Archive for January, 2019

SIMPLY SIZZLING

1-31-19

It was a simply sizzling day bell to bell, with wide open groomers, bright Sun on the dance floor, and very light traffic all day. Mineral Basin was offering the big White Diamonds-Lower Silver Dipper combo that was really amazing. Also on tap was the first fresh till of the season of Lone Star . The wind had been working back there all night, and there were some awesome wind threads that were back country good, which kept the Morning Crew working the lines for the morning session. The front of the hill was offering top to bottom carpets as well, that let you dial in that full 3000′ of ground pounding fun. The back country access opened and it offered a few still soft lines on certain aspects. Here is a shot of Brian Beck getting the goods on Shady Acres.

The day warmed up, but the snow stayed nicely refrigerated and never got set up. I was able to stay a lot longer on the hill as my knees were not taking a beating. I stopped in to The Summit and met The Pittsburgh Shredders, who were recharging to take the afternoon session by storm. There was plenty of smooth left over for these guys to get it all.

Tomorrow, look for another great day of ground pounding fun wall to wall. The High North will still be offering the natural smooth wind slab that has been holding up for a while now. Look for other wind worked line and machine worked lines to put together a wind buffed line top to bottom. Check the grooming report for new and reworked lines that will be offering silky carpets of AHHHH! See you there for the last day of visibility before the next cycle begins going into and throughout the weekend. Be sure to check out all your favorite lines before they get covered so you know where the variations can be expected. Dial it up, Dial it in!!

SMOOTH CRUISIN’

1-30-19

The day offered bright Sun, very little wind, cool temps., and amazing Grooming efforts, which provided a full day of smooth cruisin’ bell to bell. The pack had consolidated even more overnight, making the machine worked lines initially crisp, but with traffic the crystals started to gather into a wonderful sugar that kept building up. It was a perfect day for the carving sticks. Here is a shot of the ideal choice for the day’s carving extravaganza.

Traffic was light, and Mineral Basin was offering the Sun and wide open carpets that let you explore your inner Ligety. Here is a shot of a well represented gathering of the Morning Crew as the day kicked into gear.

Some afternoon wind picked up and began to massage some of the High North aspects, where perfect dust covered wind slab was on tap. Perfection is where you find it, and you will find it there for sure if you look for the treads. Tomorrow, look for another clear day with great Grooming efforts on all sides of the hill. Look for those High North aspects to be holding some of the silky wind slab that is supportable and good to go. The day may warm up a bit more in the afternoon, so watch those direct aspects that may be absorbing some Sun energy.

This gentleman recognized this Teddy The Dog Sticker on my new Dyanstar Legend 96s and was stoked to know Teddy and find the obscure reference in such a place as Hidden Peak. Got to keep the stoke alive!! See you on first Boat for the first rippin’ runs of the day. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

FIRMING UP

1-29-19

The pack had firmed up considerably after yesterday’s wind buffed lines. Though those off trail lines were smooth, that traffic action left them offering some static that was a touch bouncy. The Groomers were very smooth, but also were noticeably firmer. Still, the wide open lines and low traffic let you dial in any turn you wished, and the good visibility was a real treat. Here is a shot of Mary Ellen Gulch that I took yesterday when I was out checking out the High North aspects.

With low traffic and slightly warmer temps. kept the quality of the prepared lines good to go all day. The Main Baldy Chute into Alta opened today with a full pack filling in the line top to bottom. Mikey M sent this shot of his tips hanging over the entry. It looks great, long, steep, and ready for prime time.

Tomorrow, look for another light day of traffic, great lines of Grooming on all sides of the hill. Be sure to check the Grooming sheet for new and freshly worked lines, so you can dial in some untracked corduroy. Mineral Basin will be offering the Sun illuminated lines, but the front of the hill will be good to go as well. I was working the front of the hill after a fast lap in the back to warm up a bit. I have been dressing for cooler temps. and I think it will be brisk again in the AM. See you there for the fun and frolic!! IBBY!!

WIND WORK

1-28-19

It was a bit overcast to start the day, but Mineral Basin was calling with freshly reworked lines on White Diamonds and Lower Silver dipper, making those lines the place to be for the opening bell. Lewis and Clark was offering amazing carpets of AHHHH, that let the morning crew work those lines with not a soul in sight. Here is a long shot of Lewis and Clark as a reference.

