Northway Moguls Redux

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Corey

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!

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Northway Moguls

Posted on January 23, 2010 by Corey

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...

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Northway Open Later

Posted on March 12, 2009 by Corey

Now that Daylight Savings has smacked us in the patootie, we are trying--WHEN FEASIBLE--to keep Northway terrain open until the last chair loads at 3:30pm. 

 

At about 3:15 we're flipping gates 1-7 to say "Northway Lift Closed--No Shuttle--Return to Base via I-5".  Guests are free to ski back to the base area or to make it to the bottom of the lift or ski out Lower Northway or Lower Spook Hill Trail.  The last chair loads at 3:30pm.  Anyone coming to the bottom after that won't be able to load the lift.  Instead, you'll have 2 options:

 

Option 1

Ski down Lower Northway to the turnaround, and walk out (I think it's about a 1/4 mile--but remember skiers:  you're in ski boots!) to Crystal Mountain Boulevard.  On weekdays, and when the shuttle isn't running to Parking Lot "F" on weekends, the whole walk back to a shuttle stop is about a mile, I believe.  The Lower Northway road may not always be plowed.

Option 2

Walk out the trail we call 13-F, from the bottom of the lift to Parking Lot "E".  (It shows as "Lower Spook Hill Trail" on the Trail Map, but don't let that fool ya' if you're an old-timer here and you think of "Lower Spook" as dropping down to Parking Lot "E".  This is a whole different deal!)   Pleased be warned it's a LONG walk with a steep sidehill.  Late in the day when the sun doesn't hit it, it can get icy.  I've yet to find anyone who describes the experience as pleasant, and we do not recommend it for snowboarders.  But if you're used to I-5 and think it's a piece of cake, it's pretty similar.  Traveling with a partner is recommended!

 

The Ski Patrol will start their closing "sweep" run on Northway at about the same time as Rainier Express:  starting about 3:42 or later.  Keep in mind that any assistance you need may be delayed since the Patrol is conducting closing runs.  We're experimenting with this change to serve Expert skiers & boarders who won't be challenged by end-of-day conditions as the sun sinks low, tempertures cool and the soft snow starts setting up.

 

Let us know if you like this change.  It's a little "staff-intensive" so we may not continue if it doesn't seem to be serving many customers!

 

 

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Informal Names Part II....Northway

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Corey

Continuing on from a while back...The patrol has a name for most every one of the 300 or so avalanche paths at Crystal.  But more importantly, we have lots of names for landmarks and terrain features that help us find folks when rescue is necessary.  And we know that lot's of different groups of "regulars" have their favorite names too.  So let's share!

We'd like customers to know "our" names for times they need our help in odd places.  And we'd like to know "your" names so we can sort out confusion in emergencies.  For example, we know a lot of people use "Last Chance" as a name for an area we call "Last Scream" because our "Last Chance" is somewhere else. 

So what follows are names, followed by location descriptions, in the area we call Northway, the areas accessed primarily by the Northway Chairlift.  I'll soon be posting lists for Campbell Basin (Forest Queen, High Campbell, Quicksilver & Gold Hills chairlifts) and South Backcountry.

  • The bold names refer to other definitions on the charts. 
  • The non-bold names are shown on the current Trail Map. 
  • Left and right refer to SKIER'S left and right.

 

SAFETY WARNING!

For safety, we recommend you stay on groomed trails.  If you make the choice to venture off the beaten path, please keep the following in mind (and spread the word)

  • The places listed below are NOT designated Trails or Runs.  Unmarked hazards, including pockets of avalanche hazard, can exist at any time.  These areas may not be patrolled on a regular basis. 
  • Some terrain features are deceptive and visibility can deteriorate within minutes.  Travel with someone familiar with the area until you know your way around.  Keep each other in sight and steer clear of  tree wells.  Make a plan about when/where to rendevous if you get separated, and stick to it.  Keep cell phones & radios with you, keep them turned on or make a plan to check-in with each other at pre-established times, and save each others' frequencies / phone numbers.   Keep the Ski Patrol Emergencies Only number, (360) 663-3064 with you.
  • The snow surface may not be continuous and walking may be required.   
  • In steep icy terrain, taking off metal edged skis & boards may increase your risk of long uncontrolled slides into places from which you cannot extricate yourself. 

