Amid the Twilight Zone times that have put time on hold, and changed the warp and woof of life, Nature continues as if nothing at all is going on.

Up on the hill, all is quiet and the pack is getting amazingly smooth, and there has been some significant accumulation, with more on the way. The Faithful are finding the AT touring wide open outside of the ski area, with Superior well worked over and ALTA worked over as well.

Here at The Trailer, I have been listening to the rain on the skin patter and roar now and again as these storms move in adding more to the snow pack. The season total is just shy of 500″ and I expect tonight to push it up and over the mark. I was doing some faceshot visualizations with Putney before all this went down, and, as I told him, you better watch out what you wish for, and we got it in spades with these continued impulses. I will be talking to the horses in the corral about all my wild eyed ideas, knowing that they will just listen and nod. As it should be, they are wise. I’ll try and get some up to date shots of the hill when I can get out and about. Shine on you crazy Diamonds!!!!

An old adage is that you live in interesting times. It seems that we have entered seriously interesting times indeed.

I will be posting as the current momentum becomes more clearly known. No Fear, Eyes Open, Straight Ahead!!

There was big wind and clouds scraping the peak with light snow falling all day. The visibility was, no doubt, interesting. I took the day off as usual, and, when looking up at the hill, I was glad that I was not there today. Here is a shot I took the other day as the weather was driving up the clouds into a frenzy.

Tomorrow, look for a partly Sunny day with winds continuing to blow out of the South. I will be looking for some wind smoothing, and, of course, you can count on the Groomers to provide that big mountain smooth on those big pitches. Stay Frosty!!

While the visibility was quite good this morning, there was at least a foot of flat light on the Dance Floor for today’s festivities. There was a stiff wind blowing and the temps were cool, so I put on some extra layers to ride the chairs. Mineral Basin was offering some very nice machine worked lines that were consistent and smooth, which was important with Zero detail on the surface. I took advantage of the low traffic to look around for some smooth lines off trail, but there was little to find, however, the High North is still holding the cold and was very workable. Here is a wild shot of the Sun trying to punch through the cloud deck.

Tomorrow, look for similar conditions to today’s offerings with more overcast. The Groomers will be offering the smooth consistent lines on all sides of the hill, and with no heat on the hill, the machine worked lines will be a bit more dialable on those South facing aspects. I’ll be taking the day off tomorrow, so enjoy the day and I’ll see you Sunday. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘ EM!!!

The morning was a perfect blue bird picture, with beautifully prepared lines on all sides of the hill, as a stout wind was blowing keeping the pack refrigerated, and light traffic on the hill. Mineral Basin had been given some extra love from the Grooming Crew, where steep lines had been worked that let you dial it up and dial it in. The front side of the hill was offering great groomed lines as well, with some North facing off trail aspects still offering fairly smooth lines that have been holding the cold and smooth now for days. Here is a shot of my friend Stuart, who has been on the hill since day one back in ’71. He seriously rips.

With the wind holding up all day, the pack was very slow to warm up, keeping the North aspect fast and fun. I went out to look for off trail smooth and found numerous lines that have been maturing with time and light traffic. Tomorrow, look for some overcast to be moving in as the weather is about to change for the weekend and next week. I have been employing my best visualizations to prime the Quantum Foam.

M & D are avid readers of the Site and I so enjoyed meeting them on The Peak. I know they had a great day. See you there, dark and early, for another shred fest. Keep it tight!!

There was a short window of Sunshine in Mineral Basin and The Morning Crew took advantage of the light to work the Lewis and Clark area, where the groomed lines were fast and fun. As anticipated, the South facing aspects did indeed take the heat, and, while the machine worked lines were very consistent, there was a distinct crunch to the mat. On the front side of the hill, The Peruvian Gulch was offering the best quality, as it seemed to be holding the cold and had a soft feel. Here is a shot of Provo Peak under thick clouds, while the Basin was bathed in Sunlight.

Traffic was very light, with walk on Trams going off all day long. The vertical program was full on and keeping a brisk pace kept the stoke high despite the flat light. The Grooming crew have been doing an amazing job of keeping the entire mat smooth and curb free, which is a very big deal when there is Zero detail in the surface of the mat and your carrying speed on to the flats. Thanks guys, makes my day. Here is a shot of Team Tennessee, who I met while waiting for first Tram. This is their first time at The Bird, and have been having a great week working the hill.

