New Bullion Basin lift, upgrade to High Campbell..

Great news and I hope that sometime in the future a ski lift to the top of East Peak does become a reality.
Good work Crystal Management and USFS. Bravo.

There is a possibility that it could still happen. Myself and another friend (who operates a backcountry tour club) submitted appeal letters in the open remark period pending approval of the ROD by the USDA. We both supported the chair to East Peak, though it had resistance from a small coalition called the CCC.
Without dragging in a 5 page letter, In a nutshell, for the Johnny Come Lately's here it is... My contention is that there is very minor expansion of the actual terrain in Crystal's main area, but there will be increased skier traffic, so we need to spread the area out some.
The USDA needed to respond to each persons request and we were told, and I pull out the USDA letter sent back to me dated 11/14/2004.
2. (Our contention) The decision not to develop East Peak is based on insufficient information to determine potential impacts to USFS wilderness.

USDA response:
The decision not to develop East Peak was NOT based on wilderness impacts. In his decision the Forest Supervisor specifically stated that he could not make a decision based on wilderness values. ROD at p.27

The Forest Supervisor states that he decided not to propose development in the South County and East Peak areas because he was not convinced that ski lift access to this terrain would improve terrain distribution. He was also not convinced that there is public demand for additional, lift-served expert terrain at Crystal Mountain. ROD at p. 21

So there it is...
We placed the question and it was responded in such a manor by the Forest Supervisor.
So in the future, If Crystal can prove that there is a need or public demand for additional lift served expert terrain at Crystal then the East Peak lift can be placed back on the plan.

Those who are in favor of the East Peak chair should buy me lunch for life and those who oppose it, well please don't burn down my house...it's not good for global warming.

It seems a little silly to install a new lift when they don't run the ones they've already got (Gold Hills and Quicksilver midweek).

I also skiied the old lift into B.B. for several seasons. It was not a good idea then but somehow, seems to have a new life behind it. Skier density and need of a larger "footprint" is the present rationale? On the few days each year Crystal "busts at the seams" and turns vehicles away, yeah, Id buy that. The rest of the season, Hhmmm?. If uphill access to one of the last bastions of semi-seclusion, big and varied backcountry terrain is compromised by downhill traffic and increased risk, may only a matter of time before "no lift ticket - no access" occurs. Marginal terrain, poor exposure / orientation, a questionable need for expansion, and maybe an eventual loss of self-powered access without a taking a detour make this controversial. Strategically speaking, not well thought out. Thumbs down from me.

"no lift ticket - no access" occurs.

Bingo! Yeah baby yeah!

Scotsman,

I appreciate your post above. I would like to present an alternative perspective. I understand that users and supporters of ski resorts are frustrated with the difficulty associated with expansion. But I would point out that ski areas enjoy the privilege of operating a private business on (desirable, prime) public land. The ski area operation drastically changes the permit area year round, hoarding a small part of the public treasure for the enjoyment of the wealthy and the private gain of a small population. This fact admittedly prejudices my views -- my default reaction is to oppose ANY expansion/construction/improvement of ski areas. I would be far more supportive of expansion of a coop or publicly owned/managed operation. To me the ski areas are those prime winter-accesible areas of public land which are too good to leave for the common man and instead are cordoned off for those who can afford the privilege of skiing there. I feel that the forest service has been overly generous in the granting of permits for ski areas (but what do you expect from the US govt.). It would be different if you built a ski resort on your own land.

I accept the reality of ski areas, and I try to foster good will with their users, who are surely not to blame for the situation. And, in my experience, lift skiers have been a pretty nice and fun bunch of people even if I find myself in constant and extreme culture clash with them. I also think lift skiing is amazingly fun. But I think the ability to ski from the same (or equivalent, nearby) access without paying is important to me in the same way that the right to buy a glock is important to gun nuts. I feel like the aristocrats should not be able to push me out, and the typical, authoritarian tone taken by ski areas certainly does not help.

I don't think it fair that people who contribute little to Crystal's economic well being should have the virtually free use( if the fee was nominal) of their facilities  ( Many BC skiers use their toilets and plowed parking areas and benefit from their road plowing along the boulevard).

Well I understand that, but I don't think it's fair that Crystal has been allowed to build permanent buildings and lifts in the forest when everybody else is prohibited even from leaving caches of gear/food or staying in one place for more than 14 days. I'm also sure that Crystal can remain profitable even with a bunch of free-loading hippies using their bathrooms.

Micah, Thank you for your perspective. I don't agree with it but I enjoyed reading your POV .
BTW as you say , those nuts buying the glocks same as used in the AZ shooting.... only in America but don't get me started on your incomprehensible guns laws...
But a few points.
1) I  am a BC skier as well and I do not think all  BC skiers are freeloading hippies, but I'm sure a small minority are and not that there is anything wrong with being a hippie but there is with freeloading.

2)There are private buildings at the bottom of Crystal Boulevard that are private structures( homes) built on public land , rented by the owners who did the capital improvements. I think if you extended your logic and tried to use their toilet and park in their driveways  they would rightly call the police. Just because it is rented public land does not give you the right to use it. If you have a problem with that concept you should talk to the USFS not CM. There is no difference between the two examples I give you only the fact that you insist ( because applying logic gives an answer you don't want to accept) in your belief otherwise.

3) It is not a question as to wether Crystal will remain profitable despite freeloaders, ticker poachers and parking spot freeloaders. It is a question of fairness.  Just because you can doesn't mean you should.  It's like a story I head a long time ago when a gas station put up the wrong price by a factor of ten. People e-mailed each other and went and got gas there knowing it was a mistake. They did nothing illegal but IMHO it was wrong. I would have pointed out the correction to the gas station owner and paid the proper price. But that's me. Corporations have rights as well and should be treated fairly unless they themselves are corrupt.

4) Things change and prime winter access to Bullion  may be compromised.  Such is life. We may lose heli skiing in the NC if the ALPS project gets approved. Such is life. Again why not try an improve the winter access opportunities by getting the MRNP to plow to White River in Winter.  A smaller but very successful project was adopted at Hurricane Ridge for all week access.

5) If you use Crystal Mountain  Facilities to access the BC you should pay for them . I do.. why shouldn't you. Are you more special than me???

6) The most important thing is that people with similar views to me on CM ski area expansion are winning the battle and that all this hot air we all produce on skiing websites and the angst and hand wringing by people with views similar to yourse are losing because you whine and wallow in righteous indignation but do nothing. You are losing winter access from many scources...wilderness initiatives, conservationalists, private corportations, Park expansion projects, and the list grows and the access gets more restricted.  Good luck, history shows you're losing the battle.