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

A while back I responded to a comment about the moguls going around the last little corner at the bottom of Northway before you load the chair. 

I thought it might require a winch cat to get around that side-hill corner but apparently it doesn't.  At least not last Saturday.  The Grooming crew smoothed it all out!  Folks I talked to were pretty psyched!

It seems unlikely that they'll be grooming there nightly, as Northway IS diamond and double-diamond terrain (advanced & expert skiers & boarders, only) but it's nice to know they have the ability to stomp down those bumps from time to time!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

A few people have asked about the weather data that shows on Crystal Mountain’s main webpage, why the numbers are sometimes screwy, why the snow depths don’t match their own experience, etc., etc., etc. Let me explain….

First off, let me clear up a common misconception. Ski Area snow reports—at least the ones I’m familiar with here in the Cascades—are generally NOT made up by Marketing Departments. They’re made up by machines. Cold, indifferent, machines.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, everybody knows somebody who gets all “Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura” about some sketchy friend-of-a-friend who claims to have worked in ski area marketing one winter, and brags about the morning they were so hungover they over-slept and just made-up random numbers on the morning snow-phone recording.

That probably happens, but it’s pretty rare. I’m sure Justus only does that 6 or 7 times a season. (Insert winky emoticon here!)

But seriously, that’s not how it works.

How do I know?

Well, I know because the telemetry instruments that send the Green Valley and Base & Summit automated weather measurements out to the internet always seem to be RIGHT in my way when I’m trying to heat up my lunch! The microwave oven used to sit right in the middle of the counter at the Summit House patrol station. But now it seems, every summer the Northwest Weather & Avalanche Center (NWAC) folks add more and more sophisticated telemetry instrumentation that has to be hard-wired into the T-3 line or something, pushing the microwave farther and farther down the counter. So now it’s like a crazy awkward yoga move every time I wanna pop-in my Lean Cuisine.  Sheesh! Could they make my life any more difficult?

Anyway, so where was I?

Have you ever looked at Crystal Mountain’s Facebook Fan page? You’ll see “Saturday ROCKED, with cool temp’s and face shots all day!” right next to “Saturday SUCKED, it was freezing and I couldn’t see a thing! ”  (By the way, Buck Up you silly haters that call yourselves "fans"!  I recommend you spend more time skiing & riding so you'll be cheerier and won't have to spend so much time grouching on your keyboard!) 

My point here is that in an expansive ski area right on the crest of a continent-defining mountain range, and just inland of a humongous volcano, conditions are going to vary from spot to spot. Since Crystal’s website developers have no way of knowing exactly where YOU’LL be making YOUR turns each run, each day, they integrate impartial measurements feeding straight from the NWAC, to show what the weather generally is in the area. The data is collected NOT for marketing or website purposes. The information is collected for forecasting avalanche hazard.  It comes from “Snow Science Study Plots” where the machines take the mechanical and sonic measurements that are available to us all via the internet.  (Click on "telemetry" links below for examples.)

Base Weather Plot (telemetry)

Green Valley Weather Plot (telemetry)

The reason the numbers sometime seem completely wacked, is that machines can sometimes be tempermental beasts.  When things aren’t all working exactly right, the little database converter software thingy can borrow numbers from an adjacent column for the column that’s not working correctly and everything appears way off . So if the overnight snow depth shows as 270 inches (which is actually the wind direction blowing from the West as measured in a 360 degree clockwise circle) you know something's up electronically, and it's not the Marketing Diva's trying to trick you!

Wind and snow settlement also play a role in your perceiving snow depth different than science does.  I'm going to explain this more in a future post, but basically it works like this: 

1. The wind picks up the snow in some places and drops it in others.  If you were to probe to the ground in Powder Bowl, you'd find 1 meter of snow on one side and 2.5 meters on the other.  And you're worried about a difference of 2" on the morning snow report???  We had 112 mph winds here a couple weeks ago!
2. Settlement is the tendency of air to leave the snowpack as it sits over time.  Ski areas all measure "snowfall" which may be different than the depth of the "snowpack" at the time you pass over it.   It's just how it's always been done.

Stay tuned for part 2 which will explain how to use the telemetry to pick where you ski/ride on a particular day!

