Archive for March, 2019

FAST & FURIOUS

3-31-19

The pace was fast and furious this morning, with full on carpets of AHHHHH to ply, fresh powder to flatten, and sunshine to make the day Technicolor. Mineral Basin was offering the smooth groomed lines that let you explore your inner Ligety, with full platform engagement rock solid with every turn. Ski Patrol Gully opened as I hit the top of a Lewis and Clark exploratory run, where the subtle Northwest facing aspects were soft and smooth, but the Sun had crusted any aspect that it saw yesterday. Here is a shot of The Bookends Chute when I was passing by on the way to the Sunday Cliffs.

Perfect Powder looking steep and deep.
Malissa driving with the top down. It was perfect day to let the freak flag fly!

The Sunday Cliffs opened while I was riding up the Mineral Chair and we got to work 2 magical lines that were epiphanistic in quality and orgasmic in experience. It does not get better than that. In the front of the hill, ground pounding fun was prepared on all sides, with dry chalky lines of perfection letting you dial in any turn you chose. Tomorrow, look for another perfect day of Spring sliding on all sides of the hill. Be aware that all the South facing aspects caught a lot of Sun and will need a while to break. The Groomers will be offering still dry chalky quality that will be consistent top to bottom. Traffic should be light and max vertical will be easy to rack up. The High North facing aspects are still dry, cold and soft, so get ’em early. See you for the ground pounding fun.

“………Explode into SPACE”!!!!

SPRING POWDER

3-30-19

A perfect Spring Powder day was on tap for The Faithful this morning, as it was crisp, clear, and blue bird for the opening bell. Since Friday offered smooth wind blown lines on the High North aspects, today’s offerings were free of the substrate that had been lurking in previous days. Images and vids from social media signaled a day for the books and the hill is in perfect shape for the addition of this last installment. Having those smooth lines on most of the hill was a real treat and a very rare event.

Here is a shot of the East Twin glowing in that morning Sun looking fatty fat fat!! Tomorrow, look for more amazing lines, but be sure to stay ahead of the Sun for the best quality. The Groomers should be stellar on all sides of the hill and that new product will feel like a deep pile living room shag. It will still be a bit nippy in the AM., so dress for that, but be ready to dress down as the day warms up. See you there for the continued shred fest. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

POWER DAY

3-29-19

That stalled low finally made the move overnight and deposited a heapin’ helpin’ of Essence for The Faithful to enjoy. There was strong pressure for the Tram, so I used the Chair Option to access the upper hill and get some lonely lines away from the crowd. The quality was excellent, with high moisture content, but a very cold dry feel that made each turn feel luxurious. However, the substrate was in full effect despite the cushion and depth, and with the very limited visibility it was interesting encountering the variations as they came. Lots of folks were getting ejected due to the variability, but that goes with the territory. It was a great day on the hill, and the snow kept dumping hard all day except for a couple of lulls in the impulses. I left early as I was out of gas from a great week of ground pounding fun. Tomorrow, look for a better day for visibility. There should be additional accumulation overnight as the Northwesterly flow keeps the impulses coming. Areas that were not open today are waiting in the wings, and will be offering amazing quality. Traffic should be high, so use the Chair Options to get a jump on the push. I got my new computer up and running, but my SD card fell apart in 3 pieces, so that won’t work in the new machine. I lost all the new shots that I had planned to put up for you. I will be back editing all the recent posts with photos as I get the bugs worked out. Baby steps!! See you Sunday after my day off. Speed Safely!!

