Crystal - 02/03

Short report – snowing, windy, icy in places, deep in others, no crowds, no lift lines, slow lifts early, but everything open by mid day, improving conditions all day, nice warmish snow late morning to help bond to the ice layer, nice colder snow in the afternoon…great day to stop the withdrawal symptoms that were starting to kick in for me.

And the to wordy report - Very interesting day…Checked the telemetry at 5am – down trending winds (good)…arrived at Crystal around 7:45 – kinda gusty but not to bad, loading the buckets…always a good sign…Got a good spot on CHex, gusts picking up hard and by the time we got to REX it was on wind hold – till as Kentucky said “I really don’t know”…hhhmmm….one run from there to the base down Skid row (very nice smooth with a layer of new). And REX was open – but very slow, still big winds up top. I stayed in the Valley poking around, finding good (West Face! and Ann’s run area), but also plenty of not so good variably wind blasted or whatever. Snorting Elk also had happy spots….REX looked to be running okay, so did MIFB and Lucky a few times to wake up the muscles – okay. NW opened and I actually thought about it…reports I heard were not very impressively happy in the places I would have thought would have been good…lucky me, I don’t really like riding the NW lift on a windy somewhat cold day. Temps did bounce up late morning – noticed wet on my goggles. Around 11 decided to check out CB lodge – good decision in some ways. Skied mid day when the temps seemed to be dropping and the snow was dumping – everything I skied early afternoon was way better than earlier. Nice wetish snow late morning was sticking nicely and by the time I left the colder snow was very pleasant. Finished my day out Kelly Gap and lower E – all skied pretty nice and it looked like there were a lot of places folks should have gone. Lots of variable conditions today – hard packed wind blown ice, deep pockets in all the usual places, good vis most of the day, big winds on the top…very nice all in all.

Other – CB lodge had Chicken Noodle and it was a very nice bag (and Miranda starts prepping up for me when I walk in the door – dang!). Nice short social and back out into the storm and it was storming and dumping… will be big tomorrow and for the next few days. Base lodge had Chicken Noodle today also – lordy lordy whats happening in the world right now. Pay lot was weekend massive this morning and typically empty when I left. 5 buses and 4 more on the way when I drove down. Drive up was mostly easy, drive down was okay but definitely more snow on the road.

Wow.. What a day.. I love storm skiing.
With the Tres Chickas and Brit in the morning session and after taking them down Right Angle ... frozen coral with dusty pockets I was put on probation.
Redeemed myself with a West Face/ Sluiceway/Berry Patch/Gap rd/Lower E combo that rocked their sweet little hearts.
Girls went to lunch so afternoon session was with my brudder PNWBrit( Banned for life) and we hit NW..... Fantastic and empty. High speed non stop, chasing each other down empty pistes.
Everybody to the Elk but I was't satisfied ..so I whined until Mrs Scotsman took pity on me and went for a final T2B at 3:30.
I need my walkies to keep me under control.
Fun Day.
Excellent work Crystal

Nice work Boys, I ran into Mr. Big Avi Rich S the 3rd Esquire Red Coat today in Redmond Costco, we both looked at each other and hugged and it sounds like they are out the door early in the AM.. going to be good for the next few days. You Red coats be carful out there. we know what's on your mind, just be safe and we will ski what you open, take your time, we understand you guys taking a little more time with Avi this week. just be safe and thank you for making it safe and fun for us powder sluts.

it really was a great day.....but it was not easy.being put on probation for a few runs really was getting off quite easy. This is tough skiing, not for the unprepared or weak in spirit . In the early morning "letting the skis run " was a near death sentence.At one point I completely abandon the resort. Only to find myself in solitary confinement, alone searching for my missing ski that was last seen bouncing over frozen chunder at a frighting clip. But I pulled it together, even though at that point my gloves could have been used as mops....and skied a great descent of epic vertical only to discover that my skin clip was missing, undetured I soldiered on, practically on one leg mind you....and nearly blind from relative humidity disaster in my google handling.....my last run down lucky shot(mostly snowplowing) and being past by many children,was spent in near tears. And yet after one Elk Frost ,I felt like man just released from prison.....ready to do it all again tomorrow