And please consider donating to the Friends of the NW Weather & Avalanche Center, an organization that helps support and promote the nice folks who's work prevents avalanche accidents and makes my lunch hard to reach!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (4)
• Trackbacks

Commenter "Nick" wrote in about the steep, side-hill, mogul section at the bottom of Northway.  (He called it "nasty".)

I haven't heard the official word, but I know the plan for the future is to be able to groom the entire Otto Bahn run someday.  That last, steep, side-hill section, though, may require a winch cat to groom it and last time I checked, those puppies were SPENDY!  It wouldn't surprise me if it takes a while for the powers-that-be to want to dedicate that much resource to such a small portion of just one run.  But we'll see.

In the meantime, there is a free cat dedicated to Northway now and most of Otto Bahn is usually pretty smooooth sailin'!  At least when you get down to that short mogul section your legs should be fresher and ready to pound the bumps like a kid! 

Please make note that in the "Keep Everybody Happy for 500, Alex" category, we also hear from people who are steamed that Crystal  has made that terrain more accessible.  They prefer the snow be left in it's most natural state to discourage those who find that short section too challenging.  With 1,000 acres with one groomed run served by the Northway lift, I think Crystal's management is doing a dandy job of managing that Expert terrain.  Stay tuned...

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

We had an unusual number of little injuries and incidents today and I had to (got to, actually!) rush down "the frontside" (single-diamond "Most Difficult" runs Breakover, Sunnyside and Memorial Forest) three times in a row. 

The snow there has largely fallen under cold temps and SE winds (that's wind blowing FROM the Southeast) averaging in the 40-50 mph range with max. gusts of 112 mph.  (But it's the averages that really create the skiing conditions!)   The result is fairly smooth, chalky snow and GREAT skiing.  There are still a few little crunchier patches which I think must be the tops of old icy moguls.   We had a few intermediate skiers feel they were in over their heads on that steeper terrain, but advanced and expert skiers & boarders seem to be having a BLAST!!

If I were you andI didn't have to work this weekend I'd go skiing.  Wait, I DO have to work this weekend but I WILL be skiing! (Neener, neener)   I hope you can make it up!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

With the recent cold, hard conditions in the Pacific Northwest mountains, I ran into quite a few people who had questions about various things related to injuries this past week.  Here are some things you probably didn’t know, that might help make your next visit to the mountains a little more enjoyable.

• The rate of injuries requiring care of a physician in skiing & snowboarding is something like 1 per 1,000 visitor days.  Disclaimer:  of course that varies a lot based on a whole bunch of different factors, but generally, skiing and snowboarding compare quite favorably with other common sports like biking, swimming and tennis.  And really, how often do you bike, swim, or play tennis all day?  Ok, sometimes some people bike all day, but you get what I’m sayin?  Statistically, if you ski/board 50 days a season for 20 years, you’ll only get hurt on the last day.  Just stay in the Lodge with your schnapps that day, and you should be fine!  (insert winky emoticon here)

• I  had a couple people ask about shoulder injuries and snowboarding, and actually, it appears shoulder injuries are pretty evenly divided between skiing and boarding.  Boarders get more wrist injuries and skiers more knee injuries.  Once you take into account all the various age and attitude factors that can vary between people, the chances of getting hurt skiing versus snowboarding appear to be about equal. 

• Generally, most injuries occur to “Intermediate” skiers and boarders.  The theory is that beginners go slower and are more cautious, and experts have learned little tricks for avoiding getting hurt (like taking ski pole straps off your wrists when you’re skiing in trees!) so that most of the getting-injured happens to the people in between.  Consider professional instruction to help you progress between skill plateaus, and pay attention to the habits and attitudes of long-time boarders and skiers who have avoided (or learned from) injury.  Some of those grey-haired rippers have much wisdom to impart, Grasshopper! 

• Pay attention to signs.  If you’re going too fast to read ‘em, then you’re going too fast!  This past week we had a few people get their shorts in a knot because they took long slides after entering areas with “Caution, Long Slides Possible” signs at the top, and had to walk on rocks after choosing a route past “Caution, Walking on Rocks Required” signs.  My heart certainly goes out to anyone who got frightened or injured, but my gratitude goes to those who did so and still acknowledged reading the signs and accepting the risks!  (Take-away:  Please read the signs!  We put 'em there for you!)

