Archive for February, 2023

FAST MOVIN’

2-28-23

A fast movin’ front charged through The Front last night delivering a heapin’ helpin’ of medium density product, which came in with high wind, thunder snow, and an excellent addition for today’s festivities. It is so great to have all this fresh snow ahead of the next installment which is on the door step.

I love to chill in The Summit with the full on raging storm happening outside. These fans turning is hypnotic!!

The hill is in amazing shape, with the rumble and static well cushioned after this last added soft addition. Tomorrow, look for more snow, and a full on storm day as the core of the Low Pressure moves through. I expect a very interesting day, and I will be dressing for extreme weather. I am looking for a free refill situation, which gets better as the day progresses. The epic season continues and there is more upstream. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!

WIND WORKIN’

2-27-23

The wind was workin’ up a storm today, with the moderate snow fall being blown around and moving rapidly. Visibility was a definite issue, with swirling eddies that dropped details to Zero at times. I was working the tree lines to take advantage of the collecting qualities along these aspects to find deep transported snow that took the bottom rumble out of play for a bit. Wide spread rumble and static were very crunchy where there was insufficient depth to cushion the ride, so I was using the averaging technique to mitigate the variables. The new 5 or 6″ of fresh Essence was a treat for sure, and Mineral Basin was on the receiving side of the hill for deep lines.

My friend Stevo sent me this shot of Cole, from Boulder CO., getting fully involved in the White World.

While traffic was brisk, the crowd dwindled with the physical demands of the visibility and variability on the hill, and the lines just evaporated. I took a moment to check in at The Summit to bask in the Teluric Energy that is bouncing around in that structure. It is electrifying.

All of the geometries are present in The Summit and this image hints at the beginning of the search.

Tomorrow, look for full on storm conditions to be in effect. The Canyon will be closing overnight, so expect the usual delays in the AM. The incoming product will be deep, with a lot of high wind associated with the event. Staying with the trees will really be important with these kinds of conditions. Dress for weather and work into the day slowly…… and with feeling. Straight Ahead!!!

ON TARGET

2-26-23

The next installment is on target to move into The Front tonight, and my view from The Trailer indicates that is is moving across the Valley as I write this. There was a massive push for the goods this morning and I turned around as I was stopped by the Queue that backed clear back to 7800 at 7:30. It looked like visibility was an issue all day on the hill, with winds preparing the hill for the next application. This is going to be quite a week, with major accumulation expected, which will be pushing the seasonal total well toward, perhaps, a historic high. We’ll see.

The Chef is still enjoying the tropical gardens of Brazil, but he sends his regards to the whole gang on the hill.
The Chef himself in his SLC garden, which he tends with loving care.

Tomorrow, look for a full on storm day, and, with the front that is rapidly approaching with intent, expect morning delays. The recent storm accumulation will be smoothed over and will be providing great lines wall to wall. Be sure to check the Canyon access in the AM. It is going to be big. Wowza!!!

HIGH CLOUDS

2-25-23

High clouds shrouded the Sun today, making the light flat and the details obscure. There was lots of fresh lines to find with some areas opening after mitigation. The hill was getting worked with the traffic, so the rumble and static became wide spread. The Groomers were offering amazing soft lines of corduroy that were just perfect for dialing in some high edge angles.

Junior Bounous joined us for breakfast and gifted me a copy of his new biography. I was highly honored to have received this book and look forward to reading it.

Tomorrow, look for more great carpets of AHHHHH to be prepared on all sides of the hill. There may be some flurries as a storm is moving by to the South. I think visibility will be variable as well. I will be looking for some more openings so keep your eye open for those possibilities. More storms are lined up for the coming week, so check out your lines for features that you want to keep in mind when they get covered or filled in. Perhaps we’ll see some wind transport. Keep it tight!!

SOUTH WIND

2-24-23

The South Wind was nuking today, transporting product in large amounts across and around the hill. The game today was to guess where it was being dropped. With the visibility being variable, it was a matter of following a hunch. Some areas were stripping off, while other aspects were getting delightfully deep. Low areas and North facing aspects seemed to be favored, but the contours of the hill needed to be factored into the equation.

Monte solved the equation and found the deposited wonder. Good calculations pay off!!

The wind kept pumping, making for free refills all day long. The clouds would clear from time to time, giving us a peak at the details.

Plums of wind transported snow blowing into the Death Chute.

Tomorrow, look for great conditions on all sides of the hill, new lines filled with transported snow, and plenty of fresh untracked lines waiting in the wings. The hill is in great shape with much of the interference patterns filled in and out of play for the most part. I expect heavy traffic, so get ahead of the crowd and keep moving out ahead. IBBY!!!

BUILDING UP

2-23-23

The pack continues to build up, with this new installment really bumping up the volume and filling in much of the areas of interference patterns that have developed during this last pause in the action. Today was super deep and offered massive face shots top to bottom and wall to wall. It was the kind of storm dreams are made of and it was easy to live the dream today.

