Excitement was in the air from the very beginning today, as we enjoyed our first real weekend powder day of the season.

For many, it was the first chance to hit the slopes after a full week of hearing about the FOUR AND A HALF FEET of snowfall that’s blanketed our mountain this week.

Normally, news of nine inches of fresh snow in 24 hours would be ample enticement for weekend crowds.

Add to that a no-show December, bright and sunny weather for the first two weeks of January, and then, four feet of snow in four days and you’ve got hundreds of hungry skiers and riders ready for their first powder day of the season.It’s the first time all year we’ve seen the lift line packed in anticipation of first chair.

Visibility was rough this morning, but the slopes were so soft and creamy that the smooth ride made you all but forget the visual shortcomings.

My favorite run of the day was on Dropline.

It had been groomed last night and had AT LEAST four inches of fresh, creamy snow on top this morning.

Smooth, velvety and delightful, even with several sets of tracks laid down before mine.

With my 9-year-old powder pal, Jonas, I had even more fun diving into the deeper powder on the side of the run….

Delicious!

Off-trail, the turns on the upper mountain and south-facing slopes were definitely smoother, softer, and flowing more easily than the lower stretches, where the snow had thickened up a bit.

As for the groomed runs, they were smooth and creamy this morning.

Things got roughed up a bit by afternoon with all the traffic, but just when we needed a fresh blast of softness, the foggy skies split open and started dumping fresh snow on us once again.

That re-energized our riders who headed back out for a second helping of sublimity.

Photo courtesy: Gretchen Nishitani

Today’s conditions might not be ‘perfect’ in everyone’s eyes, but this was the perfect storm in a lot of ways.

Here’s why:

Weekend powder days can frustrate the locals. They are not used to the crowded slopes and frantic pace of a Saturday, so when we get fresh snow on a Friday night, they often miss out on the fresh turns.

On the flip-side, when we get a blast of fresh snow mid-week, it can frustrate those who are only available to visit on weekends. They fear all the fresh powder will be tracked out, and that they’ve missed out on something.

This week, we had fresh powder on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday AND Saturday, so there was something for everyone to enjoy.

The snow we got this week also laid the foundation for the rest of the season.

There is now PLENTY of snow on the ground, even on the lowest parts of the mountain. Now, our powder lovers can feel free exploring off-trail and search out those untracked lines.

It’s been a bit of a challenge to keep up with all the snow removal in lift terminals, parking lots and our lodge facilities. (Our hard-working employees deserve some gratitude for their tireless efforts and their positive attitudes.)

Another thing to be grateful for…which also makes this ‘The Perfect Storm’….it hasn’t really ended.

More snow appears to be headed our way, and temperatures are going to take a DIVE overnight. That 11-degree low is likely to suck some of the moisture out of the top layer of snow on our slopes. That means what was soft and creamy today could be light and dreamy tomorrow. Wouldn’t that just be perfect?

– April