• Just because your girlfriend / boyfriend / buddy / husband / wife finally feels comfortable on a “green circle” Easier trail, it does NOT mean it’s a smart idea to take them to the top of a really steep mountain because there’s a great view.  No matter how “athletic” your companion is, it’s all about gradual progression to steeper and more-challenging terrain.  Frightened newbies walking down slick slopes in ski--or worse, snowboard--boots will just end up hating mountain sports.   Wanna really do ‘em a favor?  Buy ‘em a lesson with a professional instructor!  (And tell all your friends that metal edged skis & boards are much better than plastic or rubber edged boots when conditions get firm!)

• On clear cold days, it’s real easy to mis-perceive how fast you’re going.  You want to be thinking “Where am I going to end up if I fall down and start sliding?”, then realize you’re probably gonna slide farther and smack into things harder, than you think.  (And remember, Washington’s ski/snowboard law sez not to “act in a manner that may contribute to the injury of yourself or any other person”.)  Related to that.....

• Hey, that new helmet Gramma got you for Christmas may look all swanky, but it only reduces head injuries, it doesn’t eliminate them!  When your body stops quickly so does your head, and your brain keeps moving forward until it smacks up against the inside of your skull.  Helmets are a great idea, but there’s a limit to how much they can reduce your noggin’s sudden deceleration, so you still gotta keep in control and avoid hitting hard objects if you fall!

Interested in reading more about how humans perceive (and perhaps mis-perceive) the safety provided by head protection?  Follow what’s happening in the NFL here or here, etc. and read the National Ski Areas Association's Helmet Usage Fact Sheet.

• Most injuries happen just before lunch and just before the end of the day.  The prevailing theory is that THAT’S when people are most tired and are giving it all they got before heading in.  So the lesson here?  Be MORE cautious, not less, as you get more fatigued so you can come back and have more fun another day!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

This was actually written by:  BLAINE

It is December 7th and one can safely say the season is in full swing. Many people have already logged multiple days on the hill while some are planning their upcoming first day.

The current high pressure system makes us all hopeful for some precipitation. However, a recent string of preventable injuries and illnesses has reminded us here at Ski Patrol that while water in the clouds is important, so is drinking water in the glass. Skiing can exacerbate and highlight many of the effects of dehydration, including altitude sickness, health and injury prevention, and body warmth.

Since Crystal Mountain is only two hours from Seattle, it is important to remind ourselves that it is indeed a high altitude environment. In the two hour drive from Seattle, fifteen minutes of chairlift rides and forty five minute hike to the top of the King, a person has gained roughly 7,000 feet of elevation. This altitude change can cause a person to feel headaches, nausea, lethargy, and increased fatigue. One of the best ways to prevent these symptoms is to arrive at Crystal fully hydrated. Hydrated blood is more capable of carrying oxygen, which helps prevent altitude related sicknesses.

Hydration also helps keep bodies healthy. On the mountain this health is best exhibited as injury prevention. Some of the most common injuries we see on the mountain are sprains and strains, both of which are best prevented by having muscles fully saturated and hydrated. Cramping is also a common occurrence on the mountain. Snowboarders come down to us with cramping calves and skiers most often with cramping quads. Good fitness helps prevent this, but so does proper hydration.

The temperature outside the Patrol Room is currently 13 degrees Fahrenheit. This cold weather has made our groomed runs awesome and allowed sunny days without any loss of snow base. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be difficult to enjoy these nice days when fingers and toes are chronically cold. Being properly hydrated is an important element to stay warm.

At the extreme end of the continuum, one of the primary contributors to frostbite is dehydration. When the body is low of fluids, it compensates by keeping the majority of the blood in the core (chest, abdomen, ect.) and the brain. As a result, blood flow is reduced to the extremities. This effect of dehydration is exacerbated by tight boots and gloves which themselves make circulation to fingers and toes more difficult. Throw some cold temps into this mix and the results can be quite painful. Although when we are cold a glass of water is the last thing we want, it is important to remember the importance of that water to keeping us warm.

Proper gear, clothing and basic level of fitness obviously are big contributors to having an enjoyable day on the mountain. As illustrated above, one other main participant is water. Of course, when it condenses and freezes as snow it is easy to appreciate. But just as important, when an adequate amount of water is drank, it allows our bodies to better adapt to the cold and high elevation environment and helps prevent trips to the Ski Patrol Aid Room.
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

I'm too tired to write much right now.  Today was hard work getting everythng open, but rewarding to see everybody having so much fun afterward!  We got Kelly's Gap, South Backcountry and "short North" (return to base via I-5) open today!   I gotta get to bed now, though, because it looks like it may be a 4:15am wake-up call again tomorrow if all the predicted weather comes in!

