Wednesday morning was a beauty with clear skies, cool temps. and high winds on the peak.  The wind had transported some of the loose snow to the High North facing aspects filling in the troughs with very dry chalky velvet, making the off trail on those aspect quite nice indeed.  Mineral Basin was the first to dial in the softness with no waiting involved.  The front side of the hill had been worked nicely, providing perfect dry winter conditions down to the last 1000′, where lower Primrose Path had been given the favor of a fresh mow.  The consistency there was just lovely, having just a hint of granular essence that just felt like heaven all  the way down.  I just kept hitting that bit of wonder all morning before it went away.  Regulator was excellent as well after tenderizing had been done to give it some tooth.  The softening window moved up to about 10:30 AM with the higher morning temps, so the folks getting there around that time were getting the prime time.  Tomorrow, look for  continued great skiing with all the big drops fully filled and looking good, though you might want to wait a bit for the softening to kick in.  Follow the Sun, and that will get you the best of the day.  I have been redeployed to deal with yet another incursion of DARK ENERGY in the ongoing DARK MATTER WAR, so you can rest assured that the Galactic Defense is on the case.  Think of me in the AM. as first Tram leaves the Dock.   Ciao!!!

We dodged a hail of bullets over the past powder cycle, with the Sun remaining shrouded, only briefly peaking through the clouds to light our way, thus preserving the sauce for days.  With the clearing off, the Sun quickly began the spring thing, gumming up the product and making the overall quality less than optimum.  Tuesday morning presented definite issues off trail, with the light overnight snow fall filling in the troughs and barely cushioning the now frozen mashed potatoes that pervades there.  The Groomers were covered with a perfect skiff, giving them a beautiful satin feel with some of the hard glaze showing through in some spots.  Very light traffic had 20 minute Trams going off, enabling a full back to back program for the vert. crew that was there knocking them out one after another.  Both sides of the hill presented similar complexions, so it was your choice of shot.  I ventured off trail to get a sense of the feel and made a hasty retreat back to the smooth and reliable.  The wind was howling, refilling the tracks run after run keeping the ride smooth and rockin’.  Tomorrow look for a warmer day with softening a feature as the day progresses.  The Groomers will be quite glazed again, though be on the look out for some tenderizing efforts.  A delayed arrival will put you there as the softening is going off.  Look for the 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon window for  the sorbet treat to begin.  The freeze thaw cycle will begin getting us back to the spring corn cycle once again.   So far there have been No messages from THE BIG GIANT HEAD, as I have doubled up on the aluminum foil I wear to mitigate the constant threat of re deployment, so I hope to be participating on first Tram in the AM.  Hope to see you there.   IBBY!!!

And so it was that I throttled up THE GREEN TRUCK, slowly idling out of the drive way before engaging the hyperdrive  modulator to access the domain of the DARK ENERGY , where the forces of DARK MATTER were fully engaged with my fellow SUN FIGHTERS.  Back in the Wasatch, overnight wind had massaged the recent delivery into a creamier version of the special sauce that fell during this last cycle. The previously closed areas were opened for the lighter attendance of faithful, who were there to lick the proverbial BOWL clean .  Those lucky folks were truly dancing in one of the last bastions of fluffatudinous delight this side of Andromeda, and I should know as I passed that area about 10:30 AM. The high cloud deck and continued cold morning temps. kept things refrigerated and spreadable for the entire morning.  The high North facing aspects will have not succumbed to the rays of the spring Sun, but no doubt the infrared rays will be slowly cooking the product as we move into a freeze thaw cycle.  A dry cold front is forecast so tomorrow could present flat light and a bit more difficult crud, though the groomed runs will be really prime for high speed rock and roll without the hard glaze of the last corn cycle and the refreshed material.  There are new hours for the lifts, with the closing time being 3:00 PM and the Peruvian chair  now being out of the inventory, but the slower traffic should still leave walk on trams and, perhaps a 15 or 20 minute Tram schedule.  I have been granted another day reprieve to once again join my friends in the WHITE ZONE so I will be there early to, perhaps, fly the WINGS.  see you then.  In the mean time the SUN FIGHTERS stand ready to repel any incursions of DARK ENERGY into our domain, so fear not.  IBBY!!!

The canyon road was closed this morning for control work signaling things to come.  The Faithful where lined up and dreaming of the promise of yet another day of fresh fluffulecence.  They were not disappointed, as this installment was nearly Biblical in the shear depth and quality that was delivered.  I mean it was suffocatingly deep, truly bottomless deep, over head can’t see for the face shots deep, mid winter ski movie deep, all for the delight and burned memories of the assembled throng who wasted no time getting as much as they could access.  Mineral Basin opened at 11:30AM where it was so deep that even the steepest sections were almost not steep enough to get turns going.  Those with the specialized powder skis were having trouble  getting down, especially on the lower angle sections where trail breaking was required.  I rolled over a steep knoll, trying to get enough to carry me down the hill, when a section released and sloughed as I moved downhill. As I encountered the lower angle I was slogged down and got flopped over as the slough began to bury me.  You can bet that I was sweating the out come, but I managed to keep my head up and wiggle my way up and out.  With the very marginal visibility I don’t think my buddy would have seen me go under.  Baldy opened shortly there after with the full court press heading for the traverse.  Reports from that shot indicated that they got ” The Runs Of A Life time”.  What a day!!  Wall to wall extravagance, high energy out put, and the Sun remained shrouded all day, except for a few quick windows, that revealed yet untrammeled lines right in the middle of  sections that could not be seen due to the low visibility.  BONUS!!  Tomorrow, you can expect excellent conditions for the clean up crew, who will be able to pick up on the unopened areas with  a bit less pressure for the goods.   For myself,  I have been deployed to deal with the  first mission in the ongoing DARK MATTER WAR that continues unabated.  I can only hope for a reprieve once again.  ENJOY!!!

