Crystal - 05/08 Mom's Day

What a Mothers Day…kinda like any other winter day early, new snow, some snow falling from the sky, a little freezing fog on the goggles first run or two, firm conditions – stay on the groomers early, with a few small early smooth, sweet 2 to 4 inches new areas. Bumped into Mr. Ferk free skiing today – I was beat when I finally bailed out on him at 12:45. We poked around all over the place today (for me), Rinky Tink, Valley Bowl, West Face, Kelly’s Gap to Lower E (mighty fine, except for the boulder field getting over to Lower E), IceFerkBerg, M-World, Sunnyside (for JD), a few different Doors and a few Lucky Trees to cover the main open areas. Semi smooth deep slush areas across the front of REX where very fun on the big lazy fat skis all day. Lucky again today that the hard cores have gone someplace else and the folks that have been showing up are groomer types – A lot was full, some cars in C and a couple of rows in B – Crystal accountants must be sad….So will I be if the rumors I heard are that no lift served skiing next Friday – oh so sad for lazy me. Had a lot of fun today as usual. Ended being a good son and cookin Mom a nice steak. See some of you next Saturday. ddk

It was a nice day with intermittent clearing followed by longer periods of fog and low visibility.
Great skiing corn slop down low, the type of gruel I assume served in prisons cafeterias. But up high there was soft new to be had in the local powder rooms.
Thanks to Crystal for the lift operations. First ever birthday skied at Crystal with lift operations and first ever powder and corn skied on my birthday.
Thanks for the company Scotsman, PNWBrit, Pete and later joined by Vera on a day for the ages...literally.

Having scoped out some excellent conditions on one of our favourite BC runs on Saturday, it took considerable restraint to keep it untracked until "birthday boy Joe" arrived so he could get first tracks and boy was it good.
Great day of both touring and lift assisted skiing .
Crystal rocks!

Edit to add: And a special shout out to the always smiling, spectacularly mustachioed Jimjar providing excellent customer service at the top of the Gondi.

Having scoped out some excellent conditions on one of our favourite BC runs on Saturday, it took considerable restraint to keep it untracked until "birthday boy Joe" arrived so he could get first tracks and boy was it good.

Edit to add: And a special shout out to the always smiling,  spectacularly mustachioed Jimjar providing excellent customer service at the top of the Gondi.

I appreciated the restraint. Now I get a taste of what the Winter B-day people experience.
It was almost more fun to tease the well restrained Scotsman when the time came, his mind set was one track. As I purposely waited to drop in on the run watching him get fidgety, like his pooch when a squirrel runs across the lawn and he's trapped behind a sliding glass door. Thanks again for waiting...But Scotsman was skiing like a man possessed on his "Slush Ninja Sticks." I was proud and impressed.
And Jim is an awesome ambassador, we tried to get him to leave his post and take a run with us, but his allegiance to responsibility overrode the temptations.

Edit: Skied on a new pair of Scarpa Maestrale boots. First of all it is the most comfortable boot I have set foot in. They took the "Scarpa Bump" out of the midfoot area so a full length footbed is not rockered. It has the best walk mode I have ever experienced, even on the upper cuff in steeper sections. It took me some time to get used to the ski setting and softness of the upper cuff compared to the stiffer, but never comfortable BD Quadrants. The forward setting seemed to forward and the back was to upright. But I learned a newer technique that skied real well in the slop, glop and powder. It drove the larger Stokes pretty well even in boot deep saturated coffee grounds. Probably not your daily frontside-sidecountry boot, but a great long tour, day trip boot that feels like it has dexterity when walking rather than clunking around in Frankenstein's boots.

Another pair of boots. :
You are channeling Imelda Marcos.
www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961002,00.html

Another pair of boots. :
You are channeling Imelda Marcos.
www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961002,00.html

Are you questioning my profligacy in ski boot attire?
I must have one pair for each turn.