Blog Crystal : Crystal Mountain Washington : Skiing, Snowboarding, Backcountry Skiing, Snowshoeing, Lessons, Rentals

The New Gondola (if you can think of a better name, we're all ears) is going be a game changer at Crystal.  How?  Well here's the short version:  Summer sightseeing, early and late season access to skiing in Green Valley, making Crystal more of a year-round resort.  So yes, in answer to some questions, the Gondola will extend the ski season, since it will provide easy access to the areas that hold the snow longest.  One reader asked about mountain biking, which is a great idea.  As it stands, we need to revise our master plan in order for that to happen.  However, it is possible that we could see that down the road.  I, for one, would love to ride down the northway trail. 

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Justus the Snow Phone girl sent me this photo so I could help spread the word about this Summer's changes at Crystal:

The most dramatic change will be installation of a gondola--the first in the Pacific Northwest (if you don't count the one in downtown Spokane)--going from the base area, about where The Market currently is, up to the summit ridge near the top of Rainier Express chairlift. 

If you don't already know, a Gondola has a bunch of smaller cars that cycle continuously, as opposed to a Tram which only has 2 larger cars which run opposite each other.  I think I heard that the plan is for our cars to hold 8 people.

It should be great for sightseers--I don't think there's any prettier view of Mount Rainier than the view from the summit of Crystal Mountain!

The other big news is installation of a Terrain Park on Magoo, the trail that runs underneath the Forest Queen Express chairlift.  It's going to be what we in the biz call a "progressive" park, meaning it'll have beginner and intermediate scaled features, mainly rails, boxes and jibs.

Imagine the possibilities!

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Read what avalanche survivor Mark Callaghan had to say about his experience getting caught just outside Crystal's boundary last week.  The news story video clip is here.

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It's official!  Next season Crystal will have a new gondola.  It will start at the plaza and go up to the summit of Rex, whisking skiers and sightseers up in just minutes!  This is going to be great, extending the season and creating a year-round resort.  Not to mention, the Summit House Restaurant can be open for dinner.  I, for one, can't wait to apres ski while watching the sun set behind Mt. Rainier.  Hey, and what a beautiful spot for a wedding. 

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Recently, while standing at the bottom of T-Bowl on Speed Control, a yound girl dressed in a one piece pink snowsuit stopped to ask if I had any dog cards.  "Sure," I said.  "But first you have to tell me one of the skier responsibility codes."

She looked at me blankly.

"You know," I continued.  "One of the safety rules."

She looked at her father knowingly. 

I figured they must have rehearsxed on the chairlift and she was about to say something like watch for others when merging onto a trail, or don't go under rope lines or at the very least, always stay in control. 

Instead she looked straight at me and said, "Never, ever, ever eat yellow snow."

I had to admit, she had a point.  Which brings me to my issue.  Yesterday I hiked the King and at risk of sounding incredibly pet peevish, I'll just go ahead and say it.  There were no less than ten patches of yellow snow.  I mean come on people.  Perhaps it is some kind of Kilgore Was Here mentality that comes over these guys when standing atop a spendid peak with a pristine view of Mt. Rainier (and yes I suspect that most of the culprits are, in fact, men).  Perhaps it replaces the flag that one could plant at the top of a more formidable peak.  Or maybe, as I expected the pink suited girl to say, it is an issue of staying in control. 

I don't know.  But I do have this one plea:  please take if off the trail.  Isn't that what bushes and trees are for?  How about this:  Just don't make it visible.  Walk three steps off the trail and go there.  Better yet, stomp a hole in the snow, pee into it and cover it back up.  And remember, always stay in control. 

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Some Turns-All-Year regulars suggested I post something related to a recent discussion on the TAY website regarding hiking into closed terrain and avalanche runout zones, within/nearby ski areas.  Find it HERE.  (Thanks you guys!)   Comment below if you have questions!

PNWBrit's comment is the funniest.  We're not really eating bacon sandwiches (It'll make sense when you read the post) but we ARE occasionally delayed in opening terrain, by people (or the ski tracks of people we can't locate) below us.  It's scary to have a job where you have to worry about blowing-up or suffocating people who don't follow your safety signs and make bad choices.

During times of heavy snowfall and times of intense solar radiation (remember, it's invisible so it can happen even on cloudy days even if you don't notice it!) those short delays in getting avalanche-mitigating skier & boarder compaction on avalanche prone slopes can necessitate our returning for second passes over terrain we already covered, which delays openings even further!

On a related note:

You may have heard we had an avalanche rescue (KIRO-TV story here) in the "outside-the-ski-area" part of Silver Basin last Sunday night.  (I hope to post more about that soon!)  The part of THAT story that relates to THIS story is this:

Part of the rescue included our crossing uncontrolled avalanche starting zones to get to the injured skier, and taking a snowcat up into a part of Silver Basin that isn't usually groomed to facilitate the skier's recovery.  Remember:

Explosives use and ski cutting in avalanche starting zones, and the use of heavy machinery including buried/hidden winch-cat cables that may displace over long distances without warning, can occur any time day or night without advance notice within ski areas, and may occur adjacent to ski areas during emergency rescues.   Pay attention to what's going on around you and always know where you are in relation to the Ski Area Boundary.  And always know the current and forecasted avalanche hazard when you're off groomed slopes and outside normal operating hours!

