the peak as the Tram docked . There was not a breath of wind and Lake Effect bands were making their way along the Front, which would bring flurries that would last all day. This shot was one of the only times I saw the Sun all day. Out on the hill, 5 or 6 fresh inches of Ultra Light Essence covered the dance floor and, with the recent impulses mounting up, the off trail sections felt softer and were really blowing up with each turn. Still, there were sections on the steep strainer sections that were sporting some interesting terrain features, but a little care would let you circumvent those boney sections. I stuck to the beautifully buffed lines that felt like soft flannel, making each turn feel luxurious and sultry. I was digging deep for the most out of each turn to extract the maximum amount of juice. Here is a shot of the Valley as one of the impulses lifted just enough to reveal this vista. Traffic on the hill was light and the quality held up nicely, and, with the cold temps, the snow stayed cold and blastable. Tomorrow, look for more amazing Groomed lines to offer the sweet buffed velvety feel, with the off trail still offering soft piles, however, the interference patterns are building with the days of traffic. Dress for cold temps, as it was quite nippy in the AM. In closing, here is Team Summit presenting the Craft Beer station. I think I can safely say this is the highest place to procure a cold frosty beer in the state. I do believe I will have one thank you. See you there for the festivities. Straight Ahead!

Overnight flurries and a Lake Effect delivered a wonderful accumulation of very light and fluffy Essence for The Faithful to sample. With wider expanses to work, there was much more room on the hill as folks got spread out a bit more and were able to hold the fall line. Visibility was marginal, but the soft snow made the feel underfoot much more predictable. As the day wore on, the firmer layer began to crop up and the harbor chop began to build. Here is a shot of the deep trees flocked with the goods and the lines there were smooth and still untracked. The Lake Effect really kicked in after Noon, and I decided to get down the canyon to get a jump on traffic. Tomorrow, look for some additional accumulation as the Lake Effect is predicted to continue through the night, so we can expect some very nice powder in the AM. There will have been full on machine work on the hill, so the opening session should be smooth underneath the new snow. I will be keeping and eye out for additional opening, but I am not holding my breath. I encountered the Bliss Brothers making their way to the hill together for the first time of the season. It was so much fun to share the stoke with them. It is such a treat to be able to dial in a fully engaged turn on a fully engaged ski in these soft snow conditions. The morning sessions will be stellar. Don’t forget to SIZZLE!!

It was the first real Powder Day of the season, with great overnight accumulation. The consistency was excellent with the cold temps, and if felt smooth underfoot and effervescent as it blew up. Some small openings on the lower mountain added a few new lines to dial in. And, with the new installment, the low snow variables are becoming covered and much more predictable. Here is a shot of Matt, who was making the most of the explosive nature of the product. Sunshine started the day, but high clouds moved in later in the day, making the light go flat. Tomorrow, look for more overnight accumulation as a strong impulse is echoing on the radar just West of the Front and will only add more Essence on the dance floor. Traffic should be strong once again in the AM, and there may be some continuing flurries during the day. I will be back on the hill first thing in the AM. See you there for the fresh powder delight. See The LINE, BE The LINE!!