Here's a picture of Jeff (Sorry Jeff, I should have gotten your last name) right as he finished first tracks down the middle of Powder Bowl.  (Funny how flat it looks, huh?)  Pretty sweet turns!   I told you, you shoulda been here today!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (4)
• Trackbacks

Have you been up skiing yet?  If not, what the heck were you thinkin'?

Things looked GREAT this morning and were skiing even better at upper elevations!  After a couple days of closure we got High Campbell and Green Valley open by 10am.  Skies are blue and the sun's a-shinin', but the blustery winds (and occasional wind-holds on upper lifts) tell us the next storm is knockin' at the door.  Translation:  More snow is on the way!  Woo-hoo!

We did the first active avalanche control work of the year this morning!  We didn't get big results, so keep that in mind as you're skiing around.  Things are going to change a lot in the next few days so I'm not going to even try to tell you what to expect,   But generally, for you off-piste skiers & boarders, it's good to remember we're still in early season conditions.  Whenever you hear that our avalanche control work hasn't produced much in the way of results, it could mean that any instability that may be in the snowpack still remains and you'll want to take extra care to keep a partner in sight and keep those avalanche eyes ON when you get away from the groomed. 

And remember, contrary to what a lot of people think is "common sense", a thin snowpack can often be much more unstable than a thicker snowpack.   If you say "huzzuh, wha...?" to that, consider taking an avalanche class this winter to learn a little more about managing your own safety!

If you're a backcountry skier headin' out Thursday or later, please note this avalanche warning from the Northwest Weather & Avalanche Center!  Or even better, come on up to Crystal where the slopes are a little friendlier!

Stay tuned to the forecast....More snow's on the way!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

Welcome back!

THE '09-'10 SEASON IS OFFICIALLY HERE!     Last week was annual 'training refresher' week that the Ski Patrol does each year.  We were sitting in 'class' in the chapel concentrating on avalanche safety and infectious disease, occasionally distracted by ski-tourers skinning  and snowboarders booting up the hills around us.  At one point one of the grooming cats flew by the windows in a cloud of powder snow.  Everybody's spirits lifted because we knew (General Manager) John was out checking to see how much snow was accumulating.

He must have liked what he saw because late that afternoon, the whispering started:  Why are plans were being made to cut the length of Sunday morning lectures.  Can we shorten the talk at the afternoon Lift Evac practice?  Why is the office door shut....the General Manager is in talking with the Patrol Director.

Finally, the official  call got made:  Plan to hustle home Sunday to get your gear in order.  Unless the weather deteriorates, expect to start back to work setting-up Monday morning!  Smiles all around and cell phones come out:  "Can I change to an earlier flight?  I gotta get home to get my gear then get back!"   "Can anyone give me a ride to my storage locker?"  "Mom, it looks like I won't be home for Thanksgiving this year."  

We've had 2 pretty nice days of setting up.  Today was sunny and the skiing was sweet, though mostly we were carrying heavy bundles of bamboo or rope, and with low snow conditions, ya' had to be cautious.  Let me say a little bit more about that......

"EARLY SEASON CONDITIONS" means just that!  Ungroomed slopes are like skiing the true backcountry.  Contrary to what most people believe, thin snowpacks can actually be more unstable than deep ones.  (More about that in a later post!)  Keep this in mind if you venture off the groomed runs.  Groomed or not, be extra careful and treat every place you ski like you've never been there before.  Don't go ripping over that rise you enjoyed so much last March, because there was about 6 feet more snow then.  You might dive right into a creek, a rock, or over a drop-off.   Generally, you'll be better off if you just SLOW DOWN a little!  

And remember, UNMARKED HAZARDS EXIST! and we don't want anybody getting hurt!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (4)
• Trackbacks

I hear some of my Homies got quite the earful today.  Apparently some folks were peeved because out South, only Silver Basin was open today, as Avalanche Basin was held for some movie-shooting that Warren Miller's crew was doing for one of his upcoming annual ski season teasers.

