Very unscientific poll re: Crystal Mountain

Question:  If there were another mountain with the same quality terrain, the exact same driving distance from your home as Crystal Mountain - we'll call this mountain "Ski Hypo" - would the way Crystal Mountain's management - Boyne USA - treats you, cause you to ski at "Ski Hypo" instead?

Phrased differently:  Are you annoyed enough w/ Crystal's management style - or lack thereof - that you'd take your business elsewhere, if there was an elsewhere that was as good and as close to your home?  Have at it.

Disclaimer.  I LOVE CRYSTAL"S TERRAIN AND THE EMPLOYEES.  THIS IS ABOUT CRYSTAL MANAGEMENT'S TREATMENT OF SKIERS AND RIDERS.  Carry on.

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Are you saying the management treats you in a bad way?

I'm not sure I understand your question?

The "management" sell a product to you, you buy it, use it, and have a choice. To buy or not to buy. It's pretty simple.

If you don't like Crystal Mt's product , then you'll have to go buy another mountains product.

There is no hypothetical in skiing. You either ski or you don't.

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If you don't like paying for lift skiing services, go to MRNP, pay $30 for a season pass, and use your leg power to get you up the hill. That is if MRNP opens the road.

Now class, you've got to answer the question to get any credit at all.  Remember, no hijacking the topic. 

"Good grief!" said Charlie Brown.  "Can anyone stay on topic?"  "Get off the soapbox. and answer the question!"

If you think "Boyne" is treating you bad, then go buy your lift ticket at Alpental, Mission Ridge or Mt Baker. You have a lot of choices. No one is forcing you to ski Crystal.

Oh, maybe the terrain is pulling you there........................

What do you want? A $20 lift ticket and free hot chocolate?

This is 2008, not 1971, when gas used to be 15 cents a gallon.

AndyMartin sums this up perfect.


Snowgirl- Please try to push the discounted tickets during weekday off weather conditons. I just can't take much more 5 dollar of tickets when 45% of the mountain is on windhold.

thanks

I vote to Ski Crystal. They do the best they can with what they are given, though I will say sometimes they leave me with mixed impressions.
Good - adding a fixed lift to more terrain. I wish every resort would take that route instead of adding higher capacity lifts to the same terrain.
Bad - I was there for the wind closure on Thursday, and while I was smart enough to expect it base on telemetry, I was not impressed with 30% of the terrain open with 60% lift price. I think 50% would be much more reasonable...
Ugly - conditions reports. Though in 40 years of skiing the western US I don't remember a single resort that was accurate or completely honest on their reports

As far as the arrogant patrol: that is a cultural vibe issue with Crystal in general, though I don't believe it's the staff's fault. Skiing there on powder weekends ends up being a microcosm of working in the city during the week; too many skiers competing for too few tracks. That and the continual flaunting of money has driven the resort "upscale" with the odious pay parking which has expanded to take over the whole upper lot. What a bunch of crap!
And I'm sorry, but a first tracks program just reeks of more elitism where only the "in" people with big bucks get first tracks!
The removal of any substantial kid discount makes family skiing there out of reach for the average Joe (though I suspect now that Snoqualmie has been added to the mix the plan is to make that the entry level skier zone and price Crystal for the rich and hopelessly committed skiers only)

OK, off of my soapbox for now...

My biggest gripe with Crystal is how unpredictable they are about opening terrain. As a mid-week only skier it does seem that they save it for the weekends. As others have pointed out, you just don't see that happen at other big resorts in the west. Here, it's an almost everyday occurrence.

I was there yesterday (Feb. 8th) and it was about as good as it gets. Campbell was on wind hold at the start, Northway was closed, no bombs going off, and wind not that bad at the top of Rex. Standing in line I hear a Crystal employee on her cell phone saying she had an associate editor of Powder Magazine with her. Within an hour Campbell and Northway are open. Coincidence? I think not. If it was a typical Thursday I doubt that terrain would have gotten opened by noon.

I would also like a first tracks program similar to Whistler. Breakfast in the summit house at 6.00am and first tracks. I would pay a wee bit extra for that occasionaly.

SADLY WE DO ITS 100 DOLLARS AND YOU GET TO START RIDING AT 8 AM AND YOU GET TO RIDE WITH A GUIDE LIKE MYSELF AROUND THE MOUNTAIN FOR TWO HOURS

AND AS LONG AS HYPO CAN GIVE ME GOOD TERRAIN AND THE SKIERS HAD LESS OF A SNOWBOARD PUNK ATTITUDE LIKE CRYSTAL IS INFAMOUS FOR THEN i WOULD BE THERE