It was a sunny and warm morning, with wide open groomers that were smooth and consistent top to bottom. Being the shortest day of the year, the light was a tad flat, but there were reflections lighting the dance floor from Superior across the street. Here is a shot The Chef sent of his Solstice sculpture in his garden. The sun is right there on the money. There was still quite a bit of pressure for the hill, with all the snow we have had, so I worked the chairs to get up and around quick and easy. Here is a shot of the Bingham Mine across the Valley in the early morning light.

The Groomers were offering very carvey carpets that let you dial in some solid turns, but it was still quite firm from the high density product that was just delivered. That was great material to build the base and has filled in a lot of terrain, which is beginning to look inviting. High amplitude interference patterns have developed in the high traffic areas on the upper mountain, requiring full attention through the sharp transitions. I was sticking with the smooth and fast for consistency.

Tomorrow, look for some weather to be moving in for the day with light snow showers and some light accumulation. Visibility will be at a premium, so stick with the smooth for the best ride. See you there dark and early for the morning shred fest. IBBY!!

The temps were very mild this morning with a high cloud deck obscuring the morning Sun. Winds were calm and visibility was good, however, the light was quite flat to start out the day. The Grooming Crew did a great job preparing the main lines, which had a nice soft pile carpet feel. Even though the light was flat, the prepared lines were trustworthy and fast. I ventured off trail to test the consistency, finding the dense accumulation from yesterday had set up quite a bit and was rough and bouncy. I bailed back for the smooth to dial in the high edge angle turns. Jake sent this shot of the Tram from an interesting vantage point.

The traffic was brisk, but the chairs were handling the flow and waits there were short. Tomorrow, look for improving weather as the last of the weather moves East. Great Grooming will be the treat of the day, but look off trail for some sections that might have been missed. The off trail consistency may be a tad grabby. Gad 2 was looking much better from the peak perspective and I will be headed over that way in the AM to get a closer look at the cover. Speed Safely!!

It was a cool morning on the hill, with high clouds in the sky, which filtered the Sun a bit. The Groomers were off the chart smooth, with full dialability underfoot. Still, there are some slick spots here and there. Here is a shot of Tomi Mc Carthy from yesterday when a Sun window opened up.

Today offered a much better look at the hill and how the pack is shaking out. I will be getting a first hand look at it tomorrow, but I am fully going to break out the new sticks. Here is a shot of Mike McCarthy getting one of the pockets on the hill that still was as good as it gets.

Tomorrow, look for a great day of fresh snow on the hill. The Groomers are going to be even more consistent with a second till, more off trail to be found, and warmer temps. See you there for the dark turn in the AM. Straight Ahead!!

After a delayed start of the storm, nature served up a heapin’ helpin’ of goodness overnight, with very cold, dry, dense Essence going a long way toward covering the old layer. The Faithful were in full attendance early on and were all so stoked to get back on the hill where the goods were waiting. There were hoots and hollers echoing in the air as The Faithful dialed in full on turns in the deep accumulation, which delivered that full platform engagement I have been craving. No slip, no slide, just full on power turn after turn.

Pressure for the goods was stout, but thinned out a bit as folks got scattered on the hill. The Sun began to show windows of light in the post storm skies. Here is a shot I took of Mineral Basin when I reached the top of the Little Cloud Chair.

Tomorrow, look for lots of great turns on both sides of the hill. The off trail should be going off, with the high density product cushioning the old substrate, and filling in the rumble and static. The Groomers will be offering perfect carpets of AHHHH for the morning session, and the consistency of the snow will be preserved by the very cold temps in the clearing air. Dress for cold.

Flyin’ Brian Beck and Mikey M hosted the first Pizza tasting party of the season, which featured never before tasted super thin crust in this cast iron pan format. It was sooo good and delicate that it was impossible to eat just one.

Have a great time on the hill tomorrow, as I will be taking the day off to rest up for the next week coming. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!!

It was a a storm riding day for sure, but the promised accumulation was delayed as the storm energy just did not seem to have the lift to get the job done early. Visibility was variable with blowing snow, clouds and lightly falling snow kept the details in the surface obscured. Staying with the smooth prepared lines was the best, as the Grooming Crew had done a great job making the mai runs consistent and trustworthy. Who Dunnit opened for the first time of the season, with fair cover, but caution was required down at the return stretch where an attentive and deliberate approach was recommended. The off trail is still holding some treasures if you go looking and the pockets are holding up from the light traffic.

Snow fall began to intensify as I left the hill at 1 PM after battling the visibility all morning. We’ll have to see how the energy of the storm shapes up the delivery overnight as the weather Dude is still predicting over night intensification.

Tomorrow, look for smooth lines on the prepared sections of the hill, still firm surfaces underneath the new product, and light dry accumulation to sample for the early risers. I keep sampling the off trail lines, but I prefer the smooth consistency of the prepared lines until more cushion is happening. See you there for the fresh lines in the AM. Dial it up, Dial it in!!

