4th of July weekend at Crystal

7/2/11 – Green Valley at Crystal is still in great shape. Sunny day, and snow was nice and soft even in the shadows, it just kept a nice creamy consistency all morning long. Started out with a run out Huckleberry to the ropeline and then down Ottobahn/Sheppard where the sun cups were very carveable. Then Iceferks with a drop down to the lift via the diagonal traverse across Bill and West faces. After that we just bopped here and there thru a few tree slots along Elk ridge and down Buck as well as a couple runs under the lift. . We even spotted a good-sized Marmot scurrying down Hucklberry/Snorting Elk bowl. Nice-sized crowd, the wait was getting to be 10-15 mins by noon. C lot was filled along the edge since there were lots of sightseers as well as sliders. Sunday’s looking a little dodgy with the cloud deck at 3-6.5 K and 30-40% showers chance, so we’re skipping that and will be back for Fourth of July. They’re officially also going to be open July 9/10, and a patroler unofficially fessed up that they are hoping to reach August since there’s even more snow up there now than in ‘99 when we were sliding 2 weeks after the 4th. So get up there! TomK & Chad

Sunday was great too!

I just wish I could have gotten one of those salmon sandwiches or at least some fries with my beer.

Cheers
Ivo

7/4/11 – 4th of July at Crystal was super sunny. A goodly number of bikinis were spotted along with lots or shorts and Hawaii shirts. Snow was suncupped more deeply than Saturday, so not quite as much fun, but still fun enough. Pretty big crowd up there – 15 minute lift line waits by 1000. Snow out in the trees is getting pretty dirty now. Saw MiguelMasLoco whiz past first thing. Hiked up to the top of Northway lift for the start of our first run down the north rope line, and then all over the Elk bowl runs and ridge tree slots. Was having fun up till the last moment after going between two trees near the bottom and ending up with one ski in a pit of doom that threw me forward superman style onto and re-dislocated my bum shoulder. Ouch – that hurt, even with a quick assist from Chad and reduction that popped it right back in. Self-evacated down to the chair and then up to the top where a cute patroller slinged me up and then arranged a snowmachine ride up to the gondy. Looks like I’m off the snow till next winter and another summer spent re-habbin’. TomK & Chad