Why Crystal sux

Why Crystal sux? Certainly not because of the great terrain. And there are some nice people that work there. The prices? OK if you're getting what you paid for.

When dealing with Crystal I'm reminded that reasoning with a bureaucracy is like pissing on a turtle...

Here's an email I sent to Crystal:
Keith Henson
to Crystal Mountain Guest Services <guestservices@skicrystal.com>,
date Jan 7, 2008 10:59 AM
subject long lines at chinook
mailed-by gmail.com
Jan 7 (13 days ago)

I hope that you will not react negatively to what follows. I love Crystal and I am a pass holder.

Monday the 31st and yesterday were very busy. The line at the Chinook was over 20 minutes at times. The Miner's Basin chair was fired up to help. What made the experience frustrating is that many chairs on the Chinook were being sent up unfilled.

During five minutes I tracked it, over 45 seats were sent up empty. Recognizing that presenting a problem without a solution is whining, I would like to suggest a solution that costs nothing and helps eliminate customer resentment.

The way the line was set up, the singles line merged with the other folks in line a full 40+feet back from the lift gates. Since no one was lining people up for chairs this led to the singles being so far back they could not fill in when there were empty spots at the gate. The solution: allow singles to merge much closer to the front so that when there is a spot unfilled, the skier can easily slide in to the unfilled gate.

This seems to be, from my observations, how many other ski areas around the country are able to fill up their chairs.

Please accept this as a suggestion and not a criticism. I am proud of Crystal and want it to be the best it can be.

Of course I did not get the courtesy of a response from Crystal. Not even a blow off like, "Thanks for your input. We're always looking for ways to make your Crystal skiing experience the best it can be."

So I go to Crystal yesterday. It's packed with the 15 minute line at Chinook and they are running the Miners Basin chair which is mostly empty. The line at Chinook is set up the same way. No one loading the chairs and the singles line ends about 40 feet from where the chair loads. THREE out of FOUR chairs had 3 people on them.

I pointed out to the carbon based unit checking tickets that there was a long line and they were sending up unfilled chairs and that if the singles line were moved we would be able to ski instead of waiting . She agreed but said that it wasn't her job and she could do nothing. (BTW, and acknowledging that being a lifty is one of the worst jobs going, some of Crystal's lifties are the laziest. Though they did fire the guy last year sleeping at the upper GV chair.)

What do you say to a business that will not make an improvement for its customers that costs nothing? Big expectation, big disappointment?

Sign me, "Frustrated Crystal Lover"

Ten years ago, Crystal had a "Host" program. The cost to Crystal: a season pass. The benefit: Hosts directed ticket lines and chair traffic in the manner that you are suggesting, specifically at peak hours. I know, because I was one of those hosts. The end of that season, Boyne purchased Crystal . . . goodbye host program. Guess, the 20 or so people they were "employing" with season passes took a little too much out of the bottom line.

Haven't skied lifts at Crystal in a very long time . . . certainly hope it gets better for ya.

I feel your frustration as well. I rode lifts at Crystal last Sunday and the place was pretty packed. We experienced the exact same issue on the chinook chair. Very frustrating to watch many chairs go by with 3 or 4 people on it when you're standing i line. They did have two "ticket checkers" but they were barely checking tickets never mind making chairs of 6. However they did have the the lift person who was at the loading area yelling out to people to make chairs of 6 which is really helpful when you're two chairs back from getting on the lift.

Well... Keith, I know you are quite the Crystal veteran.  So, perhaps I can't tell you anything new.   

Sometimes I have seen real good traffic control... and extra guy/gal out there with a pole, controlling traffic and counting heads....  once it was a lady ski patroller.   But that was always at the Queens chair.  Have never seen that at Chinook.

I try not to ski weekends, but get surprised by holidays ( sometimes I am oblivious that it is a holiday.... but that is why I am not skiing today.. another damn holiday....).  But when I get up there on a high traffic day, I am amazed at how lazy Crystal mgt is... all they do is put up fencing to divert their long lines off to the side.

What I see is that sometimes various individuals make an effort to direct traffic .... at the ticket windows and lift lines.   This seems to be inconsistant.  But I appreciate those folks who step up.

It could be that it is too difficult to check lift tickets at the base and also pack chairs... need to move the ticket checkers further back into the line.  At Park City, they scan everybody with a barcode reader...  course they have a lot of yo-yo's in the base area. I did like Park City's guest host system.

The answer is to simply avoid the weekends and holidays at Crystal.   They are insane.

It's the leash Nazi's slowing the 'boarders down (and the aforementioned line control)!

I am skiing at Crystal every Fri-Sun, and am also a long time Crystal skier.  While I at times share in the frustration with lift lines, I am very happy with Crystal overall and my experience there.   I think it's a great mountain and prefer a good day there to any other hill in the NW including Whistler.   I have found the lifties generally do a good job at Rex, Forest Queen, Green Valley and Chair 6 where I ski most   I have no real complaints.   I always try and make sure there are enough people in my row to fill the chair to help things along.  I have never felt I didn't get enough skiing in on a day due to long lines.  My expectation is there will be an occassional long line and just deal with it.   I also go around to the other side to a line that may be shorter, or avoid the lifts that seem to be backing up.   Just my 2 cents.

Paul