Crystal - 12/19

The way to early report....What a difference a day makes…grey, snowing most of the morning, winds, warm, anywhere from 2 to 6+ new nice typical northwest Cascade powder, normal Monday crowd (holiday weeks? Not yet apparently). Lots of untracked lines to ski, till my aching quads from the bumps yesterday gave up and made me leave to early. All the new snow came after 4am, so the groomers had a nice blanket of snow. Good muscle building kinda day. Good dense layer to pack into the slopes…also heavy slide possible snow – so be aware. Lots of blocks of snow were dropping off the trees and were pretty firm.

Other – Soup at CB lodge was Tomato Bisque (again), base had Mushroom Bisque (whats with all the bisque soups?). Parking was typical with B and C maybe half fullish each. Drive up on 410 was pretty deep wet snow (passing not recommended)…heard DOT had still not had the plows out at 8am yet. Drive down was nice wet pavement mostly.

Untracked all day if you knew where to go early, and where to duck into later. Memorial to Sunnyside to Breakover kept us busy till we migrated North. Northway was untracked 6-12”, up high, and big soft bumps with interspersed stumpage down low. It’s still plenty scrappy in The Pits as we skied the soft new of said wood before it could pack and cover. Warming temps made Lower Campbell and Powder Bowl a little “variable”. Report is likely academic as the weather coming looks to completely change the scenery with lots of heavy snow and warming temps.

A slow, 25mph road grader and then a snow plow tried to quell the early low-snow-level enthusiasm. Passing the plow allowed a reasonable 50mph ascent. ddk, the plows were out at 7:30 (uphill; downhill was already done) and driving ahead of the plow was easy in the right vehicle - passing the pokes recommended. With the new smooth pavement on The Boulevard, it was side-to-side smoothness and Blizzak heaven. (sorry Scotsman, some of us come prepared).

Oh, Crystal’s “we had a bluebird pow day!”. That started at 12.30 as long as you were north of Green Valley.


Ken
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Total sleeper day....untracked everywhere northway peak was great....willys also......but Silverbasin was the gold standard of this day......Last lap and to look up and see less than 30 tracks total and it was real good.....south opened at about noonish....It's was good to be home.......I did however notice that the coming 3 inches of rain is only going to add up to 10 inches of snow.I'm no math wiz,but that sounds like a black hole for snow density

Untracked all day
With the new smooth pavement on The Boulevard, it was side-to-side smoothness and Blizzak heaven. (sorry Scotsman, some of us come prepared.
Ken
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Yes.. I saw you all crawling behind the grader and plow while heading in the opposite direction to serve our new fascist overlords and help rebuild MErika.
Plows were late in getting started.
Musta been frustrating for all you Monday Morning Maniacs. I could see the dark misty aura of angst hanging above the streaming line of cars as I drove past .