The cold really held the day without much flex in the meter all day long. The Sun was shining, but the cold held tough in the face of it. Traffic was surprisingly light, with walk on Trams happening not long after the opening as folks got spread out on the hill. The machine worked lines were offering that dry chalk, but the cold snow made for some real sticky running. If you had put on the right wax, you were ahead of the game. Off trail was still soft and fluffy, however that cold element was still in the mix.

Wonderful formations in the pack shaped by wind capture the vortex energy in the storm. Tomorrow, look for more very cold temps, so dress for the conditions and keep exposed skin covered. My nose has been badly frost bitten in the past many times, so I have to keep a close eye on it even in more moderate temps. The prepared lines will still be offering the magic carpet ride top to bottom, and I expect light traffic as well, so back to back walk on Trams will be fun to get a lot of hot laps in. I’ll be looking around for some out of the way pockets and I’ll be checking out the smoothness factor of some of the un noticed sections. See you for the morning fun. Syrup Won’t Stop ‘EM!!!

It was a cold morning with a quasi Sun filtering through the clouds. Soft snow was happening on all sides of the hill, with new sections opening letting The Faithful get more of yesterday’s accumulation. Traffic was moderate, and the chairs were able to keep pace with the demand all day. The machine worked lines offered the kind of traction that we were dreaming about not that long ago. I am so glad it is here and the pack is becoming more consistent with each additional installment.

Here is a shot of Olivia Kennedy getting some of goodness as one of the new areas opened. She has a hard driving style that shows grace and power. Tomorrow, look for more cold temps, more Sun to be shining as the clouds clear off, and still some areas waiting in the wings, so keep your Spidy Senses sharp for the happenings. The machine worked lines will also be offering those dry chalky surfaces that let you dial in your inner Ligety!! Dress for the cold and see you there dark and early for the ground pounding fun. Stay Frosty!!

A solid dose of fresh essence was delivered in this latest installment, and it came not a minute too soon. The accumulation came in cold, dry and light, but later the accumulation became cold and a bit denser for some reason. I’ll have to inquire as to what was going on with the dynamics. Visibility was marginal and flying from memory served for guidance, while staying with the trees gave better reference for navigation. I was staying with the smooth lines I had worked on all week. Having a fresh cushion was a treat underfoot and made the turns feel much more substantial.

Vince was getting it all, though he felt the variability and kept the lines direct and straight to the face. It is fun to watch him turn with effortless mastery. Tomorrow, look for more cold temps, refreshed machine worked lines on all sides of the hill and some areas of goodness still waiting in the wings. Keep in mind the traverses and entrances have been dodgy, and I expect there to be some features you should keep in mind as you move about. Traffic should be brisk, so work the chairs for the best options. Dress for cold and enjoy the excellent conditions on the hill. Remain Standing!!!

From the Valley it looked like it was going to be sunny this morning with warm temps, however, there were some clouds hanging on the highest peaks. Those clouds signaled some very quick changes that were in progress as the opening bell went off. The wind was picking up and brisk, with the temps dropping like a stone. Visibility was good, but details on the surface were very difficult to discern and a cautious approach was wise. Great machine worked lines helped deal with the lack of contrast, however it was touch and go moving from section to section top to bottom. There were glimmers of Blue Sky, but the clouds fully filled in quickly.

Traffic was brisk to start, but got spread out quickly, leaving walk on back to back Trams easy to make. Who Dunnit had been given an extra special re shaping where the snow gun had been building pack, which offered some wonderful skate park type variations that let you dial through the contours with ease and grace. Tomorrow, look for much colder temps, snow in the forecast, and an increase in traffic due to the Holiday weekend. Look for the machine worked lines to offer the most consistent feel, with the off trail still having a lot of static and rumble, however, with some wind action the surfaces may begin to smooth and fill. Keep your eyes open for some improvement off the beaten path. IBBY!!!

Traffic was light this morning, which made the hill experience a study in solitude. All sides of the hill were prepared with machine worked lines that had that dry chalky feel top to bottom. The Peruvian Gulch was offering totally vacant lines that were smooth, consistent and totally dialable. That Anderson’s Hill-Lower Primrose Path line was epic, with wall to wall goodness and a dry chalky velvet that is as good as it gets. It gets deeper, it does not get better. I had to lap that line for the entire morning so as to extract as much of that rarity as possible.

Here is a long shot of the Peak from the Who Done It corner showing the cover on the upper section of the hill. Coverage is excellent, however caution must be taken to avoid some of the obvious features. Mineral Basin was great as well, with bright Sun, mild temps, and full on machine worked lines that let you flow the line to your heart’s content.

Kate Knopp taking a moment from a full morning on the race hill to enjoy a “slab o ‘zzah” on the Plaza before returning for more arcing the lines. Tomorrow, look for at least one more warm day before the temps drop ahead of the a cold front moving down from the North as part of that Arctic air mass that is filling the states. Look for more amazing fresh corduroy on all sides of the hill, continued light traffic and plenty of back to back walk on Trams to pump up the vertical meter. See you there dark and early for the hot laps and sweet lines. Dial it up, Lay it down!!!!

