LAKE EFFECT

4-02-10 by dave

Friday morning offered the faithful a heaping helping of the kind of snow that made Utah world famous.  7 to 10” of ultra light fluffulecence graced an already perfect foundation.  The West facing was a bit wind affected, though it was smooth and consistent, offering no weirdness that can be characteristic of that kind of wind assault.  The North and East facing were blower deep with face shots of legendary quality.  Of course, the faithful were in full attendance to take advantage of the long sought after treasure. They were not disappointed in the least.  With the Tram backed up, I opted to access the higher elevations via the chairs, which were walk on clear and quick to the top.  Mineral Basin opened shortly before 11:00 AM. with incredible smoothness and gently accumulated freshness.  This event did draw some of the traffic from the Tram, though the pressure remained consistent until the Tram went down with problems of an undisclosed nature.  It must be noted that Park City, The Canyons, Solitude, Brighton, and Alta also experienced issues with the lifts as well.  What was up with that?  One of the very nice features of this cycle is the smoothing effect the wind had on almost all exposures, literally erasing the hard corps bumps that had been wide spread on the heavily trafficked shots, as well as the low amplitude rumble that existed in most open areas.    More snow is in the forecast for tomorrow, promising continued additions to the already stellar ride that has been developed with this last installment.  Entrances are regaining their usual reliability, making previously sketchy drops much more realistic.  Continued pressure will continue all weekend, so consider the chair options that really are a much better play than waiting for 4 of 5 Trams.    Just a thought.  The Sun was out in force today, but clouds developed as the day warmed up a bit mitigating the full force of the radiant effect, so I think the over all winter like quality will have been maintained, making shot selection a no brainer.  We have  a great cycle going, it seems like we are in the cross hairs for the next while.  Enjoy!!!   IBBY!!!

One Response to “LAKE EFFECT”

  1. Brian Hill says:

    I was here today and it was epic for a clear day. I am new to your site and will look forward to more…

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