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!!
STILL WINTER
4-28-10 by dave