Northway Infromal Place Names

4-Snags Pucker’s Right

Half-way down and left of Glory Days

5-Corners

Wide junction that accesses Otto Bahn, Northway, and Spook Hill Trail

5 Trees

The SIX trees at the avi path left of the BX Tram, just before the BX Exit Chute

Ball’s Up

Narrow slot off the Northwest nose of Guntower Ridge

Boundary Gates

A-Upper entrance across flat ridge past Morning Glory;  

B-S-chutes on far skier’s right side of Valley of the Cliffs

C-Shelbyville, where the boundary line flattens out, just above Lower BX Cliffs

D-Last cliff band skier’s left of Brand X

Brand X Exit Chute

Left of 5 trees

Brand X Tram

Chute and aerial cable right of 5 trees

Buff Trail

Northway Bowl egress, designated as Spook Hill Trail & I-5

Dieter’s

In between Horseshoe Cliffs and Spook Hill

Five Corners

Wide junction that accesses Otto Bahn, Northway, and Spook Hill Trail

Finger Chutes

Chutes under the upper part of the Northway chair

Finger Ridge

The ridge perpendicular below Bruce’s Bowl, leading out to the Nose.

Flush Gap

Prominent gully skier’s right and below Pucker’s Gulch, down to a bench

Guntower

Dilapadated structure at the north end of Guntower Ridge

Hidden Finger Chute

2 chutes left of Northway chair, near the top

Highway

Traverse to Penny Dawg’s that becomes a bench, starting just past Northway Notch

Johnson's Chute

2nd chute left of trees, on the right-hand side of Niagras.  Left of Old Faithful chute

“M”, The

Rock prominence skier’s right side of Brand X, at same elevation as the Narwhale

Middle Finger Chute

Chute right under chair, runs diagonally toward skier’s left

Mike's Face

Steep face at the start of the Scree field, below Niagras

Narwhal

Leaning Snag that looks like a Narwhal whale’s tusk, left of Pucker’s on the right edge of Brand X.

Northway Gates

#1-Elk Pass

#2-Near top of road up Northway; accesses hike to Northway Peak summit & ski down to the road to Northway Notch

#3-Northway chair offload area into Bruce’s Bowl

#4-Top Paradise Bowl gate—don’t confuse with “upper paradise” avi control route which it enters mid-slope

#5-Lower Paradise gate, right where Otto Bahn veer’s left

#6-Horseshoe Cliffs gate,

#7-Spook Hill Gate

#8-Just inside Spook Hill gate, enters field above the Old Faithful part of Niagras

#9-Shakers Right part of Niagras

#10-O Meadows

Northway Creek

The “flats” of Northway trail

Nose (the)

End of finger ridge, below Bruce’s Bowl.  (There’s also a “nose” on Silver King)

Old Faithful Chute

Chute next to trees, skier’s right side of Niagras

OttoBahn/I-5 Diverge

“Gate” to area below Spook Hill, where you bear right toward Lower Spook Trail & I-5

Pucker’s Gulch

Prominent depression between Penny Dawg’s and Brand X; above and skier’s left of Flush Gap

Sand Flats

Flat area North of Lower Northway vehicle access;

Scree Field

Open area below Niagras and above lower spook runout to Lot “E”.

Shaker's Left & Right

High skier’s left of Niagras, either side of rocky cliffs, respectively.

Shelbyville

Area around where the North boundary line flattens out, just above Lower BX Cliffs

Shop Face/Shop Chutes

Below Right Angle, right of Left Angle Trees, left of the Waterfall Permanent Closure

Stump Patch

Narrow run starting @ right turn in Lower Spook Trail with “To Base Area” sign; Crappy skiing to Crystal Mtn. Blvd. where Lower Northway road turns off

Teddy Bear Chute

Not the big chute right inside Gate 6, but the smaller chute to the right.

Tower 10 Cliff’s

2 bands of large rocks (or small cliffs) near tower 10

Upper Paradise

Skier’s right of Bruce’s Bowl; Skier’s left of Paradise Bowl & above Paradise gates

Valley of the Cliffs

Forest Service land past Crystal’s northern boundary; 100+’ cliffs with no skiable paths thru

White Dragon

Northern-most Low BX cliffs from which one can still traverse back to the lift.

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Double-Diamond Terrain

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Corey

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?

For safety, stick to the groomed, designated trails.  However, if you're someone who seeks the challenge and adventure (and accepts the risks) of skiing/riding in sketchy conditions:
 
South Backcountry has not been "closed", but you had to hike to get there since High Campbell chair wasn't running.  Today (Thursday) it's status changed to "open" when the High Campbell chair opened.  I hear the skiing there ranges from OK to pretty fun depending on where you go.  But apparently getting out there is quite a challenge. 
 