My heart goes out to anyone who feels like they didn't get what they deserved.  I know how it feels when a certain thing I get attached to, doesn't come through.  But my point here isn't to discuss THAT.  My point is to share a little ski secret about sniffin' out the pow

While my radio was squakin' about all the discussions taking place out South, those of us assigned to Northway were gettin' some pretty sweet freshies--even ON SWEEP at the end of the day!!  (I crossed exactly 3 tracks down the entirety of Glory Days except for right at the exit chute)   It made me think of something I heard come from one of those pick-up soccer games at Green Lake last summer...."Are we gonna argue or are we gonna play?"

Does this sound too preachy?  I don't mean to!  My point is just that there's some wisdom to be had to get the most fun out of your day!  I don't know how you learn to be where all the other people AREN'T, but for me, today was a good day to stumble upon that!    Anyone want to share their powder sniffing tips?  (No, of course they don't!  We all gotta learn the hard way!)

HEAD'S UP!

There'll be a little more of this limited access to particular terrain for the next few days, for the Mountain Challenge Silver King Freeride competition.  In the past, the location has varied a little based on visibility.  Come watch some crazy hucks and sick lines that'll turn your stomach!

Do you want your turn to be one of the "Special People"?  If the weather cooperates, you can get a jump start on Silver Basin tracks this Saturday (March 7th) by entering Crystal's somethingth-annual Powder 8's competition. $60 per team of 2 skiers, boarders, 3-pinners (how do you spell tele-ers?) or mixed.  Bragging rights and sweet valuable prizes abound!   Keep an eye on that little "events" list on Crystal's website (not here on this blog!) for updates.  It's a fundraiser for the Ski Patrol education & avi dog training fund, so it's near-&-dear to my heart!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (3)
• Trackbacks

If you haven't heard, things changed and the skiing is GREAT and getting greater!

If you didn't anticipate this, you probably weren't signed up for Larry Shick's Powder Alert at SkiWashington.com.   (Other fun stuff there, too, in case you can't shake your commitment to class, coach, cubicle or kids.).

Larry always has helpful advice, such as these sure-fire excuses for getting a day off work.  Give 'em a try!

“Constipation has made me a walking time bomb”

“The dog ate my keys; we are hitchhiking to the vet”

“I won’t be coming into work, I can’t find my clothes”

" That noise in the backgorund is not a chairlift, it's my iron lung - i am very sick."

" I have been abducted by aliens, they won't let me leave, but I can still be reached on my cell."

Refer to the Powder Clause in my contract, ” more than six inches of new and I’m gone”

We spent most of yesterday blowing up snow and finished up South this morning by about 10am.  More expected tomorrow!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (3)
• Trackbacks

Nudibranch submitted this comment regarding my recent post about patrol talking to people at the bottom of High Campbell:

What warranted patroller presence in addition to the clearly marked expert-only signs? Crystal's ski-sky interfaces do not usually attract pelagic species.

Can you believe what I have to put up with?  So of course I have to look up the word "pelagic".  It refers to the deep ocean and things populating it, as opposed to the near-the-shore part of the ocean.  Am I the only one who didn't know that?  I'm not quite getting how that relates, but yeah, it doesn't come up much at the ski area!.

What warranted a patrol presence that day was a beautiful sunshiny day, ICE on the slopes and beginners & intermediates making faulty decisions!  We had an unusual rash of 'em riding the High Campbell chair and getting in over their heads the week before that.  We try to respond when we notice an unusual trend like that.  We had to download quite a few people--which we're glad to do for people in over their heads.  But it slows down lift traffic, scares the bejesus out of some people, and burns patrollers to help out.  It's best avoided!

Soooo.....please take note:  The signs for Northway and High Campbell say "EXPERTS ONLY" and that's what they mean! Taking unprepared friends there isn't cute--it puts them in harms way.  And in the spirit of Valentines Day, taking girlfriends (and boyfriends) there before they're ready isn't romantic.  It's just Lame!

