Crystal 12/1

A very nice 4 out of 5 day on the mountain with the ski amigos and amigas.  Bluebird day, cool temps, and light wind until it picked up a little late morning.  Still a 2 out of 2 for weather.  Snow was a 2 out of 3 with surprisingly good coverage and yesterday's 4 inch refresh doing wonders.  The first warm-up down Lucky Shot was perfect grooming with a soft layer.  Those that chose Icy Ferkberg wished they had done LS instead.  Everything in GV was excellent.  Hit Bear Pits right when Patrol opened the gate.  A little bony at top and a noticeable wind crust on top of the new.  Still fun. Speaking of bony, the entrance to Outer Forks was crazy as was the first half of the run down the rope line.  But halfway down to the bottom was very nice.  Icy Ferkberg improved in the early afternoon.  Pay lot was half full, B and C lots full when we left.  Except for a brief period in GV, no lift lines to speak of. 

Cold, clear, and blue started the day. As did a Crystal Sold Out sign exiting The Claw. That had us worried after the Thanksgiving Disaster of last week, as did the long line of slow cars heading up. But, Crystal has changed something for the better and sold out was about half the crowd of last week. Good news as it was about right for what the mountain, open chairs, and COVID restrictions can support.Pretty much what CD said (that’s a lot of numbers). Great weather, great northish facing snow. Being one of the dummies that did Iceberg early, 0 out of 4. Later it improved to a 1. Things like the Frontside started terrible, softened briefly, then quickly re-froze as the sun went low. Watch out for the punji stick forests on Bearpits and Outer Ferk’s. Other than that it was Game On. Looked at Powder Bowl - lots of slides in the middle, big blocks of cornice on the looker’s left. Most were traversing the whole bowl for a few turns on the sunny side.10-11K freezing levels for the next 5 days will not be kind, so getting back at it tomorrow. Ken

Went straight to 6 on opening and did loops into A basin and SB all day. Entrances and traverse are very rocky. Very wind affected except in true E faces that were sheltered and got slabby in the open bowl. Fantastic powder in DFF. Finished in Silver which was variable but great towards midslope and on the trees. Its going to get pretty worked this week with the dry, sun and East wind., which was howling in the notches and ridges.