NATURE’S GROOMING

3-28-19

Nature’s grooming was the call for today, which offered amazingly wind buffed lines on the High North aspects that were of legendary quality. Not since the wind buffed event of 6 weeks ago have we seen such amazing lines offered for the opening bell. The Front had stalled and it’s move into the Front was delayed, so we go an extra helping of Sun to light the morning session. Sun windows would move in and out all day, but that first hour was amazing, with Mineral Basin getting in on the action. White Diamonds and Lower Silver Dipper as well as Lone Star got the treatment, which offered cold dry chalk that made those steep lines the next best thing to the natural smooth on the front of the hill. With the upper Primrose Path line buffed by the wind, Anderson’s Hill, and Lower Primrose Path getting the industrial smoothing, that rounded out The Big Smooth combination which kept me hitting the top to bottom pace to keep that back to back stoke going. The High North aspects stayed good to go all day long, with only the lower elevations getting a bit tacky. Tomorrow, look for accumulation as that front is poised to move in any time now as I write this. All those upper lines are going to be smooth from the wind work, and the interference patterns are mostly erased. The hill is in great shape and any accumulation will be icing on the cake. I got my new computer today, and I am still trying to pair all the devices and get it set up the way I want it. See you there for the freshies in the AM. IBBY!!

WIND BUFFAGE

3-27-19

The Sun was out for the first hour, with Mineral Basin getting the best light for the morning session. The wind was pumping out of the South West, and those High North facing aspects were really getting filled up with perfect wind buffage. Those steep North facing aspects were becoming smoother with each hour, and a couple of the numbered chutes were as good as I have seen them for some time. Even though these lines were getting a lot of traffic, the wind transport kept the lines perfect all day long. Even as late as 2:30PM. you could find exceptional quality on those filling lines. On the front of the hill, more big mountain smooth had been prepared, offering ground pounding fun top to bottom and it was hard to break away from those carpets of AHHHH. Clouds began to move in later in the day and the light went flat, and the lower elevations began to get a tad pasty. Tomorrow, look for a variable day, as the incoming storm seems to have stalled a bit and the precipitation is going to begin a bit later in the day. Those smooth lines from today should still be holding up and you will want to hit them early before they start to get worked. Avoid those South facing aspects, as they will be very difficult with the Sun working them for the past few days. The Grooming efforts will be prepared on all sides of the hill, and the snow that is tilled up into the mat is still soft, cold, and feels amazing. Just a couple of those due South facing lines may be crispy, so expect the variation. The hill is in great shape going into this weather event, so enjoy the storm riding. See the Line, BE the Line!!

HIGH CLOUDS

3-26-19

High clouds were moving over the Front all day long, filtering the rays, but let the details remain vibrant. Mineral Basin was the place to find the steep smooth Groomers that make you pay close attention to NOW. Those South facing aspects were very difficult and we watched many folks try to negotiate the Gnar on those faces long before any softening occurred. OUCH! On the front of the hill, wind transported lines had been blown in overnight, offering incredible wind buffed perfection that kept many folks working those lines all day long. Dry chalky lines were to be found all the way to the bottom, but as the day warmed up, those low elevation aspects began to get a tad pasty. Traffic was quite light and max vertical was on tap for the folks working the fast lane. The lights began to go out around 2 PM. , but visibility remained good. Tomorrow, look for another partly cloudy day. There is weather in the forecast for the next few days, so expect wind, and variable visibility. Look for more wind deposited lines on the High North aspects, but try and get an eye on it on the way up. Those Grooming lines will be good to go, with that still cold snow pack keeping most lines soft, dry, and feeling sweet. My computer was pronounced dead today, and I have begun the replacement process. I should be back up again soon. See you there for the morning shred fest. Straight Ahead!!!

