Dec. 15th Crystal...I'm Pissed

Paul stated it correctly. Trying to recover from a huge storm can take time.

Expect the unexpected when you go into the mountains. I think that is why alot of us venture into the high country. You never know what you may encounter.

I'll bet the three climbers on Mt Hood complained about the high wnds also. But, unfortunately mother nature rules.

Better off safe than sorry. Ok, you're a few bucks short, but you are still alive.

That it takes time to resolve storm related damage is understandable. What bothers me is that information about what will be open at the resort apparently comes from the marketing dept. For example, I called Friday night (12/15) to the snow line and the recorded message said that High Campbell (among other lifts) would be open. It didn't say, they're working around the clock to open it, or they hope to open, they advertised on the phone line that it would be open. It was not. I was a bit disapointed since High Campbell is probably my favorite part of Crystal, but oh well.  Experiences like this (along with long lift lines and frequent lift stoppages) are why I often prefer just to stay away from the lifts.

I would have to concur with you. The PR Dept @ Crystal need to communicate closer with mountain operations. The lack of communication is a sure buzz kill.

Amar mentioned this on his lift-served experience at Crystal:

Heard an interesting story on the lift my next time up, from some regulars who had chosen to wait in the Rex line. A small group of skiers was yo-yoing Rex in untracked powder from 9-10AM, while it remained closed to the public. They recognized two of them as (owner) John Kircher and his wife, a former ski patroller. By the time the group skied down a 4th time in untracked fluff, the angry mob at the base of Rex managed to fling a few snowballs at them. I'm glad I didn't see it with my own eyes (I was too busy SKIING instead), but that's quite a nasty slap in the face to the paying customers if management really did behave that way.

If I owned that mountain I would have a hard time not doing just what they did.  But if I was part of the paying public or pass holder in the REX line and witnessed this I would have filled my snowballs with hersey syrup.  If indeed they did I don't feel bad about ever poaching their anymore.  Oh did I say poach!  Ooops! I bet one of those folks was Keith. Damn him!

I heard every day there is great powder they are not going to open REX or High Campbell until noon so select few can track up the goods.

Also, on the high wind days, they are going to open REX no matter what the avy hazard is so more people will get caught in avalanches, then, fewer people will be there the following week to ski the Pow...

Right!

OK...just a little humor.

OK...just a little humor to go along with the rest of the whining.

I also hear that they are going to build a tram that drops you off in a little shopping center where you can by little trinkits that are way over priced where the summit house is right now and that they are going to put a two person chair in the North back and put a groomer right in the middle of the alpine bowls

Oh wait thats not humor thats reality :'(

I also hear that they are going to build a tram that drops you off in a little shopping center where you can by little trinkits that are way over priced where the summit house is right now and that they are going to put a two person chair in the North back and put a groomer right in the middle of the alpine bowls

Oh wait thats not humor thats reality  :'(

The tram will drop you off on NorthWay Peak. A chair in the northback, but highly unlikely to have a groomer there.

The North Back will get tracked out quicker. But, that will leave more goods for The South Back.