Crystal 3/14 upper Mt. closed

I agree, it is a drag when the upper mountain does not open, however, as team walley points out with the sustained winds and increasing temperatures the avalanche danger sometimes increases so much that the hazard is just to high to open the upper mountain. Within a couple of hours of control work winds can transport more snow to where areas that were safe can be hazardous again.

Have you ever had a friend or someone you know die from an avalanche? Perhaps not, but if you ski long enough you will.

Avalanche control work on a mountain like Crystal is not an easy job, the judgement call to close the mountain is more for safety than economic reasons?

So, is it also asking too much to open the remaining lower lifts on days like this?

I still think midweek gets shorter shrift as the season progresses.

It was a marketing decision, did you see the web sight in the morning? It said " It was epic yesterday, today Northway and High Camble will be closed" They made the decision to close the upper mountain the night before. Hold it for a day then market it for a big day the next day, it is a trend this season. If Rex can run Northway can run, it is the most wind protected chair on the upper mountain. Let the ski patrol run the mountain and leave the bean counters out of it.

I agree with the above.......it is a marketing and economic decision usually, not a safety decision. Boyne Mountain is about making money, not making us powder freaks happy. And the "day before" decisions are dubious at best. It always takes the day of to truly know what it it is like.

An in case you think I am talking out my a**, I worked their full time.

That being said, I too AGREE that Crystal does a good job of getting the mountain open as best they can........and on time. Alpental suffers greatly in this respect.

I have been skiing the BC since 1983, and can fortunately say that I have never lost a friend or climbing partner. Certainly I have found myself in dangerous situations and have made questionable decisions, but I do not believe that the mountains should be "dumbed down" to the general public.

We do that all day long in all areas of our society, seems like the mountains are an obvious place to keep risk a part of the equation. It is because people feel they are safe since the patrol did control work that they can go huck that cliff or cross that rope line.

Sorry to sound a bit cold considering the events of the last few months. Of course my heart goes out to the dead and their families (I lost my mom this past year).

Sorry guys, I must support the mountain on the call today. Tower 15 winds ran a sustained 50 all morning,with several 70 gusts, somewhat mitigating after 1pm. Considering that Rex and 6 needed to be dug out, PB AC'd, the entire Exterminator/Bull area AC'd there simply wasn't enough time. Yesterdays AC produced a 5' crown on E proper and last nights winds and temps were perfect for a repeat. I saw the owner on the hill accessing the conditions with Patrols lead throughout the day. I am confident the decision was not based on economics, rather safety of guests and staff. Ski cutting and bomb throwing let alone hiking and climbing in today's conditions simply were not prudent.

Stop the hateful coral reef building

Wally pretty much sums up the truth. High winds = chair shut down. It's strictly a safety concern . Nothing else. You get a 50 mph gust against a chair with people in it, slamming against a support tower, the chair will possibly detach from the cable, which equals possible dead skiiers. No mountain will take that chance.

FYI, Ch 6 has an automatic shutoff switch when winds hit 35 mph

We had a super fun day lapping dead cat gulch.

The snow was great AND the lift lines were pretty short.

Plus, the lift tickets were DISCOUNTED. My friend who paid on line got a refund of the difference at the ticket window.

The avi control was going on all afternoon once the winds died down.

Your liftie friend is right, they would have opened the top on a weekend when there are volunteer patrolers to back up the pros doing avi control.