Gene Waymouth bringing the heat to a blower day!!
Doc dancing in the Essence on Baldy

Visibility was difficult at times and staying with the trees was important to maintain reference. So many of the further out lines offered rare smoothness and consistency, which was a treat after being on the back burner for some time.

Mikey M finding clarity and perfection out on Baldy.
Professor Tom floating in the goodness and keeping it tight.

Tomorrow, look for more great lines to still be coming on line as the hill opens up. The Groomers will be offering super carvalicious carpets of AHHHH, that will be easy to dial in your inner Ligety. Expect more snow showers with some intermittent Sun at times, areas still waiting in the wings, and amazing conditions wall to wall. More activity is upstream and will be moving in later in the weekend. As Joe Man The Snow Man says,”Don’t Skimp On The Groove Sauce!!!”

DEEP DUMP

2-22-23

It was a deep dump falling on the hill, with over 20″ of fresh Essence that changed every thing overnight. The Road was closed in the AM. and the hill opened to the delight of those who were there and ready to rock. I watched the Tram Cam from here at The Trailer and saw the walk on luxury the Faithful were enjoying and could not help but feel a bit jealous.

Mikey M driving with authority and blowing up the new product.
Diamond Dave throwing some high edge angles in the new installment.
Flash Conlon floating on a cloud and stirring the froth.

The Canyon road opened later in the morning, and it was game on for the Faithful who were waiting to get the goods. Tomorrow, look for more accumulation overnight, deep lines still to be found, and more lines waiting in the wings. I still think there will be flurries, with variable visibility, but the game is still on and ready for another epic day. More storms are in the line up going forward, so it is not over yet. See the Line, BE the Line!!!

INCOMING

2-21-23

Precipitation started a bit early today up on the hill, with big lacy flakes beginning to fall right at 9AM and started piling up quickly. On the hill, there was around 2 to 4″ of cold, dry, dense Essence that was grabbing the substrate, making the turns silky smooth with that creamy delight on top of the smooth lines. I was avoiding any areas of high traffic and concentrated on the prepared lines as they are great top to bottom.

Professor Tom dialing a fresh line of Essence out on Baldy when it opened today.

Visibility was marginal, with fair distance clarity, but the details were very fuzzy and needed close attention to averaging. Mineral Basin was offering nice smooth lines on the prepared sections, but the visibility there was much more challenging. As the snow continued, accumulation really kicked in and it seemed to get better with every lap. It was going to wait till later in the day for the cold front to move in and kick things into gear.

Fellow dreamers Doug and Madisson were livin’ the dream today with fresh lines and a fast moving line. I know they had a great day.

Tomorrow, look for overnight accumulation to be significant, with even heavier accumulation during the day. I expect Canyon restrictions in the AM, so check the Bird site for up to date info on all aspects going into the day. This is going to be a very large cycle, so take it in stride as it unfolds as it will. The hill is in great shape to handle this installment, and the Powder Dreams will come true. OH Yes They Will!!!

GETTIN’ READY

2-20-23

Today was a day of gettin’ ready for the next cycle, which is poised to move into The Front for the next few days with a large installment of Essence. We had quite a break in the action and all the elements are lining up to get the hill back in the deep zone. Today’s snow was very cold, dry, and dense, making for some excellent feel underfoot, but the rime icing was a real problem as it just froze over your goggles in very short order. I got a case of vertigo trying to maintain some visual cues through the glaze, but had to stop to scrape the lenses very frequently.

My good friend Chuck is my on the hill doppleganger, who gets mistaken for me often. His mustash is holding up better than mine.

Tomorrow, expect the beginning reverberations of the incoming weather, with wind, falling temps. and continued variable visibility. I went out looking around and found wide spread interference patterns in my travels, which will be covered by the new product. With enough accumulation, those patterns will become lost in the depths. The hill is in great shape and this is going to be a very exciting time to be on the hill. It was good to get a good look at the hill before the storm hits. Get ready for deepness. Stay Frosty!!!

FRESH DUSTING

2-19-23

There was a fresh dusting of Essence overnight, making for a bit of velvet for today’s festivities. The impulse was fast moving, but the clouds held on to the peaks for the morning session, making the visibility variable at times. The clouds moved off later and the Sun illuminated the dance floor for the rest of the day.

Jake sent this great shot of key members of the Morning Crew taking a diversion from the hill for a change of pace

Tomorrow, look for the new product to have been worked into the mat, providing velvet softness to the prepared lines. I’ll be looking for those fresh, smooth, carpets of AHHHHH to get the party started and stay out ahead of the crowd. I’ll still be dressing for cold for the morning session, but I think the temps will moderate as the Sun gets higher in the sky. See you there for the ground pounding fun. IBBY!!!