Crystal - 02/23

Day started funny with everyone forced to ride the Gondy, since CHex was missing some critical parts that had been loaned to FQex for the day. All worked great after we got out of the base area. Kept a eye on HC opening which took a long time, lots of sheave wheels (6 or 7) had to be replaced and it took a while, but it was well worth the wait – had to suffer a lot of great runs on REX while we waited, some of the best in BP’s. Very smooth firm surface under varying amounts of new snow. Some fog hanging around early, with more sun breaks as the day went on. PB and Campbell Basin skied great – thanks to the hard work getting it going. Finished our day with lots of REX runs – pretty much in hamster mode. Great day all in all. Lots of cars B maybe half full and C looked full, buses in A lot and maybe even some pay folks. Sorry didn’t get any info about the soup of the day (or what shoes the lift opp’s were wearing). Fun day with the core group.

Well the day was as good as we both had hoped it to be. Jackson can indeed stand on the sticks. The trip up was full of questions of why this and why that and how come and where does snow come from, finally a question I knew something about and the next half hour was filled with how one day his Great Grand Pa Howard Brosseu invented snow with his good friend Cooper in Alaska, Hey no 6 year  old is going out Clavin me. Jackson and I shouldered our gear together and walked the 15 steps to the people mover station for the short ride up the hill, upon disembarking from the mover we once again put our noses to the hill and walked the next 18 steps together as we approached the ticket both. out of breath and with the summit in sight we did stumble to the bottom lift. The summit was ours after what felt like 15 min but more like 4 min ride up the lift. I skied parts of Crystal that I have never ever skied before, thanks Jackson for showing me around the hill today, I had a blast. And the best part was riding the lift with you.
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What a day! Butter over a smooth somewhat crusty bottom was fast and sweet. All day. Six opened late due to 7 sheave replacements but just reignited the frenzy that that raged for 2 hours after opening on the Frontside. The Frontside provided the morning fun, Campbell Basin and Powder Bowl the mid-day, and back to the Frontside to close it out. For odd conditions of 4-6" new over a smooth rain crust with in-and-out fog, something clicked. The fastest, easiest snow I've skied this year. Might be some thickening and firming overnight on the sunny aspects – face north.

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how one day his Great Grand Pa Howard Brosseu invented snow with his good friend Cooper in Alaska, Hey no 6 year  old is going out Clavin me.

I like it. With my kids, I always took Calvin's Dad's point of view and considered it my duty to "mess with their minds".

Sounds like you had a great day.

Ken

I was there with PNWBrit(banned from TAY) and Wapati Bob( part-time). Skied my personal GV stash on wonderful snow and then I suggested Right Angle assuring my partners that the gondi line would be gone. RA first tracks...always a treat but gondi line was huge much to my partners chagrin. So we hiked to chair 4 , rode it and skied to FQ and then rode that and skied to REX to get back up all with the constant reminder from my buddies that it was my fault.

Then to North... MGBowl to Water runs like Wine....super nice.
then to chair 6.
Hiked the King and skied LBR to what we call Bruce's Face...untracked, steep and very nice.
Another run down Avy Bowl and DFF and we called it quits.

LBR from King had patches of bubble ice on ridge and as of 2:00 Pm no souls had dropped Hourglass or Appliance probably fearing ice.

Didn't have soup but I did have a slice of peperroni pizza with TWO packets of red pepper condiment over it because I like it spicy.

Parked in A lot because I was an early bird and not in Upper Lot C  with the Backcountry Elite where I normally park. This severely affected my normal urination routine as I couldn't pee on my tires as normal. Not good.