I got an early start up the Canyon this morning to get out ahead of the heavy precipitation that was moving in rapidly. I made it up there just as the storm was unleashing in a big way. On the hill, a full 8 to 10″ of high density grauple covered the dance floor, with the high wind smoothing the surface to perfection. I made the first off trail lines on the season right of the top, and all the features were covered and a bottomless feel to the pack made it feel magical. With very light traffic to start the day, there was no pressure for the goods and I was able to lap back and get re filled goodness top to bottom once again.

Here is a shot of my good friend Mark who heads up The Summit on Hidden Peak. It is always such a treat to share the vibrations with him in the center of The Vortex. Tomorrow, look for additional accumulation, as the Lake Effect kicks in with the Northwesterly flow. With the dense coating of today, some light Essence will be a perfect addition. I expect traffic to be fairly light, but I will be there early just to get ahead of any push. See you there for the fresh lines. Wildman would GO!!

The inversion was on the move today as the approaching weather system began pushing it out of The Valley. The Sun was in full effect, warming up the day and making the air look crisp and clear. Up on the hill, some clouds were hanging around on the peaks, and the visibility could have been variable. The Groomers were sure to offer that carpet smooth for the morning session. I took the day off to rest up after a full week of Tram laps, which worked me after a long Summer. Here is a shot of Neil’s first tracks on The Cirque yesterday. His are the ones on the left as he was right there for the rope drop.

Tomorrow, look for a storm day as the system will be moving in. Look for the Groomers to be offering the smooth in variable visibility, with the off trail still well covered, but the static is in effect and will take a bit to cover it up. See you there for the storm conditions. Straight Ahead!

It was a clear morning, with perfect groomers prepared for the Morning Crew on both sides of the hill. The Grooming Crew did an amazing job of making the mat more consistent as they reworked it top to bottom. The Cirque Traverse opened with soft snow on top of a consolidated pack. I stayed with the Groomed lines today, as I am still working on my stamina during these early days. Here is a shot of the scene in Mineral Basin with the inversion holding clouds in the Heber Valley.

Traffic was very light, and back to back Trams were fast and fun with no waiting. It was a perfect day to dial in maximum vertical. The off trail was still very variable over all, but those lines off the Cirque Traverse certainly did look inviting. Tomorrow, look for another great day for the morning session, with top to bottom carpets of ahhhhh, still soft lines to find out on the Traverse, and fairly light traffic.

Here is a shot of some bark on a tree in the outer areas. I will be taking the day off tomorrow, so get the goods for me. I’ll be back on Sunday. Storms are moving in, get ready!! Stay Frosty!!

A few inches of fresh frosting covered the dance floor this morning, with both sides of the mountain open for line choices. With the new coating the off trail was much improved, but there was still some variability from aspect to aspect. The groomers were silky smooth, like frosting a cake with a paper knife. Traffic was light, and back to back Trams were fun, fast, and open. The moisture content of this installment was fairly high and it did not take long for the harbor chop to build up, and by 1PM it was just too much for my knees so I bailed.

Tomorrow, look for refreshed groomed lines that will be offering perfect carpets of ahhhh for the early risers. We’ll have to see if additional accumulation happens overnight, but the hill is in great shape non the less. See you there for the morning festivities. Remain Standing!!!

It was a lightly attended but exuberant First Tram this morning, as the Sun was coming up with some clouds in the distance. More great grooming efforts made the opening push fun, consistent, and fast. With this reworking of the hill, the variations were much more consistent and the rollers were smoother, making the line choice more wide open. Here is a shot of The Bingham Mine across the Valley in the rising Sun.

After 1PM, The Peruvian Gulch opened quietly. I was on hand for the opening and it was great to have relaxed pace. The off trail looked very punchy, as it had been sitting for a long time, so I opted to stick with the machine worked lines which were smooth, dry and chalky top to bottom. Think Young had been given a fresh till and was fat and full. Tomorrow, look for both sides of the hill to be open. There were reports of some soft pockets in the off trail areas, so go in expecting variable consistency. The machine worked lines will be good to go top to bottom. Straight Ahead!!!

The Sun was shining, the carpets were smooth and wide, and the traffic was light for the opening bell. With the Sun shining, the visibility was perfect, and the snow guns were blazing on Regulator, which provided some granular gun powder that made the turns a bit more luxurious under the wash. Here is a shot of the corner gun.

Coverage remains excellent on the open runs, and the smooth is holding up all day long with the light traffic. Trams are running casually, and making back to back Trams is easy, but there is plenty of uphill capacity to get maximum vertical. It was a great day to work on stamina, and line choice. Those high relief terrain features are still prominent, so expect to negotiate the variations. I stopped in to The Summit at Hidden Peak and talked with Elizabeth, who works so hard to make the Summit food so delicious.

It is always a treat to stop in and relax on the peak with such a great facility to enjoy. Tomorrow, look for more wide open groomers to help you get your mojo back. See there for the opening bell. IBBY!!!

The Tram was open for today’s festivities, making Tram Laps a full on push for vertical. The Grooming was excellent on Regulator, and the lower mountain was offering smooth carpets with great coverage. While the main lines have plenty of coverage, the terrain features are still highly defined, making you deal with the variations as the come up. Traffic on the hill and in line was light and there was plenty of room on the hill to dial in your turns. I was working on consistency and roundness to make the ride smooth and stable. Here is a shot of Rock Garden with the wind blowing the product around in the bowl.

Tomorrow, look for more great smooth machine worked lines. Peruvian Gulch is still being prepared and no word on access, but, in the mean time, the fast laps are good to go and you can get as much vertical as you can dial up. See you there for the First Tram. Dial it up, Dial it IN!

I emerged from the Galactic Portal yesterday, stepping into the middle of the corral, where Snoopy and Prickly Pete just stared at the unusual occurrence. Today was the first of the Season for me and it was a great day on many levels. Here is a shot of The Morning Crew suiting up for the day. We have been suiting up in this place for over 40 years and it seems like yesterday when we all started the journey.

Up on the hill, the coverage is excellent, and, with perfect mid January Carpets Of AHHHH greeting the early risers, it made it easy to get back into the rhythm of the turns like I had left it yesterday. Here is a shot looking up at Lower Pucker Brush with some control work tracks making it all look really tasty.

Traffic was consistent, with fast laps, great grooming effort, no ice, and sunshine to light up the dance floor. Around Noon the Tram opened with The Peruvian Gulch access. Here is a shot of Mikey M getting the goods on lower Silver Fox.

Tomorrow, look for more lines open with the Tram open. Regulator should be really nice with a fresh till, and The Peruvian Gulch should be open, but we’ll have to see. Expect smooth groomed lines, with the off trail offering good cover, but expect early season cautions. I’ll see you there for the First Tram extravaganza. See the Line, BE the Line!! P. S. I’m going to have to see why the photos are so small. Hmmmmm.