The Winter Solstice delivered the shortest day of the seasons, and the days will be getting longer now as we move ahead. It was another very gray day with very limited visibility and flat light. Staying with the Groomers offered the best consistency of ride, and staying close to the trees provided reference and some reflected light on the Mat. Regulator was very firm and slick as the wind has been working the surface and removing what loose snow that is resident there.

Tomorrow, look for a bit of snow to have fallen overnight. I expect the wind to be a factor as well. I will be looking for the Groomers to provide the smooth consistency I want in the variable light. The hill is in great shape, so look for some wind deposited sections around the hill, but they may be hard to see with the vis being so marginal. Dress for cold as the temps are predicted to fall with the passage of the front. Watch your SIX!!

The temps were a bit warmer this morning with a foot and a half of flat light to make the morning interesting. The visibility was clear, but the surface details were very hard to come by. I was staying close to the trees and was staying close to the nicely prepared lines on the hill to take advantage of the solid consistency that was in place. Mineral Basin had a bit of quasi light, which made laps back there fun, and with the super light traffic, made it feel like a private club.

Off trail lines were very stiff and I beat a hasty retreat back to the prepared lines after sampling several areas just to check on it. With the warming temps, snow making had been shut down, so I took advantage of the break to dial in some of the lines that had been deposited during the past days and found epic smooth lines that made me slow down to extract as much of the goodness out of each turn. Velvet smooth!!! Ohhh baby!!! Tomorrow, look for dropping temps and snow showers as a cold front approaches for the afternoon session. I expect variable visibility issues to be the norm and wind to be in the mix as the front moves in. The prepare lines will be offering the great consistency you will want under foot in the failing light. Remain Standing!!!

Hot laps were on tap today, with walk on Trams, delightful groomers provided on all sides of the hill, and some wind deposited dust to make the buffed lines just that much more deluxe. That Anderson’s Hill, Lower Primrose Path combination was offering a deep shag carpet like feel that made me just keep going with the top to bottom, non stop, boogie to extract as much of that goodness as possible. Mineral Basin was offering very nice lines with no traffic and wide open preparations.

Traffic remained light all day and hot laps were a full feature of the day. The Exotic Trees opened today with no fanfare, which left that prime opening to the few who were paying attention.

Temps. started out quite cold and I frost bit my nose again. DOH!!! The day warmed up as the Sun got higher. Tomorrow, look for another cold start to the day with some clouds moving in, so expect some visibility issues. The Groomers will be offering rippin’ lines right out of the chute and I expect that traffic will be light once again. It is going to be a rippin’ day. Stay Frosty!!!

Another Blue Bird day was on tap and I had Mineral Basin in my sights as I could finally see it in the bright Sun. Preliminary smoothing efforts were offering dry calky lines, and great feel underfoot. The off trail was a tad on the stiff side after having been hit with a bit of wind.

On the front of the hill, the Peruvian Gulch was offering legendary wind buffed perfection as the overnight wind transported product to dust the Grooming efforts. Lower Primrose Path was absolutely stunning with that chalk dust filling the half pipe. I just had to do Tram laps to extract the maximum energy from the hill. Traffic was light, and back to back Trams were fast and easy.

The hill is in great shape, with coverage holding up nicely with a dry, chalky feel, on most aspects. Some aspects have seen the wind, so look for tell tale signs.

Tomorrow, look for more great pre holiday conditions, with great Grooming efforts delivering elegant carpets of AHHHH for your carving pleasure, and lots of great lines to put together all over the hill. Straight Ahead!!!

It was a picture perfect Blue Bird day, with very cold temps., great visibility, soft fluffy snow, and wide open lines that let you fly to your heart’s content. This time of the season is best for snow quality as the Sun just doesn’t have the angle to work it like it does a bit later. The Groomers were offering amazing carpets of AHHHH, that let you dial in your inner Ligety, and experience that full platform engagement.

The hill is still fairly smooth overall, however, those sections that get a lot of traffic will be building the interference patterns and rumble as these clear days continue. Mineral Basin is offering the Baldy Chair, where Lewis and Clark laps await the Morning Crew’s close inspection and attention.

Tomorrow, look for continued cold temps, amazing carpets of AHHHH as the Grooming Crew works the mat into an even finer consistency. There is still a lot of very soft snow to find with a little exploration, so keep your eyes open for the possibilities. Dress for the cold and keep the bare skin covered. My nose has just recovered from a frost induced dermal renewal. I got a special face shield for the problem. We’ll see if it works and not fog up my goggles. See the Line, BE the Line!!!

