It was 20 Degrees on the peak this morning, with bright Sun bathing Mineral Basin. The front side of the hill was very crispy, though tenderizing efforts had been implemented giving some tooth to the runs, but any variation from those worked lines left you skittering for purchase. Mineral Basin was really perfectly soft on the East faces, with the South facing aspects holding off for a bit. Very little traffic made the back side a treat, and I could not help thinking of the days before the Mineral Chair, where to venture back there was a full on back country exercise. Here we get to lap those dreamed of lines with lift service. These sections were so sweet in some areas, I slowed way down to get as much of the perfection as I could, reflecting back on the old days when this was a dream. So good!!! The front of the hill held off softening for quite some time, with the breeze keeping the ambient temps from building up too fast. Toward Noon some high clouds began to fill in, filtering the Sun’s rays, holding off the softening a bit as well. Regulator was still bullet proof when I left to work on the antenna array, which is still off kilter from the high wind of last week. Tomorrow, look for some weather to be moving in, so expect overcast skies, and perhaps some precipitation to begin at some point in the day. Once again, the off trail is still very difficult in the frozen state, and I do not expect to see too much in the way of softening if that cold front moves in. All the soft snow from the last installment is worked over and has been affected by the warmth, so it is very tough sliding to be sure. Here is a shot of the big dance floor out on Mark Malu, where you can drop the line with all it has to offer, here, looking very smooth and rippable. See you for the early runs. Peace Out!!
SWEET CORN
4-30-12 by dave