Crystal 1/12

It did clear up for a short time after our 11am break. With a change of gloves, I took the opportunity for some nice Bear Pits runs, but the snow was more chopped up and mashed potato like each trip. Each time I passed Rex there were a few more people standing around. I was about ready to pack it in just before 1pm when the now large crowd gave a shout and they finally opened Rex right at 1:00. I had a great time on Door 1, a tough chopped up run on Sunnyside and a couple more nice ones on Memorial. Then, thinking I was still a young man, I hiked to the top of Exterminator. Upper E was excellent, Lower E was not! All the snow was very heavy today and I can't remember resting so many times during a run. I must have stopped 5 or 6 times hiking up to E and 10 or more times on the way down. I need fatter skies and younger legs.

I correctly predicted at 5:30 a.m. this morning that Crystal would be subject to extreme avalanche danger due to the high winds loading up the slopes with fresh slop.  And with temps hovering around 33 F degrees-- well, we know what that means. Knowing that the top chairs would be closed, we never went south from Seattle.

So we made a last minute decision to make the drive up to Stevens Pass -- where 10 inches of overnight had fell at 7 F degrees.  In most situations, this would be cold smoke powder...WRONG... that was on the ground was something we have all come to cherish and love -- "good ol' fashioned Cascade concrete", or in other words, thick heavy snow that caused lamely-rockered skis to dive unless you sat in the back seat -- like my beloved Volkyl Mantras with minimal rocker and being a light wood core box. However when we switched to a 196 cm Salomon Rocker (192cm, 147 / 127 / 137mm / Turn Radius: 48.5m) with 72 cm tip rocker--then the concrete began to get tamed and then skier compacted and then we had turned Double Diamond into a fun run.  There was no venturing into bowls, flats, any ungroomed blue trails. Trees were pretty much off limit.  The backside was even more concreteous, with Corona Bowl being surprising unpleasant.  We counted 12 Crystal skiers we knew when made the trek to Stevens in search of 7F degree cold power -- besides we all had good reason to think we had made the right move: WRONG!  at 8 a.m., the temp was 6F. at 9 a.m., the temp was 24F and then up and up so that we had snowslopmix all day -- sometimes with driving rain.  But the entire mountain was open and while it was a battle with the elements, we managed to turn in a fun day. 

The most amusing chair ride banter was a marked discussion if Cascade Concrete can be classified as powder. Cheers, CS

 

Marketing photos below.
I agree with jimjar - thanks for leaving early or staying home.
The rain was starting to soak through by the time REX opened but it was worth the wait. We managed some very fast first tracks in snow that was "interesting" to "great".

I hope everyone enjoyed the doors

I hope everyone enjoyed the doors 

HAHAHA