Crystal - 03/16

Little words report – Nobody around, big sunny nice high speed screamer icy (very firm) groomers early, lots of things to look at and some early pokes proved accurate on the bigger things, never a lift line, not many folks to ride the lifts with, prime donut hole conditions all morning, getting softer on the main freeways of REX….a very happy hamster day! Especially when HC opened!

To many words report – Was starting to get the shacks from skiing withdrawl…temps this morning looked cold enough, no precip…GO!  Arrived early to a front row parking spot. Nice lazy early casual sit in the base lodge…and then… Jumped into the second loading chair with #1 on CHex…one more chair full of folks behind us before the early glut ended…Lucky and MIFB both fast (and smooth enough) early groomers…softening in the early sun…but PB just looked big in the wide smooth untracked/ not slide bolder areas…and my oh my it was…got first two set of first tracks skier right side of the main spine – gotta say they were sweet smooth great vis happy lines – for the BMW’s (wow first time out of the garage in a couple of months…and they were happy to be on snow again….later in the day a few runs would have been happier with the Coombas…but start with a pair and that’s the ski for the day).
Lots of nasty lumps all over the place – GV Bowl looked like shark teeth boulders as also much of the front side of REX…but places could be found…totally smooth untracked spots with a few inches of new – sweet heaven. (must be some pretty sweet lines waiting out in the areas that haven’t been skied…eskinmo?.)  Best for me was a PB line of untracked fun (skier right side)…though the last time I did it early afternoon…clouds blowing in filtering the sun and maybe to much skier traffic and still colder sun dropping temps…not as happy.  #1 said that FQex runs were firmer than she liked...definitely a use your edges kinda day.  No sun, no soft.

Other – Got bigger lucky with another nice bowl of Chicken Noodle at CB lodge (and since we asked them for some gluten free hamburger buns – special delivery - #1 was very happy also).  Casual crowd all day, pay lot was reasonable and typically not full…rest of the lots where ghost towns.  Drive up after getting past all the dump trucks early morning in the low lands was fast and driving down was even faster… would have been a great drive even if Scotsman had been on the road! love spring roads and traffic…Big Green Day tomorrow…be ready!  Did I ever say I like my BMW’s?  Been a long time this season of to many pow days and Coombas!

extra firm groomers first hour,someone said ,"This is like human curling" it was ....then better and better ......lower bull was great .....and memorial had it's moment....then too soft .....my first day of real spring skiing this season.....never skied 6 ,gondola all day ...The avalanche cycle that was visible in every direction was impressive This was the forth major multiday rain event since jan 1st, and the warmest the snow around the outside of the resort was the most slid I ve seen.....and there was a roller ball as big as a fridge on lucky shot with a very long over a foot deep path behind it, one of many.Lots of good spring turns....mnt back in recovery mode, with a fresh rain layer T2B

^^^^^ Not sure which quote is more funny, the withdrawals from no skiing (amen) or the human curling.

CONS: post-rain carnage, nasty trees, nasty anything in shade (hmmmm...not sure about that PW report), below average grooming, traverse under RockFace, Hamburger, old Chair Line #1, BPits (in/out quick), sparse food menu

PROS: ...IceBerg Gulch (Middle Ferk's, 3x), Willie's Run environs (3x), Campbell Basin but only along Bear Pits rope line (3x), middle - lower E (2x), no lines or crowds...

...much better than expected, but even Gully Gully after warm temps and filtered sun was still chunky/lumpy...didn't see anybody on PW...today was a day where only exposed terrain was tolerable...but nice to ski all day without hardly anybody else though...1-2" freshie up top really things out

...as long as you stayed out of the chunk, it was easy-peasy --  lot of slides all over -- kudos to Patrol once again

Thank goodness... the boys are back in town.... I was getting worried that you all had hydrophobia.
Wish I was skiing...I'd take icy groomers over work any day.

Jeez, you guys. I must apologize for one of the worst rain delays this season. I mean, I leave for our two week ski trip where I get mostly sunny conditions and Crystal gets dumped on with snow. Then, the very day I return to Puget Sound, the rain starts and just doesn't let up. Until yesterday. Hopefully, the damage my return has done is finally over.