Progression baby.  It's all about knowing and respecting the progression:

Beginner - Intermediate - Advanced - Expert

Easier (green circle) - More Difficult (blue square) - Most Difficult (black diamond) - Experts Only (double diamond)

The definition of these varies from Ski Area to Ski Area.  We recommend you start on terrain WELL within your ability when you're familiarizing yourself with a ski area, and  progress carefully through each level!  Thanks!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (3)
• Trackbacks

I hate to say it, but if you're not skiing this morning, you made a mistake!  The telemetry said 4" but Chet measured it closer to 7" and Baldes thought Northway was closer to a foot..  And the rest of the mountain's skiing that way too.  Not a cloud in the sky and even the groomers are poofy.  Double-Oughts Left (left of High Campbell lift line) has dust-on-chunder, but Powder Bowl and Double-Oughts Right over to the A-Basin line are skiing GREAT!

I had kind of an unfortunate start to the day.  I had to pull the ticket of a really nice experienced older skier who made a rookie mistake.  He ducked the ropeline heading in to Bear Pits right off the bat.  His excuse was that he didn't hear any explosions going off this morning, so he "knew" we weren't doing avalanche control work.  Whoops!  Control work ,including explosives use, can happen anywhere at any time, so you gotta abide by our closures if you don't wanna get yourself blowed-up!!!

We started loading chairs at 8:35am and there wasn't avalanche hazard threatening the groomed runs.  A few minutes later a patroller up in Bear Pits--which showed as CLOSED--was about to light a fuse on a 2-1/2 pound charge when he sees a blue blur below him.   Luckily, he was able to stop before he deployed the charge down to where the poacher-guy was standing.  So then everybody anxious for Bear Pits to open gets to wait while the poacher skis out of harm's way, and the patroller starts over.

We clipped the poacher's ticket and let him know that if he tried to buy another one, there would be Criminal Trespass charges in his future.  We take this stuff very seriously!   Imagine what it's like to have a job where you could get blamed for blowing up somebody's Dad!

Poacher-guy said it wasn't fair, but my perspective is THIS:  You made a deadly mistake and only lost a day of skiing--not your life.  See if your family thinks THAT's fair!

Please pass the word:  We close terrain for reasons you may not anticipate, and the price of violating rules may be higher than you think!.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

WE DON'T MEAN TO BE ANNOYING!

So Sunday, for a half-hour I was the guy designated to stand at the bottom of High Campbell and warn people of trecherous conditions up top.  It was about 1pm, so at least I was able to greet people with "have you been down this yet today?" and wave-on those who were doing laps.  Still, I could tell I was irritating some people by even asking just THAT!

This robust, athletic looking guy skis up and says, "It's dangerous up there!  This lift shouldn't even be open!, and some other angry stuff" before skiing off down Queen's Run. 

A few minutes later a couple old guys on old gear roll up with a big bunch of little kids.  They were all hootin' and hollerin' about how great Powder Bowl was and how they were luvin' going 'round & 'round.  CMAC (I think) and the Snow Performance program had the same thing going on with a bunch of kids on the Campbell Basin side. 

So THIS occurrs to me:  When we (Ski Patrol or Safety Patrol) are down there "talking to people", as you roll up to the lift line let us know if you've been cycling 'round & 'round and enjoying it.  Tell us where you went and how it was.  We can pass-on your "trip report" so others can decide if they want to go up, and we won't take your time up with yet another "talk".   Just a thought.

And please, bear with our questions.  The number of lift-downloaders who are in over their heads at the top of the lift indicates they're not paying attention or reading our signs.  The consequences if they get by us and start down the mountain could be even worse!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (5)
• Trackbacks

Christophe asked: 

Really cool to be able to talk to the experts! This site is great.  Could you please give an idea of what is needed to reopen the North and South backcoutry?  I guess they are closed because of the poor coverage and the two many obstacles. So how much snow is needed? And then what is needed for that new snow to be stable enough?

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

Southback opened last Saturday after having been closed for several days.   Three avalanche teams (myself included) headed out there in the morning with the plan to "clean up" after a barrage of heli-blasting.  However, as we broke trail up the King (well, truth be told it was Aaron doing most of the trail-breaking that morning for which I was most grateful) we heard on the radio that the helicopter was having mechanical difficulties and we would be doing all the routes by hand.  That was fine with us, but it meant that another round of teams would come behind us with some really big charges (25 lb. shots).  Chet and Brent carried those big loads up the King and rattled the North side of the King.  South finally opened around 2pm, which was much later than we had anticipated.