The temps were much warmer this morning, which was a real treat after this last blast of frigid air. The Sun was high and all sides of the hill were offering great options. I opted to hit the Peruvian Gulch to take advantage of those sweet machine worked lines that have been vacant with all the traffic going toward the Sun. Mineral Basin was also quite nice, with some machine worked lines that brought back the memories from last year’s ground pounding fun.

Perfect corduroy was on tap for the early risers, which let you dial in as much touch and go as desired. All those training days of sketchy glaze came into play with solid contact and perfectly tracking edges. Traffic was light and back to back walk on Trams were a treat with few folks on the hill. With the warmer temps, the comfort level was bumped up a few notches, making for a much more relaxed feel. Tomorrow, look for more excellent lines on all sides of the hill. Freshly tilled lines will be happening, giving you the option to dial in those top to bottom runs that gets your motor runnin’. I think the temps will be holding out for a bit yet before the big Polar air mass drops down going into this weekend. Stay Frosty!!

It looked like it was going to be a gloomy day during the drive up the Canyon, but The Bird was up above the cloud deck, which made for a heavenly scene from the peak. The prepared lines were epic with all that fresh product tilled into mat, which made the wide open lines good for unmitigated audacity top to bottom. Think Young and Lower Primrose were as good as it gets, with a dry chalky feel that was perfect, and transitions that let you take all the dynamics to the line. What a treat. It made all those training runs earlier in the season all come into focus.

Light traffic made back to back non stop Trams easy and fast. I had to hit those frontside drops to absorb as much of the magic as possible with no one around and no fast movers in the mix. Later, the clouds did move in, making the visibility go away, but knowing the pack was smooth and consistent made it predictable.

Looking for the pockets paid off with some epic lines still holding out for the intrepid seeker. The Jazzman got some serious goodness out off of Tiger Tail and had it all to himself. He’s not wasting any time. Tomorrow, look for continued great conditions, light traffic, wide open machine worked lines and still some pocket of goodness available with a bit of looking. Expect continued cold temps so dress for the occasion. The off trail is getting re worked again with rumble, static and interference patterns building slowly. Traverses and entrances remain sketchy, so move with caution. See you there dark and early for the hot laps in the AM. Don’t Forget To SIZZLE!!!

It was a very cold morning, with bright Sun, wide open lines and lots of options to choose from. The traffic had worked a lot of the hill over, leaving some rumble and static over most of the easily accessed areas, but the Grooming Crew did a great job providing some serious carpets of AHHHHHH, that felt great and offered that consistent response that made each turn feel delightful. Lower Primrose Path had been given a sweet till for the first time of the season, so I had to do some laps there to absorb that dry chalky goodness with no one around. Temps were quite cold and it paid to keep skin covered to avoid frost bite.

A clear cold look down canyon first thing this morning was a treat. Clouds moved up the Canyon and sent the visibility into a very variable mode around 11AM, so it was good to get a good look at what was what before it all went down. Tomorrow, look for more excellent lines all over the hill, with the Machine Worked lines offering that dry chalky consistency that lets you feel like every turn is magic. I still think it will be quite cold as the flow is out of the North, so dress for the occasion. Traffic should be moderate as it was today with fast turnarounds all day long. Keep it tight!!

The storm moved off and sky cleared for today’s powder Sunday extravaganza. This was the day everyone has been waiting for all season when the hill hits prime time conditions. The Faithful were in full attendance for the occasion and they were rewarded with amazing quality wall to wall. Mineral Basin was the highlight, with the Path to Paradise open, which offered smooth, fluffy, cold, dry powder that checked all the boxes. The prepared lines were also offering the full platform engagement feel that made every turn feel like hero turns.

This is a shot of Olivia Kennedy getting righteous Utah light and getting the first lines of the season. What a treat to get the goods and you got to know her spirit is soaring. The conditions were great on all sides of the hill and there was plenty to find with a bit of looking. Tomorrow, look for the cold to really be setting in, so dress for the occasion and cover the exposed skin. I will be looking for the machine worked lines to keep offering the smooth dry carpets, but still expect echos of the old layer popping up here and there. While this new installment had added extra cushion, be aware that the traverses and entrances still need to be given close attention. The Sun will be shining and visibility will be 5X5. See you there dark and early for the opening bell. Remain Standing!!!

The new Essence is really piling up and the call had gone out bringing the Faithful out for the event. There was plenty to go around, and with the hill in great shape, the new additional accumulation bumped up the quality quotient quite a few notches. With the coverage the hill has built, the line choice was much more wide open, however, there was still the underlying interference patterns in play on all sides of the hill.

The Bruce Tree standing in the storm keeping the music going as we all dance. Tomorrow, look for more accumulation on the hill. Keep and eye out for openings as they may occur. There will be a lot to choose from as things open up and I expect continued high pressure on the hill. Keep your ears to the rail for additions to the mix. Dial it up, Dial it in!!!