This morning offered the very first time the consistency factor hit 100% on the Groomed runs.  Even with my woefully tatered skis, I felt like I had a race ready tune, as the hydrovelvet felt like a deep pile shag top to bottom.  I actually got to dig deep and stand on the ski with a bit of audacity.  The wind was nuking out of the North, clearing the cloud cover off the peak as the first Tram arrived.  The Cirque Traverse was open for the first time this morning, with mixed reviews coming from the recon squad.  Wilbre Bowl looked like it was working well, though the entrance and upper section was reported to be thin and sketchy.  I am still going to wait for another installment until I venture out there, due to the extensive sections where the snow pack released,leaving just the thin layer below.  Over all, I think it is good to go out there with some care, but expect some features to negotiate here and there.  The stiff North wind was filling in some of the sections with transported goodness, making some of the off trail, special indeed.  It took a bit of exploration, but rewards were easy to find.  Tomorrow, look for continued smooth grooming, however the warm afternoon temps. thickened the lower elevation slopes, so there may be some crispiness to the mat first thing.  Perhaps we will see Mineral tomorrow. I did not hear any chatter about it today, and the wind was transporting a lot of snow back there, so it will be interesting to get a look soon. The mountain is beginning to come together, so  tomorrow will be  a blast!!   IBBY!!

There was a flash turn out for the first few Trams this morning, but as the crowd got spread out, the Tram line disappeared  for the rest of the day.

FIRST LOOK

I took advantage of the Little Cloud chair to circumvent the Tram line, getting a couple very nice lines down Regulator, which had 4 to 5″ of very light density snow, that resisted clumping into the harbor chop for most of the day.  The Patrol was working snow safety in Mineral basin, and this shot of the Basin shows the view before the charges were dropped from the helicopter.  Huge sections of the snow pack released with the control efforts, which left large sections of the Basin covered in debris.  Mineral Basin is rumored to open first thing in the morning, but there is precious little left  for tomorrow’s opening.  Some of the low angle aspects missed the damage of the slide debris, but expect to have to look around for a clean line.  The high traffic of the past couple of days has begun to develop some serious interference patterns in the  popular lines, with the most serious traffic coming from the Peruvian Chair.  The available traverses have improved markedly with the new snow, making access a bit better, though still touchy on some of the exposed sections.  At least the rock and root situation is improving on those sections.  Gad 2 is getting worked over on all of the lines, building the chop again, so be careful with the snags that are beginning to get uncovered.  Tomorrow, look for the the Groomers to offer some velvet smoothness.  Anderson’s Hill got the Grooming nod for the first time of the season, making that line worth a look on first Tram.  There is still some crustiness here and there, but it does not present much of an issue to the direct line approach.   Be there for the early lines.   Ciao!!!

After  I bailed on yesterday’s blue skies and fresh snow, I had hoped that today would have made up for what I missed, but a stout South wind had scoured Regulator leaving only  variable consistency, marginal visibility, and another fine turnout by the Faithful, but clearly the swell was blown out.  There was a slight delay on the Tram opening, with only Regulator open for the morning session.   At 12:45, the Peruvian Gulch opened, so I made a bee line to Rat’s Nest, to get into Great Scott for the first time this season.  The plastic carpet, the patrol placed in the upper section, was a welcome buffer to the rocks and the extraneous spleefage that inhabits that section.   Scott proper was very nice with the wind blowing all the cover into that exposure.  The traffic was brisk going into the entrance, so I just got out of the way as the fast movers dropped in without regard to the exposed scree in the upper section of the run.  Below the upper section the cover was quite good.  Extensive slide activity has stripped much of the Middle Cirque,  and many other high angle aspects, leaving the slope exposed down to the rocks, and depositing the debris down the slope to the bottom of the fall line.  There were sections that had some serious chunks and slabs to work through, so keep those in mind when you drop into some of the lines.   Gad 2 offered the best snow of the day, with boot top deep frosting that covered the dance floor, and smoothed all the interference patterns. Snow is moving in now, so tomorrow, expect more accumulation to add to the fun.  Check the road report for closure if we get a substantial amount, but I am betting on a good access morning.  The hill is shaping up, and soon all the sections will be open, but there is still much to be covered first.   See you there dark and early!!   IBBY!!!