Fortunately there were no big results.  We were worried about the added load (it had snowed 5 feet since it had last been open) on top of that pesky deep slab instability that we were watching.   After we opened the gates, I hiked back out there and stood on the King to talk to people and keep an eye on things.  I took out my transceiver and checked to see who was beeping.  Some were, but most weren't.  I was surprised.  The southback gates clearly recommend transceiver and probe as well as the admonition to ski with a partner.  There were even a few skiers out there by themselves.  Let me ask you, would you go skiing in the backcountry by yourself after the kind of storm cycle we have had? 

Standing on top of the King with a great run ahead of you is one of the truly special opportunities at Crystal.  I think of it as my "happy place".  I even spread the ashes of my avalanche dog, Rocket, up there.  But if you come, be prepared.  I actually had a few people ask me "where is the easy way down?"  What?!  "Have you ever been out here before?" I asked.  None of them had.  I directed them towards the Beach and watched them go.  I wondered if for some of them it was their first time skiing powder. 

Some of you have asked about the backcountry around Crystal.  The southback is not really backcountry.  It is more like sidecountry.  We mitigate the avalanche hazard with explosives.  However it does not get much skier compaction (which is truly the best avalanche control around) and therefore can be more avalanche prone.  The boundary between what is controlled and what is not controlled is not clearly marked.  It would be easy to ski off into Mt. Rainier National Park and get lost.  Hazards are not marked, neither is the way back to the lodge.  Therefore, I recommend going with someone who knows the area.  There are backcountry maps available in the ski shop.  Also a couple of high school kids did their senior project on the southback and wrote a guidebook last year.  I haven't read it yet, but it sounds pretty cool.  

As for the real backcountry around Crystal, there is certainly a lot of it.  Besides Kemper's (which is now permanently and seriously closed) the boundary with the Park is open.  However, you must hike back out or make it to the closed highway below, which I definitely suggest only for the initiated.  The east ridges can make for good skiing and riding.  I won't go into all of it here.  However, if you choose to explore the backcountry be sure to check in with the patrol for the latest avalanche hazard information and route suggestions.  We also like to hear about the conditions out there.   

As I write this, we are getting the obligatory "January thaw" in the mountains.  Not to worry.  There will be more powder days in our future.  In fact, this rain will probably solve the deep slab instability problem we have been so worried about.  We are all getting a day off at Crystal today.  As for myself, I can say that it is much needed. 

Kim

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

I am a patroller here at Crystal too and wanted to answer some questions, specifically in regards to Charlie's query about backcountry priority and what it takes to open. In Southback we do not mark hazards or put out ropelines as we do "in area".  South is considered "backcountry" for this reason.  However, we do conduct Avalanche Control out there, as most of you probably know.  Therefore, it is not "true" backcountry, so don't go touring and assume the slopes are stable just because it's good in Silver Basin. 

Anyway, when we opened South for the first time this season, the decision was based on the stability of the slopes as well as getting the ropelines and gates in place at the access points.  Opening Southback is a big priority for us.  We want it to get skied.  The more it gets skied, the lower the avalanche hazard will be now and in the future. 

I like to ski powder as much as all of you do.  In fact, it is my very favorite thing to do in the world.  However, here's something you probably don't know.  I also like to see other people skiing powder that I opened for them.  I love to see the look of joyful surprise when a skier gets a face shot.  They can't help buy say "woohoo", and that makes me smile.  Last week, it was late in the day when I opened OO Left off of Chair 6.  It hadn't been opened yet and the skiing was amazing.  I had to use my avalung as a snorkel.  It was ridiculous.  When I took the closed rope down, and saw the look in the faces of the few diehards that had kept skiing and riding well past their lactic threshold, I was pleased.  Have at it boys.

The oldest cliche regarding patrollers is that they "keep things closed so they can ski it".  That's not true.  At least not at Crystal.  Sure, we get our few coveted turns at the end of our avalanche route.  But then we go inside to sit bump or stand in the cold to tell people to slow down on Queens Run or respond to potential injuries. It's not all rock star skiing pow and hucking off cliffs on the way to an injury as was portrayed on the reality show.  More often than not, we can be found cleaning the bathrooms at the Summit House.  Sure, there's a part of me that wishes it were like that.  (Who wouldn't?)  But the rest of it keeps it real.  Perhaps that's why I have grown to love the vicarious joy of watching others ski the pow that we worked so hard to open for them.  

Hope that answers some of your questions Charlie. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks