Crystal 11/29

I'll jump in and I know the local's will have their say as well. As I planed to poke around the hill today to see what I could ski, Green Valley looked sweet from the early Bucket ride and as I normally would do, I traversed over to the top of 3 and knowing that it would be boney on the ridge line and just the upper portion of far skiers left, there was some what looked like Boot Top snow, I made a few easy turns and I felt the bottom and the rain crust so I thought I would slide over into the main gut of the valley...... when sure enough, my DarkSides came to a sudden stop and I mean stop on the dime and get 9 cents change,being a little over 130 lbs by a lot, I kept going and thank GOD i released out of the Dukes, and landed on a pile of rocks just under the top of the snow, What a rookie I felt like, I know better, but trust me,  I was looking for Shark Fins the rest of the day, I was just up to ski around anyway, I was seeing a lot of people Nuking around the hill like it's filled in or something, IT"S NOT. made my way over to Queens side to just turn and play it safe. and safe was what I was looking for. The skiing is really not bad, just not a lot of snow, YET. But they are making it like mad, I felt like I was back home at HUNTER MT upstate NY, Snow Making Capital of the World ( the Sluski brothers at Hunter were so nice and kind and man could they make snow.). I saw the Boss man standing under the Guns, checking it and chatting with  the Tele Snow Maker as to when amp up the water, I'm sure. It's good fitness skiing.

And a lot more words about today -

Short Report - YEE HAA! Boot top and more in places new light, no crowds, nobody on the slopes, sun shine all morning, big views of the big volcano...mighty fine day.

Longer wordier report - Relatively late report - do some extra driving today....Arrived early expecting some kind of crowd, front row parking at the Alpine Bridge, picked my fav front row spot on CHex....and then had a nice "cold" rest in the base lodge (no real heat, but the air conditioning was full high power)...Got first chair (-1) on CHex and first ride up REX - way ahead of the Bucket today, I was already skiing a big happy wide open untracked very pleasant GV Bowl while the first Bucket was still heading to the top...Skied a number of nice lines in the Valley as the Bucket crowd continued to arrive...So decided to do a couple of Lucky laps off REX (no line ever), better conditions than the last time I did it...was heading over to FQex to meet up with #1 and bumped into her at the bottom of REX (FQex was slow on opening - both CHex and FQex had a lot of snow on the chairs and it took the short lift opp staff a while to get things cleaned off and spinning). Spent a few pleasant (but cold) runs on FQex with #1 - she was happy, sun was shinning, life is good. I did a few more laps up in the Valley and down Lucky before meeting #1 at CB lodge, a very cold empty not ready CB lodge (only had soup, chili and beef stew - maybe salad also)...but they do have some nice beer on tap. #1 was pretty much tapped out on her third day of the season...so started the process heading home. Conditions greatly improved with the new natural snow up top and the big snow gun operation from the top of CHex over to FQex and down to the base on QS...impressive amount of man made snow flying around!

Other - Soup at CB lodge was some from scratch Creamy Chicken Rice soup (nice and thick and real tasting, but a little salty), #1 had the Beef Chili which tasted better than prior years. No food at the base except for up in the Rafters.

Other Other - Pay lot was nice and small (and not full), rest of A was full but fairly widely space rows...and that was pretty much it? Where was anybody?

Other Other Other - #1 got lucky when she noticed a missing wallet down at Wapiti's....ouch dang...drive back up to report it at Guest services and how lucky? Trista - one of the very nicest ladies on the slopes was there and had #1's wallet - Praise the all mighty (which every almighty you believe in)...Hard part was the extra couple of trips from Greenwater to Crystal and back, but the drive was pleasant and mostly traffic free - lots of elk in the morning but no sightings in the afternoon......GREAT DAY all in all!

... I traversed over to the top of 3 and knowing that it would be boney on the ridge line and just the upper portion of far skiers left, there was some what looked like Boot Top snow, I made a few easy turns and I felt the bottom and the rain crust so I thought I would slide over into the main gut of the valley...... when sure enough, my DarkSides came to a sudden stop and I mean stop on the dime and get 9 cents change,being a little over 130 lbs by a lot, I kept going and thank GOD i released out of the Dukes, and landed on a pile of rocks just under the top of the snow, What a rookie I felt like, I know better, but trust me,  I was looking for Shark Fins the rest of the day, ......

The operative thing is to ski on really crappy nasty who would ski days...that way you kinda have an idea about places that might not be so good...fresh deep untrackedsnow - over the nasty crap under can be a painfull thing...

Yes, what a fun day! I started off with an untracked Gondi face to West face. You would bottom out now and then. I did five laps in Green Valley with a lot of untracked. I hit a few things but they were mostly twigs. Never any lift lines. There was just nobody skiing.  Headed for Lucky Shot and there was more untracked. You didn't even have to look very hard. Then up to Forest Queen thinking I wood take a breather run, however the FQ chair line had just gobs of untracked  The top steep part right under the chair had lots of rocks but from their down it was sweet.  I checked out the lower chair six slope above the Downhill run,  it looked good, lots of untracked. This required a bit of a hike but it sure was worth it. That plus untracked Rolling Knolls made from mighty fine run.  Repeat a few  times. After a short break, back to the GV Gondi face which was now fun, fine powder, crud, soft bump skiing. The rest of green Valley was more of the same with a few  edges and tree lines with leftover pow.  There was even a time about 1 o'clock when I was in Green Valley Bowl and looked around there was nobody else! That's how few people there were. The ski out, down Quicksilver, was fine.  Bluebird sunshine, absolutely no crowd and really good snow.  What else could you want?

PS  for DDK - did Ann's run, kind of scrapie.  Did Dan's run Nice untracked pow

The REALLY wordy report:

vimeo.com/245136095

well said, not "Fake News"