The wind had worked the pack on the back side of the hill, with some of the longest, steepest lines perfectly smoothed by the wind and were offering back country quality goodness top to bottom. On the front of the hill, Anderson’s and Lower Primrose Path had also been given a fresh till, and were off the chart perfect, with not a note of the old layer to be felt. Here is a shot of the Morning Crew making a strong showing for the festivities.

Some of the High North sections, while looking smooth and inviting, where quite punchable and required the very long deliberate approach to make the variations smoother. Tomorrow, look for a sunny day, with Mineral Basin still holding those smooth wind lines that were so epic today. The Groomers will be offering those sweet carpets on all sides of the hill. Look for those lower Peruvian Gulch lines to be re worked and good for a stoke pulsing extravaganza. The hill is in great shape and you will find great sliding from start to finish. Stay Frosty!!

ULTRA SMOOTH

1-27-19

The machine worked carpets were ultra smooth this morning, and the High North aspects out in Mineral Basin were offering ultra smooth lines of wind buffed that was a real post cycle treat. Temps. were cool, which kept the snow nicely refrigerated and good to go for the entire day. The morning crew was working the Lewis and Clark area with wide open vacant lines that also held some wonderful wind packed goodness. The Exotic Trees opened right away and there were great lines out there, however, it was a touch consolidated and required a direct fall line approach. Here is a shot of some of the fresh lines waiting in the Sun.

I stopped in at The Summit at Hidden Peak to bathe in the energy that seems to make the place so special and met Team C-REG, who were enjoying the great food and ambience on the peak. I so enjoy meeting the folks who come to experience the amazing snow.

Later, when I finished my tour of the Exotic Trees I rode the Zoom Chair with the Awesome Sisters, who were visiting for the first time, and I am betting it will not be the last time. They were charging hard and having a great time.

Tomorrow, look for a bit of overcast and some light snow for the morning session. The Groomers will be offering perfect deep pile shag on all sides of the hill. Be sure to check out those Peruvian Gulch machine worked lines that are just steep, smooth and big mountain steep. Those wind worked lines will still be in the mix as there was very little traffic there and they will be naturally resurfaced over night. See you there for the first Boat! Straight Ahead!!

SUN LIGHT

1-26-19

Sun light illuminated the dance floor this morning, making the opening of the closed areas a full resolution experience on all levels. Traffic was fairly light, and those that got the goods, got a bonus round in the first degree. The Groomers were offering amazing carpets of AHHHHHHH, which let you find your inner Ligety without any slip or chatter. This last installment provided a perfect machine working medium that did not bring up any of that old layer that we had been working before this cycle buried it till Spring. Here is a selfie shot that is not a selfie, since I did not take the shot myself. These new POC goggles are amazing, with crystal clear resolution, solid glare mitigation, and an unbelievably large field of vision.

Tomorrow, look for more great snow all over the hill, with perfect Grooming to dial in your roll. The Sun will be shining once again, and Mineral Basin will be in full illumination effect. I will be taking a first hand look at the hill after my day off today. I expect to find excellence on all sides of the hill, and the cold temps. have helped keep the pack refrigerated nicely. See you there for the First Tram festivities. Speed Safely!!

SWEET CARPETS

1-25-19

There were sweet carpets of perfection this morning and an opening of Mineral Basin that made it hard to choose one version of perfection over another. Wind had worked many of the aspects out in Mineral Basin, but there were some aspects that had been sheltered from the wind and, indeed, benefited from the transport. Here is a long shot of the North facing lines that were still waiting in the wings.

The Grooming efforts on the front of the hill were extensive and included the lower two thirds of Primrose path were buffed smooth and dial-o-matic soft. Perfect is perfect where you find it. The pack began to pile a bit up with traffic, but it was still very easy to maintain a fully engaged platform every where. It has been so nice to be able to push the limits of edge angle with such great traction. Here is a closer look at the traverse out to the goods.

Tomorrow, look for another cool day with good visibility, amazing Groomers and still some closed areas waiting in the wings. Keep your eyes on the openings. The pack is amazing wall to wall and there are no exceptions. Entrances and traverses have improved markedly. I will be taking the day off tomorrow, so dial in the focus for me. Stay Frosty!!