The temps were a tad warmer this morning, but it was snowin’ and blowin’ up on the hill, rendering the visibility a challenge once again. The Grooming Crew did a stellar job making the machine worked lines smooth, and that really helped maintain the flow line. Snow making efforts were in play on the Peruvian side of the hill, offering some very nice Gun Powder lines that felt good underfoot and added to the confidence factor.

I ventured off trail today, but the wind had stiffened up the pack and made some of the accumulated areas a bit punchy, so I headed back to the smooth and firm to keep the flow going.

After Noon, the temps rose up a bit and the visibility improved, which was a treat when you could see the details. Tomorrow, look for a full on storm day, as there is a front that will move in during the early morning hours and intensify all day, delivering, what we hope will be, the dump that pushes the hill into the wide open zone. I will be dressing for cold and wind and continued visibility issues. I will still be sticking with the known smooth for consistency and flow. The hill is getting better by the day, so we’ll see you there for a great day of storm riding. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!

The Trailer was coated with an Uber Light coating of Essence as I left for the hill dark and early this morning. It had snowed all night, leaving a few inches of perfection on the hill. The visibility had not improved as promised by the weather dude. I met Team Stoke on the shuttle bus, who were making their first visit of the season, and were ready to hit the fresh lines.

The Grooming Crew did a great job smoothing the pack, which was important in the continued variable visibility of the morning session. The Snow Making Crew was hard at work, with guns blazing, and building very large deposits of fresh Gun Powder for the morning offerings. It was such a treat to dial into those soft long tendrils of goodness. Thanks folks. Off trail was improving markedly, with the old layer beginning to be cushioned by the new product. Here is a shot of Flyin’ Brian Beck sampling the moisture content.

With fairly low traffic, there was plenty of terrain to explore and some of the quick off trail lines were shaping up nicely.

The visibility began to improve after Noon, but still had clouds moving in and out with continued flurries. Tomorrow, look for more great lines to be found with some looking and exploration. The Grooming and snow making efforts will provide very silky carpets of AHHHH that have been getting more consistent with each smoothing treatment. See you there, dark and early for another great day of early season goodness. IBBY!!!

More light Essence covered the hill overnight and snow fall continued throughout the day. Temps were a tad warmer, but the high humidity made it feel much colder than it was. Clouds, snow, fog, and blazing snow guns made for some difficult visibility top to bottom, with Regulator offering full Zero Zero visibility, which really pushed your inner vision to hold the fall line. The consistency was variable, with some of the old layer in play that made deliberate turns by the numbers the ticket to mitigate the variations. Those sections of Gun Powder were really sweet when you found the path of accumulation, which seemed to shift from aspect and elevation, but that made the search for the smooth very rewarding. Some of the gates reopened for today’s festivities, and the intrepid made their way in to the adventure zone. Here is a shot of Stuart taking his time getting into Rats Nest.

After breakfast I took another run to get a bit more perspective, but got vertigo when I worked the Regulator line. Here is a shot from yesterday, where Jake found the open gate that offered the goods.

Our lifetime friend Sully made his first day the day with the most snow. It was great to have him back on the hill for another season of Powder Frenzy.

Tomorrow, look for improving weather, refreshed groomers, which promise to be carvelicious, and low traffic. Visibility should be much improved, so you can dial your turns in without guess work. I will be looking off trail now that there is more snow and better off trail consistency. See you there for the festivities. Straight Ahead!!

The fresh foot of essence that was delivered yesterday was a wonderful addition to the pack. The density was not uber light, but was the perfect consistency to add some cushion to the ride and sweet softness to the machine worked lines. I went off trail slightly to get a taste of the feel and found it to be perfect and just what the doctor ordered. The storm clouds had moved off for the opening bell and the Valley was clear and vivid without the inversion layer.

It was a real treat to be able to increase the edge articulation and get more snap crackle and pop from the turns, but there were slick spots that were still turning up here and there that kept me honest, but I did get a good taste of full traction and that was a real stoke factor.

Tomorrow, look for a storm day on the hill as the next installment is poised to move in the the early morning hours. I will be getting and extra early start, and will be excited to be

working the luxurious lines that will be on tap. It might well be a free refills kind of day. I will be venturing off trail tomorrow, as I think navigating the guts of the sections should be good to go. I will be watching out for the high points and spines. See the Line, BE the Line!!!

Finally, after a patient wait for the goods, a coating of Fresh Essence was delivered by a long awaited front that pushed in and held on to the peak for most of the day. Temps were cold, and the new product was very light density, leaving that firm layer in play. Still, it was a welcome addition and The Faithful were on hand to enjoy the delivery. Here is a shot of Flyin’ Brian Beck sampling the goodness.

The precipitation backed off in the afternoon, but clouds hung on the peaks all day, preserving the quality. The Grooming Crew and Snow Makers will be able to work this additional accumulation into the pack, and tomorrow promises a much softer feel. I will be looking forward to dialing in a bit more articulation into each turn. Dress for cold as the temps are plummeting right now. I’ll see you there dark and early for the opening bell. Stay Frosty!!!