Crystal - 01/13

Definitely an interesting variable kinda day. Expected okay temps early, got way warm bottom of mountain temps – early morning some fairly wet burst blew through before the lifts started loading. Fair early powder hoping crowd – bucket had a fairly long line up that was probably still standing in line when the last CHex folks uploaded. Snowing all day on the upper mountain, wetish early but the top was very nice cold snow falling by mid day and the snow quality on the top 1K was very very nice….maybe not so nice down lower – the groomers down low tomorrow should be very nice…No real lift lines ever today. Glad I took the Coombas early and they were pretty happy later . Vis was in and out with the worst part being the recurring need for goggle wipers…though by the time I left the upper mountain vis was nice. Good work out day, some very fun runs in the Doors and OuterFerks.

Other – Soup at CB lodge was the Triple C, didn’t feel like the heat was working when I passed through. Parking was mostly typical in the A lot with C being fairly full and cars in the B lot. North and South hadn’t opened by the time I left…and I did not hear any effort by the Patrol to open them today….some of that will be big tomorrow.

Northway opened at 2:00 Pm and it was peachy....and everybody had gone home by then.

My buddy and I were there for the appreciation, and had a great time. I was trying out my cheap craigslist skis which were all wrong for the day (Atomic TM20) but since I'm a beginner telemark skier, I'm not complaining. I stayed on the left all day except for a run down lucky shot after lunch.

I did meet another telemark skier who was taking it easy and gave me some great tips about thinking of diagonal stride. Didn't catch his name but I'm grateful. By the end of the day, I could link a few turns at a time, but almost every foray into the deep resulted in a tumble. I'll figure it out.

Great sandwich and beer at the summit house.