DEEP OPENING

1-24-19

The Faithful were in full attendance once again this morning in anticipation of some deep openings, and they were not disappointed. The Cirque Traverse and, later, West Baldy opened up, offering up some of the deepest turns in a very long time. Out on West Baldy, it had not been touched since the cycle began all those days ago and it was fully bottomless. On top of all of that, a foot of fresh Essence covered the entire hill, making any line you chose a Powder Blast. Here is a shot of Steve Fengler getting the full immersion effect out under Nirvana, and by the looks of it, it was NIRVANA.

This was indeed no exaggeration at all as it was just off the hook epic. Lower Primrose Path was given the first smoothing of the season and it was offering smooth deep pile lines that were as good as it gets. Later, when things got worked over, the harbor chop began to rise, though it was soft and blastable, but did respond nicely to a very round approach that let you feel the full platform engagement. Here is a shot of Team Borrowman, who had got it all from the word go today and were just blissed out on the perfect lines they bagged.

Tomorrow, look for an unsettled day with cold temps. and wind. Be looking for some wind work to have refilled some lines, which will be really nice to have the pitches smooth top to bottom. The Groomers will be offering amazing consistency, and there are areas waiting in the wings that are still un trammeled. I expect traffic to be brisk, so be sure to work the chair options for the best uphill advantage. They were walk on all day long today.

I stopped in at the top of Gad 2 to sit for a second and got this shot of Tyson and Bjorn who were manning the shack. I want to thank the entire Patrol and all the folks who worked so hard to make the hill safe and ready so we could experience a day like today. See you there in the AM. for continued reverberations from the last cycle. See the Line, BE the Line!!

TOUGH VISIBILITY

1-23-19

With high wind, rime ice coating the goggles, and blowing snow, the visibility was very tough today. The Tram was put on a hold due to the wind intensity and resumed operation after an hour or so when the wind backed off sufficiently. As anticipated, the Grooming lines were epic and very consistent, letting you dial in each turn with full ski engagement. Off trail was stiffening up, but some areas were being buffed and filled by the wind transport, making those lines delightful even though you couldn’t see much. I was counting on that consistency to make those blind turns when the connection was just by the feel under foot. Here is a shot from yesterday’s Powder extravaganza, with Chase getting super deep in the medium.

Tomorrow, look for some accumulation to have fallen overnight as a fast moving impulse moves through. There will be a fresh coating of Essence wall to wall, and the hill is prime to take an added installment. I expect visibility to still be an issue and I am going to dress for storm riding. You will have to scope out the lines on the ride up to see which of the aspects got the wind work and deep smoothing. We will have to see what openings will be on tap, but you can bet that the turns will be epic once again. See you there for the fresh lines and high stoke.

In closing, Team Department 18 was on deck and taking care of the details. They are always on the case no matter where they are needed. Thanks guys. As Joe Man The Snow Man says, ” Don’t Skip On The Groove Sauce.”!!

FULL VISION

1-22-19

It was a crystal clear morning, which provided full vision for as far as you could see. The mountain was fully covered with some of the most epic Essence of long memory, replete with blower face shot turns, smooth pack underneath, and cold smoke leaving trails of glory in the back lit morning light. Here is a shot of Mikey M in full immersion mode. The Peruvian Gulch opened just before 11 AM. with ultra deep goodness that let you dial in the fall line and find that point where power and resistance reach that magic point of stillness in the eye of the vortex.

Mineral Basin and The Road to Provo remained closed, with Mineral looking very wind affected and The Road to Provo looking like a huge expanse of perfection. Later in the day, as the pack got skied out, the harbor chop came up, requiring a deliberate round power turn to take the impact off your knees. The other approach would be to blast it full on and just power through, but that takes a lot of juice to maintain for any length of time. Here is a shot of the Subaru Snowbird Mascot on the Plaza deck fully stacked with the goods.

Tomorrow, look for more good vis., cool temps. and more super deep goodness waiting in the wings. That shot of Mikey M was the rule not the exception. If Mineral Basin opens, that wind affected pack may present some variable consistency, so keep that in mind. Extensive Grooming efforts will have been performed and I expect the first opening hour to be a deep pile shag extravaganza. The off trail will be getting stiffer as the day goes on, but it is still quite blastable and there are plenty of lines that are full on prime time. Keep your eyes open for the openings. Conditions are really going off and you will find great snow wall to wall. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!