Crystal - 3/20

Ahhhh, what a great first day of Spring. Cleared the 'Claw at 7:30 and didn't see another car until we pulled into the lot. The pay lot was very small again today, so we parked close. Beautiful bluebird skies all day. Started with north facing off-piste and groomers. By 11am, MIFB had softened nicely and at 11:30 Kelly's Gap went off. From noon on, it was ski anywhere you wanted as long as it didn't resemble the front side. Saw a few takers, but no repeaters. Temps stayed cool enough that we never lost the coats, but that also helped the shady slopes stay good and the sunny slopes fast with no stickiness.

It was fun comparing runs with Mr. BINX off and on all day. No idea what was happening with food in the lodges.

A big 41K day.

We got there after 11:00, just in time for the go off. A warm up on Deer Fly was good, although it had some bare spots. GV shady side to West Face was sweet. Snort Elk bowl was just OK. The sunny side faces off of Snort Elk were better. The edges of MIFB skied well and the new groomer skiers right of MIFB was good. Kelly's Gap was fun, although lower E is getting some bare spots. The chair 6 traverse was fast but not icey. We made it out to the end without poling. Hamberger had good winter snow, but we only did it one time. Powder Bowl was also winter snow and was worth repeats. We skied until they closed, then had a beer on the sun deck. That tasted so good that we had another at the Natches Tavern.

Vis =1+ Crowd = 1+ snow = 1+ so a 3+++ out of 3 day

Excellent rating for yesterday. I hope you don't mind that I've borrowed your rating system for many of my reports. Who knows, maybe it will become a TAY standard someday.

We left at 2pm while I still had gas in the tank given the great conditions. Once we went past the 40K vert mark, my wife's legs were getting pretty shaky. So, we cashed out our winnings for the day and went home. I guess we have the to spend on the next 1.5 rated day.

Fun day at Crystal!

My son and I took the woop-de-doo forest trail from Queens Run to Quicksilver a couple times and really enjoyed the top-to-bottom grooming there with hero back-light.

Groomed runs in the sun were great, and Powder Bowl was surprisingly good, with no ice.

Son is on spring break from UW and this was the first lift-skiing day we've had together in a year. Good times.

Fun day at Crystal!

My son and I took the woop-de-doo forest trail from Queens Run to Quicksilver a couple times and really enjoyed the top-to-bottom grooming there with hero back-light.

Groomed runs in the sun were great, and Powder Bowl was surprisingly good, with no ice.

Son is on spring break from UW and this was the first lift-skiing day we've had together in a year. Good times.

That makes me both Happy & jealous

Aside from the mad schusser in orange that didn't mind passing our group within 4 feet going 60+ and being mistaken for the perps that attempted Kempers, awesome ski day. I'd personally rather see the ski patrol watching for silliness and reckless skiing than committing a large number of resources looking for the Kempers fools. Mr. speedy would have seriously injured or maybe killed someone if he hooked an edge or a skier had a mishap or unexpected turn ahead of him. Off the rant now, about as good as a spring ski day gets and cloudless sky all day. Big smiles on everybody's faces.