CREAMY & DREAMY

3-25-19

The morning was bright and clear with a distinct nip in the air. All the areas waiting in the wings were the highlight of the day, with Powder Paradise starting out the fun. With all that dense cold product accumulating after this last cycle, most of the substrate was barely an echo on those aspects that were fairly smooth. Those due South aspects back there were still very difficult. Extensive Grooming efforts had been made in Mineral, with Dean’s Gully and Lone Star offering dry chalky goodness top to bottom. Dean’s Gully is such a rare offering, that working that line was a real treat and was attracting a lot of traffic. On the front of the hill, fresh machine work on the Primrose Path line offered that smooth carpet covered with just a bit of wind deposited dust that made it uber velvet. Regulator was perfect from the opening bell, and had a smooth dust covered feel that made it a real decision which line to choose. With the Sun high in the sky, those rays were going to begin to work the pack and staying out ahead of the rays was key. The Road To Provo opened around 11 AM. with a large group waiting for the rope drop. I opted to keep working the smooth lines stay out of the push. Traffic was very light, and max vertical was easy to get and keep the pace going. Tomorrow, look for another great day on the hill. Look for the Grooming lines to be the best of the day for the early risers. Perhaps some more of those rare steep lines will be reworked, so be sure to look at the Grooming report for updates on what got the treatment. There is still a lot of soft snow on the High North aspects, but the rumble is building quickly. These are the days to explore your inner Ligety, as full platform engagement make it a snap to dig deep for the juice. Lay it over like Ligety!!!

SPRING POWDER

3-24-19

Between 7 and 12” of Grauple covered the dance floor this morning. The consistency was quite dense, however, it was quite cold, so it created a bit of a cushion to mitigate the underlying substrate. Visibility was very difficult, as the clouds and heavy snow fall made staying close to the trees the way to get definition. I was sticking to the known smooth lines and I worked the machine worked lines on the front of the hill to keep the momentum going. I bailed on a tour of Mineral Basin, as it was hard enough to see on the front of the hill with the trees. Better visibility was beginning to occur around Noon, as the clouds began to lift a bit and the details became clearer. With the dense quality of the new product, the harbor chop began to build up quickly, demanding a slow, round, direct approach to keep from getting bounced around by the abrupt piles. Tomorrow, look for better visibility, unopened areas still waiting in the wings, extensive Grooming efforts on all sides of the hill, and much lighter traffic as we start the week. Look for the smooth lines for the best ride, and you can expect still soft snow on the off trail sections, though that substrate will still be in play. Entrances and traverses remain well covered, which makes all your favorite lines easier to access. See you there for the untracked lines waiting for the light touch. Straight Ahead!!

VARIABLE VIS

3-23-19

Visibility was variable all day today, with only a couple of window of Sun to light the day. A bit of overnight accumulation covered the hill and made the Groomed lines velvet smooth and sweet. Staying with the know smooth lines was the ticket today as you know you can trust the smooth of the prepared lines on all sides of the hill. Tomorrow, look for some overnight accumulation , with the Groomers offering the good lines to let you get a look at things. I will be looking to Mineral Basin to start out the festivities and get out ahead of the traffic for the morning session. With the warming temps during the day, expect some very difficult off trail conditions, so do some spot checking. Just a quick turn or two off the beaten path will tell you a lot. I am still working on getting the computer up and running. Sorry for the truncated posts. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

EXCITING GROOMING

3-22-19

This morning offered variable visibility, a sweet addition of frosting to cover the dance floor, and smooth Exciting New Grooming to add a bit of stoke for the morning session. Adager had been given the machine worked treatment for the first time is a number of years. The dry chalky product was the perfect consistency, as it felt velvet smooth, steep, and full on rock and roll. I did an exploratory out into Mineral Basin, where the visibility was very marginal, but I found smooth frosting that was vacant, sumptuous, and just plaid delightful. Staying close the the trees was key back there. On the front of the hill, the off trail was still difficult, with the substrate still in play despite the added accumulation. Some of the deep guts got a bit more accumulation and were the place to find some dialable turns. The visibility improved as the day wore on, adding much better detail and reference. I was still sticking with the known smooth lines to keep from getting worked by wide spread rumble. Tomorrow, look for a spike in attendance, a bit more accumulation, and that substrate still in play. Stick with the Grooming efforts for the best lines of the day. A huge shout out to the Grooming Crew for preparing such great shots and returning them to their big mountain smooth condition. A day does not go buy that I don’t appreciate how amazing that big mountain smooth is in the over all experience. My computer is still down and I am cobbling this post using a relic from the last decade. I will be taking the day off, so enjoy the goods and look for new and exciting drops provided by the Grooming Crew. I will also be back editing these posts to add photos when I get back up and running. Stay Frosty!!