Saturday morning presented nature’s version of Hydro- Velvet, not to be confused with the machine worked version that the Cat Crew has dialed in, when the combination of density and cold snow temps conspire to create a sumptuous treat for the senses.  In this case, Nature delivered smooth satin consistency that filled in yesterday’s leftovers to perfection.  The chop features were still evident underneath the fresh sauce, but it certainly did not interrupt the perfectly accessible turn approach that, once again, seemed like ” frosting a cake with a paper knife’!!  Wall to wall goodness was on tap for the faithful, who were on hand ready and anxious for the first bell.   And they’re off!!!   The energy was high octane as the hoots and hollers were reverberating through the fog and continuing snow fall.  Peruvian Chair was once again open to help with the demand, with the Tunnel opened to Mineral Basin sans the magic carpet, so you had to hoof it to get to the other side.   I am sure this feature will continue tomorrow as well, so much better and quicker access is happening, though there are fast moving lines due to the demand for good Goods. Tomorrow look for more fresh product that is predicted to fall overnight blanketing the, already, cushioned ride.  All traverses and drops are in fine shape facilitating a full throttle approach to the line of your choice.  That is a very rare situation this late in the season, though not unheard of as late April and early May have historically delivered some spectacular deposits. Usually, however, they are quickly slammed by the Sun, rendering the sweet sauce a pile of mashed potatoes.  In this case, the storm cycle has held off the rays for the most part, maintaining the quality all this time.  Now that is unusual.  High demand is assured for the morning session, so be there early for first Tram, which might just go off early if all systems look good, so plan on that too.  See you in the AM.   Ciao!!!

The faithful were in full attendance this Friday morning with the addition of faithful from other regions who made the pilgrimage to the last remaining POWDER CENTER in the Galaxy, at least at this time of year.   The faithful were not disappointed as many of the cognoscenti deemed this to be the best snow of the season.  I would have to agree that this was undoubtedly the most excellent example of Utah’s finest, but certainly we had many days this year that rivaled this day.  Once again, how do you compare perfection?  Is one kind of perfect more perfect than another?  That is a deeply philosophical question that I will leave for you to answer, for only you are the awareness  of the experience, only you can compare and contrast.  I will go so far as to say that it was the quintessential definition of the colloquial expression ” STUDIO” , which is to say the condition that embodies the most excellent, sweetest, artistic, effortless, dynamic… well I could go on, but you get the point.   There was bottomless fluffulecence wall to wall, with only a rare encounter with the bottom.  The buoyancy floated your turns with out effort, and as the areas got tracked out the big pillows were providing continued face shots and full throttle drive lines. Mineral Basin and Baldy opened drawing the crowd away from the Tram giving relief to the front side of the hill.  The Peruvian Chair  operated today helping with the phenomenal demand for the goods, and I would expect that they will run it again tomorrow.   The snow continued throughout the day keeping the quality perfectly refrigerated, with explosive accumulation that insures another great day again tomorrow.  There will be more accumulation tonight adding to the depth and goodness.  Powder Paradise remained closed today, so we have that to look forward to as well.  All in all conditions are as “good as they get”, and I hope that you are able to get a taste of this little bit of wonder. I will be there tomorrow to participate in the festivities. IBBY!!!

Well, well, well, the Storm Chaser called it all right, so PROPS should be given to his keen insight in nailing Thursday and Friday as the days to be where you need to be.  The early morning Trams were fairly easy loading, but with the TWITTERS, TEXT MESSAGING, and CELL PHONE alerts going off it was not long before the faithful began arriving in force to sample the knee to thigh deep wonder of the Lake Effect Fluffulecence  that was cleverly disguised as 4” on the report.  That would explain the light turn out for the opening bell.  It was snowing so hard that visibility was an issue top to bottom.  The wind was blowing out of the North West filling the  respective aspects with super deep accumulation.  The light density did little to buffer the crunchy bottom, though the shear depth made that little feature a non issue.  With the solid base accumulation, all of the entrances are still good to go, and the traverses are still well covered making accessing the shots off the traverse quick and easy.  The storm kept pumping  in the product, enriching the quantity and quality continually as the day wore on.   The solid traffic will have helped bond the new product with the old layer improving the ride for the morning.  The Canyon road will be close at 6:00Am tomorrow morning for control work, and  my INTER GALACTIC DEFENSE connection has told me that they will attempt to re open the Peruvian chair to help with the demand for the late season mid winter quality sauce.  The forecast looks to be bringing more of the Lake Effect goodness for us, so look for another incredible day of Utah’s finest.  I spoke with numerous folks from the East, who had never been here before,  asking if this was spring skiing.  I had to tell them it was indeed spring skiing but with full winter tastiness.  I hope they were able to find their way around the hill, what with the marginal visibility.  Be sure to check the road report, before heading up in the morning, for access updates.  POWDER TO THE PEOPLE!!!