Tomorrow, look for a clear day, with Sunshine on the hill all day. It will be a very welcome feature, with the Groomers perfect for full on Rock and Roll. The hill is in great shape wall to wall. The off trail continues to be challenging, but a slow deliberate approach does make those lines dialable. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!!

It was a beautiful morning with just a bit of wind, incredibly smooth Groomers on all sides of the hill, and bright Sun to illuminate the Dance Floor. There were a few freshly worked lines that were rare and ignored, providing some vacant lines that kept me coming back for more. Here is a shot Jake sent of one of the last remaining sections that is rarely ever opened.

The Big Smooth had been prepared once again, offering top to bottom, hard driving fun. Got to love that big mountain smooth. Here is a shot I got traversing under the Bookends.

Tomorrow, look for more of those incredible machine worked lines on all sides of the hill, more Sun to keep the visibility high def, and light traffic to keep the mojo working. The off trail is still offering soft lines with improving consistency as it gets work over. The interference patterns are building in amplitude, but there are plenty of lines that bypass the issue. See you there for the dark and early runs. Speed Safely!!!

The skies were overcast all day today, with just a few open windows of Sun from time to time just to keep you hoping. The Groomers were wide, smooth, soft and ready for prime time, however, after the new installment, the mat was a tad punchable as anticipated, so care through the turn was important to avoid a tweeze. I was sticking with the known smooth lines that I had scoped out last week and they were still working well and kept the ride consistent. Mineral Basin was offering amazing groomers, low traffic and wide open lines. Here is a shot of Doc getting a nice powder pocket during a very short Sun window.

After Noon, the chop began to build up as the day warmed up, and I bailed to save my knees from the static. Tomorrow, look for a partly cloudy day, and there may be some overnight accumulation. I will be hoping for some wind work to smooth some of the higher elevation lines. Keep an eye out for some buffage. The Groomers will, again, be offering great lines on all sides of the hill. The mat will be much more consistent with the fresh retill of the mat, but I will be feeling each turn for those tell tale signs of the punch through.

See you there for the fresh prepared lines of smoothing that will be on tap. Perhaps we may see some better visibility, we’ll see. Watch Your SIX!!

With a scant forecast for this storm, The Faithful got a surprise accumulation of frosting on the hill. There was fully the 5″ the Bird site reported, but certain areas received a bit more. The Morning Crew worked the Lewis and Clark area, where the visibility kept the crowd away. The low angle lines there made the new installment feel deep and luxurious, with only a few hints of the substrate. Ski Patrol Gully opened, but the interference patterns there made the ride a bit difficult, but the new product still felt good. Here is a shot of Keith Bates digging deep and getting all of it.

After breakfast, the pack had been worked and the harbor chop began to build up, which made my knees scream. Tomorrow, look for a cloudy day, with some wind working the lines. There is still some fresh waiting in the wings and along the side lines. That old substrate is still in play, but may be mitigated a bit by the new snow. The Groomers will be offering the smooth lines, but they may be a touch punchable, so don’t stick your edge too hard to avoid breaking through the mat.

The first Pizza Night went off with another amazing sampling of off the Menu pies, compliments of Miky M of Barone’s Pizza and Kazoodi, who was turning out the traditional pies.

Thank you Kazoodi for hosting such a great gathering. See you on the hill in the AM for the smooth cruising prepared morning corduroy. See the Line, BE the Line!!

Yes, the technical vastness of the Future is a bit like having bees in your head, but, there they are!! And as such, due to a technicality, I was unable to post yesterday. Not much had changed on the hill, so I expect it will go unnoticed. Today was filled with clouds and wind as the next system moves in for the next few days. The hill is in great shape, but is in need of more of the goodness to soften the ride and freshen the pack. Here is a shot of the Twins I took yesterday with the Sun shining on the massif.

Tomorrow, look for a stormy day as the precipitation is predicted to be in play. We’ll have to see how much accumulation, but I don’t expect much until later. And of course, any amount really helps the feel and the spirit. I was scoping out all the open smooth lines on the hill and went out and sampled the substrate, which is quite firm, but the High North is still holding the dry chalk. I will be staying with the known smooth and I will be looking for the Groomers to provide that consistent, trustworthy ride that we have been enjoying all season. That is a super important feature when the visibility goes way. See you there for the morning explorations. Big Shout out to Mystic Media for having my back!! Stay Frosty!!