Did you ever have one of those dreams, where you could just never get to what you wanted to get to?  I have these dreams where I am at the beach, the surf is picture perfect, I am ready to go out, and no matter what, I can never get to the point of paddling out.  Well, today was one of those dream days, where the Sun was shining, a mega dose of fresh Essence building the excitement level, new skis ready to make me feel like a rock star, but we just could not get to the line up, and when we did, all we could do was stare at the perfection unfolding in front of our eyes.  Here is a shot of Harper’s East looking dream like, except this is no dream. This is the real deal.  I could not find any where to park, the chairs were still on hold, and the faithful were standing around looking at the tubes pealing off in the line up, so I was relegated to drive back down the Canyon to watch the New England game.  What are you going to do?   The FB chatter indicated that the lifts began operation just before 2:00 PM and were going to run a little longer.  The Tram was offering just Regulator only to start, so an afternoon on the couch was a fine alternative.  The faithful will be having a great time, if the turns in this photo are any indication.  The density is still high, but the quality is very sweet and tasty, so there is no doubt that the day was worth the wait on all levels.  A big THANK YOU to all the snow safety folks,  grooming crew, and everyone who worked so hard to get things started in this most unusual cycle!!

HARPER'S EAST

I will have a more detailed assessment for tomorrow, as I get a first hand look at the hill up close and personal, as opposed to a frustrating tour of the parking lot looking for a landing spot….., but…… NO!   Tomorrow, my dreams, and yours will come true!!  Peace Out!!

Just like shots of Tequila lined up on the bar, the impulses are lined up to make us drunk with the Essence.  I will be falling off the stool before this is all over.  The Trailer was rocking hard in the prefrontal wind, and the rain was insistent on the skin, signalling that the hill was getting hammered again, even though Mr Weather Presenter said it would come mid day.  I am not going to complain about the timing, however, the rain did  turn to snow on the bench at 2:30PM, so I guess they were right about that.  From the chatter that I was hearing, the chairs were opening as available, with a large turn out of the faithful to partake of the goodness.  The Canyon will be closed in the morning, so plan on a wait, especially as it is still coming down hard here at the Trailer as I write this, so check the road report before heading out.  Conditions?  It’s going to be big.  Many lines are going to be good to go now, that were less than advisable just the other day. So here we are, standing on the threshold of a dream.  I will see you there when I can casually arrive.  Ciao!!

The first Tram went off on time this morning, with a 20 Degree temp, and a strong wind blowing out of the North .  Visibility was vague at best until you got below the first 500′.  The wind had blown the sections smooth, featuring some of the best carvelicious texture of the season, punctuated by blown clean sections of glaze that made it that much more interesting.  Over all, the icy sections were sparse, and well cushioned by the fresh Natural Grooming, making today another solid step toward that picture post card that we know and love. The forecast is for some snow tonight, with  the next installment moving in tomorrow mid day,  so we are in the zone.   What an exciting time it is to be here.  I have been going off trail, skiing runs I have avoided, and while I have nicked a couple of rocks here and there, the cover is improving quickly, though some of those heavily bumped lines still remain well defined, but have been much more negotiable  with the wind filling in the troughs.  Keep an eye out for Mineral to open tomorrow. It is just a hunch, so keep an eye out.   I still have not even looked into Rat’s Nest to see how it looks, but I will be taking a look soon as we get this snow worked in.  I want to be surprised instead of terrified.  It has been getting some traffic, so it must be improving, especially since thy installed that plastic carpet on the upper section.  I will be off tomorrow for R and R, so I’ll see you  Sunday.  Peace Out!!

Faithfully in attendance.

