This was the best opening day that we have seen in a number of years, with good cover on the open run and the Tram open with Regulator covered very nicely with no rocks top to bottom.  The stoke was palpable as the faithful pulled in to make the first runs.  The new pass scanners were super fast and I did not have to dig my pass out of my coat.  That was a very nice touch.  Last night’s snow fall was cold and dense, making the carving fun and consistent.  The man made base was well in evidence, but that sugary snow on top was a real treat that made me feel like I had never left.  The Sun came out and the wind was stiff with plumes blowing off the peaks all around.  Here is a shot of the West Twin with the accumulation beginning to cover the steep sections up high.  There was a slight delay on the Tram opening, so I took the opportunity to get in some laps on the Chair.  When I did get over to the Tram it was great to get back in the swing of things.  Here is a shot of a couple who was experiencing their first visit.  I know they were going to have fun, and how could they not.  When I got to the peak, the wind was stiff, but that kept the surface snow moving, which seemed to deposit some nice dust on the hard sections.  I was working the edges next to the ropes to get all of the soft smooth lines I could squeeze out of the available terrain.  Here is a shot of the Summit At Hidden Peak with the exterior complete and the work on the inside moving along quickly. This is the coolest place to hang out at 11,000′ anywhere.  I can’t wait to chill inside and take in the vista into Mineral Basin.  Tomorrow, look for fair traffic to be on hand for the first Saturday of the season, and remember there is only one run available with limited room to move.  The cover is very good but still look for some of the off the beaten path sections to have some surprises.  I skied off the right hand side of Emma and did not hit anything at all, but there was a bit of a zipper crust, however, that got skied out and was not an issue after the first hour.  Be there early for the best of the day.   See you there for the fun.  IBBY!!

This entry was posted on Friday, November 20th, 2015 at 6:21 pm and is filed under Snow Reports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.