Crystal - 03/02

Pretty nice bonus day, a lot better than I expected, some sun, great weather (started getting a little grey around 1pm), pretty perfect smooth snow and fairly deep in the wind loaded areas of GV Bowl and Powder Bowl (!!!). Very firm under the new – especially in the areas that got more wind scoured (the usual places). Grooming was nice up high, but pretty lumpy on the lower mid mountain areas of REX (though Skid Road - ? new name? was very nice and smooth when we left). Snow on the north facing slopes I did was very nice till around noon when it was starting to get kinda heavy packed cut up stuff. Took the BMW’s today – they worked just fine, but the Coombas would have been much happier. Quit extra early today. Heard not so glowing reports from Northway and Bearpits (both of which I was just to Republican today to try – just had a feeling about how great the conditions would be). Should hear much more glowing reports soon.

Other – Soup today was NOT SOUP…Beef Stew? Hhhhmmm…Spilt a Terriyaki rice bowl with #1 – way to salty even for me. Parking was pretty typical, though it looks like the season is winding down, since not many folks were parked below the A lot….(might soon be good for the poor step children from the far north to start coming down on weekdays). PB and Champbell Basin was the place to be early today and some of the lines skied today were very pretty (especially those folks that make a turn or two – or even 20!).

I musta lost the bonus round and was not all that impressed with conditions (a little filtered sun was nice). Heavy windblown new on the south/east facers kept you off the previous day’s ice crust, but took speed and a gentle edge. About 5,600ft, it became thin breakable crust over really heavy boot top… stuff. Nearly unskiable the lower you got. Green Valley was slightly better, and Iceberg delivered firm, but for awhile, carvable speed. Best snow was Campbell Basin - at least the top 80% till the lock-your-skis crust took over. Didn’t get to Powder Bowl till it was pretty cut up and it skied nicely. Unless you were the lightweight of the group and couldn’t build enough momentum to blow through the cut-up pillows. The Aftershocks (minus Bemmer advert) worked nicely, didn’t need my new pair. Some nice 7-turn pow stashes off Rinky Dink Ridge were actually the snow-of-the-day. The traverse in and out, not so much. I knew better than to temp Bear Pits or Northway’s lower elevation. As the morning went on, the crust and heaviness moved higher and packed harder. An early departure down Stumpfarm/Skid Road was nasty.

Went into an empty Campbell Basin lodge to pee, soup was Stew, sounded great, didn’t have any. I parked in A lot and it was fine. I have step children, and love them. No lines and a fast commute down the mountain.

Ken
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Great beta, guys. Will have to think twice about my plan to go Thurs, hoping to reap South. Might be dodgy with the crust.

Poor Conditions is about all I understood.

.... The Aftershocks (minus Bemmer advert) worked nicely, didn’t need my new pair. ....Ken
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The big question (of many I could ask ), What are the odds you'all ever take the shrink wrap off the new pair? And yes the BMW's are just the same as your AfterShocks....and yes I do like my BMW's...but the Coombas would have been so happy today And Yes this morning was very

Hhhhmmm…Spilt a Terriyaki rice bowl with #1 – way to salty even for me.

So true. Tastes like packaged chicken that they soak in brine . . . nice concept, love the seaweed, need to get their own chicken and simply grill it.