The day dawned sunny and cold this morning as the storms had moved off. There was an early push for the goods, and the Faithful were stoked to get after all the possibilities that were waiting up on the hill. The extreme cold made the snow sticky and grabby despite the Blue Toko wax, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm on the hill.

Mineral Basin opened and that pulled the majority of The Faithful who were focused on the deep, leaving the front side wide open for those who chose to find the delightful pockets that were now obvious in the bright Sun.

The Road to Provo opened as well and was offering insane quality that has been developing during the cycle. It was a powder treat wall to wall.

The Sun did begin to warm the air as it rose up higher in the sky, but did not bother the quality at all with the angle so low. Tomorrow, look for continued amazing conditions to be on tap, with plenty of options to get after. I expect fairly heavy traffic, so be early and get ahead of the crowd. Visibility will be great once again, letting you be able to spy the pockets and lines that will still be waiting for you. Dress for cold, as it will still be plenty crisp. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!!

There was 5 or more inches of fresh Essence deposited on the dance floor for today’s festivities. The temps were still cold, but not bitter, however, the visibility was very difficult and staying close to the trees was a help. The new installment was uber light as well and stood up fluffy all day without getting choppy. Traffic was pretty light and getting laps was easy and fast.

Where ever I went, I found great lines and an easy ride as the pack has smoothed out a lot, though there are sections that are maintaining interference patterns with the persistent traffic.

Tomorrow, look for more accumulation as this cycle spins out the last of the goodness overnight. There will be clearing and with that clearing will be coming much colder temps. There should be plenty of great deep lines available as new areas open up that have been closed as of late. With the cold, the quality will remain uber light and dream like.

This has been a legendary cycle and may well get us close to my Sept. prediction of a 100″ base by Christmas. Never know, we just might make it. Watch your SIX!!

More Essence was delivered overnight, adding to the pack, the softness, and the stoke on all levels. This product was uber light, which let you powerblast effortlessly through the most cut up sections. Face shots were still available in the many areas that are still sporting some big pockets. Mineral Basin opened after Noon, which offered totally blower, neck deep lines that are what dreams are made of.

As the day progressed, the pack started getting worked, however, it retained the light buff feel that let you experience full platform engagement, letting you feel the dynamic through the entire turn. BLISS!!! I really felt like I was able to make a few real turns and it felt great to dial up the juice.

I stopped in at The Summit on Hidden Peak to await the opening of Mineral Basin. It is such a great environment to soak up the Teluric Energy of the Mountain and share the stoke with folks.

Tomorrow, look for the flow to have delivered even more uber light Essence to the hill. The visibility will still be variable, so stick with the trees for the best reference and detail. Traffic should be moderate and there is plenty of back to back uphill capacity on the chairs that keeps you in motion. Nice for racking up the Vert. We may get a bit of a break as the storm begins to move off. Dial it up, Dial it In!!

The storm is still flowing around the Low Pressure, which has been delivering ultra light Essence that is as good as it gets. The hill is in great shape for these additions with the substrate holding a smooth consistency just about wall to wall. Traffic was brisk, but, with the opening of Mineral Basin, the Tram line moved rapidly and folks got to sample a lot of the aspects on the hill.

Visibility was variable, however, there were windows of clarity here and there, which made for a good look at the hill.

Tomorrow, look for another stormy day as the flow continues. The quality will remain amazing with even more accumulation as the impulses keep bringing the goodness. There are still areas waiting in the wings, but, with all the new snow, you won’t have to look far to get your own slice of heaven. Remain Standing!!!

Today was an epic power day with all the elements that come together to deserve the word epic. The Canyon was closed overnight and The Faithful were ready to get after the goods when they got the go sign. The mountain opened in order as it does in such cases, which provided deep sumptuous Essence that made all the anticipation worthwhile.

I’ll just let these two images do the talking about the day. Tomorrow, look for more accumulation overnight as the wind changes and we get the wrap around flow out of the North. There is still plenty of totally fresh lines still waiting in the wings, so if you missed today, you haven’t missed it yet. It is going to get quite a big colder with the flow change, so dress for the continued stormy conditions. Check the Bird site for all updates and access to road conditions. Stay Frosty!!!