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As many of you know, the Dirt Bag Ball is just around the corner (March 27th to be exact).  Not only is this a chance to dress in all shades of ski bum, dirt bag, crazy, anything goes attire, but it's also a chance to crown this year's Dirt Bag King and Queen.  It takes a special person to be considered dirt bag royalty, and this year we are raising the bar.  Check out the crystal website for specifics, but here's the short version:  this year's Dirt Bag King and Queen get a season's pass for the 2010-2011 season.  Yes, you read that right.  We want to honor those that have sacrificed something in their lives for this sport.  We hope to embolden those on the brink of deciding between a reputable city job (perhaps a significant other, maybe even raising a family) and the good, hard life of being a ski bum.  I mean really.  Would you rather be changing diapers or riding first chair on a powder day?  Because you can't often have both.  (Although I will hand it to those dedicated few--Liz and Joe come to mind, Doug and Laura, soon to be Chet and Jen--that pass the kid off, taking turns for which partner gets to ski in the morning while the other joins the kid in the play pen.)  

This year, we patrollers want to hear from you.  If you think you are royalty status, then let us know.  Send us your dirt bag resume (this is a C.V. you'd never send into any prospective employers, that is unless you were applying for a job at a ski area).  Again, check the website for the how-tos and where to send your info.  Here's an insider tip:  ski patrollers are dirt bags too.  (I myself am a former Queen, and mention this fact as often as possible).   So that means we are not above a little campaigning on your part.  One could do worse than bring a case of beer into the patrol room after sweep or shmooze us in other ways (not that I condone such things).   I'm just saying. 

Tickets go on sale in the patrol room later this week.  Get yours fast, because they always sell out.  See you all for the best party of the year!        

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Crystal's sister resort, Cypress Mountain, is hosting the Olympics.  I've been lucky enough to experience the Games as a member of the host venue, and it has been quite an experience.  This first photo captures the debut sport of skier cross.   Surprisingly, no Americans made it to the semi-finals.  I was rooting for the Jamaican (!) who is seen here coming in third place, and thus missing out on qualifying for the next round. 

Here are the Olympic Rings in Whistler Village, where the crowds are abuzz with national pride. 

This next picture is of Steve Kircher (Boyne Resorts), Seth Wescott (Gold Medalist in Snowboard Cross) and John Kircher (GM of Crystal Mountain). 

There's nothing quite like the Olympic Games to remind me why I love winter so much.  One Olympic medalist I spoke to, Chris Klug, who won the Bronze in Salt Lake for Parallel GS, says there's just one strategy for participating in the Olympics:  You just have to go for it.  There's no holding back, because this is the Olympics.  I love that attitude.  Here's a picture of me and Chris at the U.S. v. Suisse hockey game.

Viva la Olympics!  What an experience!

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Rusty recently wrote a comment about GMRS radios.  I thought other people might be curious about them as well so I'm copying my (brief) response here:

I always wondered if the ski patrol monitors any GRMS channels for emergencies.  I seem to recall that Mt. Baker's ski patrol monitors Ch 9.11.    I know GRMS range is limited but it would provide another avenue for people to contact patrollers in case of emergency.

Corey Responds:

I don't know a WHOLE lot about this (the initials are actually GMRS for General Mobile Radio Service) but I know they share some frequencies with FRS ("family") radios, though apparently can be of higher quality and cost a bit more. 

The "family" radios don't work very well in our highly-angulated terrain.  We experimented with monitoring 9.11 a few years ago, and found it pretty ineffective, what with having to listen to kids screaming what kind of sandwich they wanted Mom to fix them for lunch and all.  Maybe people respect GMRS or 9.11 better these days--I haven't checked.  For me, the amount of "nuisance" traffic was too distracting.

In any case, I like THIS plan better:  if you're in trouble, find ANYBODY reliable on any channel, and ask them to notify Ski Patrol. 

Cell phones work many levels of magnitude better 'round these parts and proved invaluable in a couple of recent incidents over the ridge in Mt. Rainier National Park and over the other ridge on the east side of the Pacific Crest.  Plus, I'm told battery life and depletage (I made-up that word) are more reliable with cell phones than those little radios. 

Verizon transmits from BOTH Grubstake Peak and Gold Hills at Crystal Mountain.  AT&T from Grubstake Peak, and T-Mobile from either the Base Area or Gold Hills. 

Those with cell phones are encouraged to keep the Ski Patrol "Emergency Only" number, 360-663-3064, programmed in your phone, and keep it turned on if you're separated from your companions!

I've never heard that reaching us is enough of a problem to warrant getting everyone to purchase new equipment.  But if I'm missing something, please let me know!
 

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