Crystal November 28th.

With all the doom and gloom over the road conditions I figured there would good skiing and no crowds if I were willing to venture out. The trip was a little longer than usual due to a 5 mile skating rink on I-5 south of Kent - Des Moines exit and compact now and ice that started in Enumclaw and went pretty much all the way to the parking lot. I was glad to have 4 wheel drive.

Temps were in the low 20's in the lot and there was patchy low cloud cover with occasional poofs of snowfall. Got started a little after the opening bell and Campbell opened slightly thereafter. Short version is that I spent most of the day lapping Campbell Basin. This was perhaps the nicest combination of depth and snow quality I've ever skied in our fair state. Each new chair ride began with brushing snow out of my whiskers from the face shots. There were moments when I was completely engulfed in snow - over my head in some pillows - even after many skiers had been there throughout the course of the day.

Temps in the basin remained in the 20's but a pretty energetic sunshine kept things comfortable without diminishing snow quality. According to lift gossip there was some kind of filming going on in the next drainage, and I watched a helicopter landing on top of the King from my chairlift vantage point which was interesting to say the least.

Sadly, my early season legs didn't get me to the closing bell as a persistent cramp in one leg sent me home a little early, wistfully thinking of the pillows that were still there waiting for some lucky skier.

They opened south back at ~230 PM. I was in the first wave but not able to keep up with the half dozen or so 30 somethings. South back was sweet. No crowns/sliding that I saw, though I didn't stand around to take it in as I was trying to get a second helping. Alas, despite my huffing a second run was missed by a few seconds, the lifty was setting the closing sign as I screamed into the Chair 6 loading zone. Dang I'm gettin elderly. It truely was an awesome, almost entirely bluebird day, as good as it gets. I kept thinking am I in Utah? I did notice some thickening sun affect on the south slopes under chair 6 at days end, though. Its been a great week for PNW skiers. I wonder if the bubble will burst on Thursday.