Crystal - 01/22

AaaaaaHaaaaa...finally a nice casual day (even in Hamster mode), early not much lift line on CHex and really no lift line anywhere all day that I saw (caveat - only FQex, REX and CH6 with the early morning one ride on CHex, think I'm trapped in a lazy treadmill - it is fun for my lazy brain). Groomers good early and late morning and early afternoon and pretty much all day do to lack of snow sliders participation. Vis fuzzy early with a freezing mist on goggles and mostly greyish overcast all day, light snow fall late morning and nuking snow early afternoon till when we left at least (quality was improving by the run with the new dusting). Did a lot of being nice with #1 on FQex, so I can totally verify that the grooming and snow quality on all the FQex main runs is sublime. #1 had a big day! I had fun wakeup runs in BP's and OF plus one just good enough vis run in PB - rocks on top 20ft are side stepping pain, but once you drop into PB! Just smooth sweet! Another fun glad its not a holiday weekend day! Hamster Treadmill main repeat was GVB/MIFB again - better than having to actually ski FQex when the upper mountain is closed.

Other - Did a late CB lodge visit and got some nice CHickNoddle (for ever more its CN), quiet lodges, Pay lot wacky big and typically empty, some cars in C that should have got to park in the A lot, a few non employees parked in B.  Drive up and down was happy speed. Snowing hard half way down the BLVD when we left and raining hard pretty much all the way home.  Might be big tomorrow if its not to warm.

Finally moved to the new Kkz/Snowind home base. Didn't think remodeling, buying a new house, and moving would impact my ski season so much. But, back in the mix now. The closer location, light traffic, and turboru made short work of the drive up. Hung out with ddk's #1 till the lift turned and loaded 1 minute after first chair with the non-crowd. Nasty freezing mist up high for the first couple hours made vis difficult. Odd snow that varied from crusty junk, soft almost slushy feeling, firm packed ruts, packed pow ruts, and icy patches. Although, the freezing fog and flat vis kept me to Rex. Groomers were well groomed and the light crowd kept the underlying ice from making too much of a comeback.

The weekend crowd musta spent the whole time traversing the hill. Lots of side-to-side ruts. It took a lot of laps to wear a good line down Memorial, Valley Bowl Right, and Bear Pits. Once worn in, not too bad. Didn't see another taker on the Frontside or The Pit. Smoothest snow was Lower E, also iciest. Got my vert in early with the non-existent participation. An easy drive home after some free doughnuts in F-Lot.