Bear Pits opened today too.  Dustin opened the Campbell-side chutes (off of Forest Queen) and described them as icy & rocky to a scary degree.  It sounded like some of the places I've been at Whistler/Blackcomb and in the Rockies where if you fall, you're likely to end up getting hurt on the rocks below you.  I was the first one down the REX-side Bear Pits chutes and enjoyed the pockets of snow in-between the hard icy parts.  A few more tracks might push the new snow away and make it all just icy, but it didn't look like many people were going in there.  In some places, if you're skiing fast and you fall, you may slide all the way to the bottom--so watch out for trees, and people below you.  The bottom part of Bear Pits was fun once I got through the huge icy chunks of old rained-on avalanche debris.  I'm not sure how it would be on a snowboard, since some of the large chunks required stepping-over.
 
Northway Bowl through Spook Hill (Gates 1-7) have been open except for Horseshoe Cliffs (Gate 6).  The Northway lift isn't running so return on I-5 is required.  Ice, icy avalanche debris, rocks, stumps, and all the normal unmarked hazards exist.  The skier's left side of Northway Bowl and everything North of it are closed.  Remember that in Northway, the "obstacles" can include mandatory rock-skiing in the chutes through the cliffs.  That's a large part of why that area is closed right now.  Tumbling through rocks is not recommended!
 
PLEASE NOTE:  ALL THESE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED DOUBLE DIAMOND, EXPERTS ONLY TERRAIN!   Even if you're someone who like heinous gnar, you'll probably appreciate working up to these gradually!  But they DO seem to be improving each day!
 
 
Your question about stability is too complicated to answer here, but stay tuned as time goes on!  In the meantime, learn all you can about slab avalanche formation and familiarize yourself with the resources of the Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center.   (Then consider making a donation through Friends of the Avalanche Center because the NWAC helps keep us all alive!)

 
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More About Lower Northway and The Shuttle

Posted on January 14, 2009 by Kim K

I want to add a little more insight into the Lower Northway question.  There have been several questions ever since the new Northway Chair was concieved about the status of the Shuttle.  I have a feeling that most people asking about Lower Northway and the Shuttle are really asking about the status of the Shuttle.  I mean, did people really enjoy hacking out the last few turns at the end of their Northback run?  The patrol always called the last face above the Shuttle turn-around Auger Face, because with everyone watching you and your legs feeling the burn it was one of the most likely places to earn the privilege of winning the Auger award. 

Anyway, I think the reason that so many people still ask about the Shuttle is not that they want to ski Auger Face.  It's that they want to ski beyond our boundary into the Far North and return on the summer trail and get picked up by the Shuttle.  We know this.  The reason we no longer have the Shuttle is that we can't consciously encourage people to ski the Far North area.  Sure there are many of you who have been skiing at Crystal for 30 years or more and have skied that terrain without incident your entire life.  Great.  We aren't saying you can't do that anymore.  That terrain is still there and you can still ski it.  We even have gates along our boundary line that state you are leaving the ski area and rescue could be difficult and costly.  We even tell people to set up their own shuttles. Plan ahead, leave a car in the turn-around on your way up, then go on out to your favorite stash and give 'er. 

We just can't encourage the uninitiated to follow you.  Having a shuttle would do that.  Besides, do you really want all those powder hounds following you out to your favorite stash?  That one skiable line through the cliff bands would end up being heal slid by an intermediate snowboarder or side slipped by a skier.  Is this really what you want?  Think about it. 

Let me just say a little warning to those that have never ventured out there.  The Ski Patrol calls that area The Valley of the Cliffs.  Literally, there's a tempting bowl that leads you right to a 100' cliff band.  Unless you know the way around it or through it or whatever people do ( and I know some who carry a rope with them to lower themselves through the cliffs), then you will get injured or lost.  It is a true backcountry ski mountaineering sort of experience. 

For those of you that want to have a true backcountry run, then complete the experience.  Set up your own shuttle and keep thousands of your skiing cohorts from following you. 

Addendum:  I know there are many very experienced skiers and riders at Crystal with great judgement and knowledge of the terrain.  Perhaps that knowledge even exceeds our own.  Who knows?  I just want to shed some light as to why it doesn't make operational sense for us to continue using the shuttle.  I think we all get locked into seeing Crystal the way it used to be and forget that about all of the improvements we have seen in the past decade. 

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