It poured all night here at the trailer after it stopped rocking from the pounding South wind, which signaled the arrival of some more fresh frosting for this Wednesday morning.  After the mountain had been fully baked by the Sun fest of recent days this was just icing on the cake for the very few truly faithful who showed up for the first Tram.  3 to 4” of high density, low temperature product covered the hill with the high angle upper exposures getting scoured by the brisk North winds that made today feel like mid winter.  The slightly lower elevations were holding on to the accumulation, providing a sumptuous treat.  Even with such a low total the bottom was only slightly in play with a beautifully cushioned ride.  Yummm!!  With such a low turn out the lines were wide open and remained untracked as the morning progressed.  Continually falling snow did not impair the visibility to any great extent and it continued to build up as wave after wave of heavy blasts rolled over the hill.  The off trail was benefiting greatly as the smoothing effect and low traffic worked to make ventures beyond the mowed areas inviting once again.  There are still some very large frozen goo balls out and about the hill so be aware of them as you work the hill.   A direct encounter with one these large pumpkin sized chunks would be unfortunate at the very least.  Tomorrow look for continued improvement in the conditions as the snow is forecast to pile up significantly.  The Faithful will certainly be making an appearance after blowing off today’s festivities, so plan on an early start to get the best of the day.  Mineral Basin is still looking good with no serious melt off and this is true of the mountain in general, where a full 100′ base is still holding up with no major reef breaks.  See you there dark and early.   Peace Out!!

When I arrived in the parking lot this Tuesday morning it was 43 degrees and feeling quite balmy with the warm air moving in ahead of the front, which is going to bring us a fresh installment.   Very nice tenderizing efforts had been done on the Peruvian side of the hill, making the morning session a rocker to be sure.  On the second run I tried out Regulator, to see if they had tenderized that pitch, only to find that that little luxury was conspicuously absent.  By the time I got half way down the steep section I was clawing and scratching for every thing I could get just to bleed off enough speed to negotiate the big sweeping right hand turn at the bottom.  I can tell you, that got my attention.  The flash frozen glaze persisted all the way to the bottom and I felt fortunate to get back to the tram with all my fillings.  The Gad side finally broke at 11:00 AM, when the corn goodness began making that side feel like a back country treat.  Mineral Basin softened first with the off trail offering deep carve-able consistency on all aspects, with the dust covered snow creating very sticky sections.  The entire mountain softened up after Noon, with the South wind building serious heft, that threatened to shut the Tram down .  Tomorrow promises to be rather interesting with the weather moving in during the morning hours.  We can not expect any softening of the underlying crud, and the groomed areas will have that glazed surface that will only be mitigated by the new snow.  Visibility will definitely be problematic with conditions very similar to last Friday.  All in all, dress for a storm day and expect challenging conditions.   I will be there to check things out on first Tram and will assess my enthusiasm level then.   IBBY!!!   P.S.  Check out this site by a good friend and seeker of the deep!  /www.powderchasers.com

The corn cycle has ripened to perfection with Monday offering various varieties as the day progressed.  The early morning peak temps were still brisk with a cold North wind still blowing, holding off the softening on the front side of the hill.  Mineral Basin went off first, pulling the majority of the light crowd toward the Sun and softness.  I took advantage of the empty front side to let my skis run on the firm but perfect surface that let me feel the arc and snap of every turn.  Yummm.   Regulator, Mark Malu, Bass Akwards, and Big Emma had been given the full tenderizing treatment to combat the crusties.  Avoidance measures to these areas was pleasantly unnecessary and provided very nice carve-ability.  The High North aspects resisted softening long into the day as the cold wind kept the ambient temps at bay.   Gad Zoom and Wilbre Chairs are now closed for the season, necessitating taking the Bass Highway back to the tram.  One could ski to the bottom, but that would require a very long walk with no shuttles servicing the Gad Valley.  The boundary   line is well marked on Big Emma and cannot be missed.   Tomorrow you can expect continued great sliding top to bottom, with the usual timing moving up with a warmer forecast, so a casual approach to the day is a good call.  I really like the morning motoring fest with vacant runs and knee friendly, though crispy, corduroy to blaze down.  The lower third of the hill is the only place you really have to put on the breaks.  Lose a ski and turf it going really fast would be most unfortunate.  I try to keep that eventuality as a cautionary note in the back of my mind.  Another great day is on tap, with a full 100” plus base.  How is that for this time of the year?.. Ciao!!!