The first real solid installment of freshness was delivered overnight, which drew the Faithful early for the first tracks.  The warm temps of the morning, coincided with the high density, Spackle like quality, which was the perfect quality to cover, and stick to the existing snow pack.  I skied lines I would not have skied yesterday for any reason.  Today it was a new ball game.  The energy was super high, with the pent up energy being released in some fine displays of fall line commitment where ever you looked.  The other side of that feature is the need to be checking the surrounding activity to avoid moving into some one’s  full fall line assault.  Can’t blame them for committing to the line, so special attention is warranted.  There was an amazing amount of slide activity coming out of all the steep pitches, which had deposited some of the debris out on the open slope, featuring shrubberies and other assorted vegetation.  It did not present any real problem, but it did indicate the power of the snow.  Tomorrow, look for more accumulation overnight, with  the main runs being given the smoothing treatment.  Some of the high aspects were groomed by the wind during the day today, so the peripheral sections will offer some of Mother Natures finest grooming for the early risers.  The density of the snow was buoyant and luxurious, with out the stickiness that such moisture content might indicate, so the conditions have moved into another level entirely.  Gone is the skittering and sliding, hoping for some traction, now you can dial the line and arc the turn-  Thank You!!!  I forgot what that felt like.  See  you in the AM. as we get to knock the air out of another batch!!! IBBY!!

It was nuking on the Peak this morning, with much warmer temps., ahead of the front.  The tenderizing efforts helped the snow pack, but there were still many glazed spots to negotiate top to bottom.  The Guns had produced some nice Gun Powder on Regulator, making the break over section velvet smooth as the wind blew the product around.   Mineral was closed today, but that was not going to be anything special anyway.  Tomorrow, is  toss up.  I’m thinking, let the Essence come as it will, check the road report early, and look forward to the beginning of something good!!!  Remember the reefs are stripped bare by today’s high winds, so they will be in play underneath the next installment, just keep them in mind.  It will be nice to look forward to additional terrain to become available, as safety permits.  I will have a more detailed assessment when I see what we get.   I got to meet BOSCO   ” THE LAND LINE” , who was the song writer for Milli Vanilli, back whenever, today!!   Here is a shot I took on the Tram. We had a spirited discussion about the fact that no one can make a turn for you.  You have to go top to bottom your self.  We agreed, and tore up the run!!  Good times!!  IBBY!!!!

BOSCO " The landline"

It was 8 below Zero this morning with just light wind.  Significant tenderization efforts had improved the dance floor immeasurably.  Regulator was still firm, but had some sumptuous Gun Powder, which had wafted well down the slope to provide some nice turning.  I slowed way down at this point to get as much of the velvet goodness as possible.  The low temp. really required covering the exposed skin.  I got a bit frost bit yesterday, so I was not going to just ignore the hazard.  With the sunny skies, the visibility made sojourns out to the more peripheral lines more rewarding.   The little snow helped soften the ride, though the under current was still bouncing me around a bit.  I have no idea about the timing on the forecast for the snow arrival, but it seems we will be getting a little at a time.  I have been paying special attention to the reefs that are now exposed, especially in Mineral Basin, so that I know what to stay away from.  The snow in the Cirque looks very nice, but the access is tricky on the traverse and the Rat’s Nest entrance.  Also, remember how rasty upper Silver Fox is right now, and new snow will just mask the grater!  We are in for some real fun in the near future, so stay tuned.  See you on the Bucket!!   Peace Out!

I left the trailer early this morning just ahead of The Wall Of Voodoo, which was moving across the Valley as I gained the bench area.  There was just a light dusting of the lightest Essence on the parking lot, with the snow fall hitting hard as I parked.  The peak was Zero degrees, with the wind blowing hard,  more snow on the Plaza than on the peak, and visibility that was marginal at best.  Tenderizing efforts were sparse and the overall snow pack was like powdered sugar on polished marble.  I am not going to sugar coat it; it was difficult and tested all of my skills in dealing with the glaze.  The lower Men’s Downhill Chute was particularly wild as I put on the brakes before cresting the drop only to find no bite at all.  I felt like a Pig On Ice trying to gain a purchase on the glaze to deal with the situation.   Regulator Johnson was also very glazed, with almost zero visibility, and only one pass of tenderizing to get an edge into, if you want to call it that.  The storm was fast moving and did not deposit much, so tomorrow will offer continued slick and tricky conditions, though the visibility might be a bit better.  I went out to Powder Paradise to check  that line out, only to find the the continued slickness resident out there as well.  The off trail out there looked rough and not inviting at all.  This week promises much more accumulation, so I look at this as a transition day going into the pattern we have been waiting for.  I have faith in the Promise of the Wasatch!!!  Be on first Boat for the best of the day.   IBBY!!!