Crystal - 12/17

Sorry for the verbose report. Good day, not as sunny as hoped for, but there was that nice east cold wind. Thought I’d be solo, but JD was in the lodge when I showed up at 8:20, quick change and onto the CHex at 8:50 after the massive 5 chair line disappeared. Early partly cloudy conditions, sunny from base of PB north. We did a number of runs all over the front of REX from BP’s to OuterFerks, to many Elevator Shafts, to very nice Sunnyside and M-World runs, also a run down Upper and Lower E – okay but not that great, and did the high speed groomer runs of Lucky and IceFerkBerg - and they were fun. Mentioned the N word so we did a couple of runs out Northway – dang those dog gone grooming machines – Stop the Brutal Grooming – both of the main drainages down at the bottom have been smoothed a clean as a baby’s butt – lucky we did not do to much of either, mainly finished Northway with the bottom chair line drop – sweet, steep, bumpy and somewhat icey if you picked the wrong line. After suffering the N world, we headed back and finished the day on REX. Most of the day found good enough vis to be happy, no lift lines even the bad parking lots had cars in B and C lots – grip the current parking lot crew seems as clueless as the chair lift gate crew! Ouch. Finished with a paltry 36k on a slow lazy day…ddk

Extra info – talked to the main man at the base of the Gondola – 6 is fixed and been test running the last couple of days, will be open tomorrow (unless the winds are worse than predicted). Gondy is still on schedule for the big Wednesday party (sounds like only 13 to 17 buckets to start with another 5 arriving in the Feb time frame – had something like 5 or 6 sitting on the cable at the bottom with big barrels of water in them. Maybe the nicest news is the that new 6 chair will only be a double, with a bigger filled in flat area in the current off load area, new chrome chairs, new towers in the same spots as the current, planned for summer 2012 – so we’ll get to ride it a little before the end of the world on Dec 21 2012.

"the current parking lot crew seems as clueless as the chair lift gate crew! Ouch." ddk

The parking lot crew have always been lacking. Customer service? Hardly. New gates? New technology? Always a challenge. Take it easy on them, Dan, there is a learning curve. LOL!!

It seems like a year off from Crystal will be a good change. I've decided to ski the backcountry this winter. Give the chair ride a rest in favor of burning calories trekking uphill. It's time to break out the AT gear.

You know I love ya Bandit, but I gotta throw one out for the lot guys. They have one of the most thankless jobs on the hill, maybe get treated worse than most employees. They've always been great to me. Paul in the pay lot and Lee, the guy in charge of that crew is always helpful and friendly and though I don't know his new crew very well, they all know me and are always terrific. Dan, who's no longer on the crew, saved my ass when I locked myself out of the car. I gave him a ten-spot and it was like no one had ever done anything like that for him. I think it has a lot to do  with how you treat them. Just because they work in the lot doesn't mean they're stupid or lesser human beings.

As with most people, show some respect and you'll usually get it right back.

Has six opened again yet?

And I gotta say I always try to treat them with respect and they probably think - who is that old geeky guy - but its not that I disrepect them, its that they havent been in the lot before this season and it shows in the way the cars are getting parked....what the heck the lift lines in peak season are even worse - whats with that? ddk

Well I gotta chime in on this, I am continually amazed that folks who have the ability to earn the big bucks for sports utes, porsches with awd etc etc, spend several thou on gear then turn totally clueless in the parking lots, lift lines and food lines. The parking guys are indeed abused, when A lot is full, it's full, try B or C lot, don't park in the middle of the road, when the shuttle comes get on and sit down. I guess what scares me the most is they are teaching their children that it's ok to suffer terminal brain fade. Those children then proceed to sit down in the middle of runs or under berms. Hello Darwin. These same folks glory in stopping in the middle of the lift ques for no apparent reason. Empty chairs are just wrong. Crystal does indeed get busy for the next couple of weeks, lots of interaction with public for the staff and yes there is some OJT involved, give the liftes and lot guys a smile and a thank you, for most them it will be a surprise. and for goodness sake when you get to the head of the soup line be ready to order, not everyone gets extra crackers ! Rant over, powder to be skied.

You know I love ya Bandit, but I gotta throw one out for the lot guys. They have one of the most thankless jobs on the hill, maybe get treated worse than most employees. They've always been great to me. Paul in the pay lot and Lee, the guy in charge of that crew is always helpful and friendly and though I don't know his new crew very well, they all know me and are always terrific. Dan, who's no longer on the crew, saved my ass when I locked myself out of the car. I gave him a ten-spot and it was like no one had ever done anything like that for him. I think it has a lot to do  with how you treat them. Just because they work in the lot doesn't mean they're stupid or lesser human beings.

As with most people, show some respect and you'll usually get it right back.

Has six opened again yet?

Could not agree with you more OP. I have on occasion tipped the young bucks a 5 spot on super cold days to get some hot chocolate or coffee.. The parking guys have a hard time getting along with the lifties. Don't know the reason, it just happens. For the uber SUV drivers, it probably would not hurt to tip the guys now and then.

Hopefully Crystal can iron out the kinks this year, so I'll be ready to hit it in 2011-2012.