Crystal - 1/5/2021 Happy New Year

Short Report - Nice snow up high, not so nice down low. Smaller crowd than the new normal but still pretty busy for a weekday after the holidays.  Pretty cold which helped dry out the snow up high, but also made the former wet snow down low turn into nasty frozen.  Winds started kicking up by 10 and it was howling by 11.  Best runs - PB!!! got lucky to get to CH6 before the lineup went bad, GV Bowl skied very happy, LS upper bumps made me happy. With shorter lines I'm sure I would have found many other fun ski lines.

Other Stuff - Arrived way to early to get front spot in one of the singles line on CHex, after a long stand around with lots of the regular hard cores early the CHex lineup was building and the lift started loading a little earlier than normal weekday.  Jumped on REX and the frenzy was on.   Bailed out just before noon which looked to be the right decision since the upper mountain was on hold when I got home. Soup at CB lodge was Clam Chow and Chili I was told.
 
Parking - A pay lot not full, but the lower part was packed as was B, C, D and most of E....so it was a smaller crowd than most pow days this season, but still a heck of lots of cars (and people?) than old days typical.  Drive up early was very pleasant and the drive down was nice after I got past a Oregon driver.   Fun day all in all and I actually skied longer than many days this season....I can feel  my quads right now.

Long slow lines.  Really good snow on Upper E and doors.  Long slow lines.  Top shut down at noon.  Drove down in long slow lines.  My 10 runs in 3.5 hours was better than the poor snowboarder next to me when they shut down REX.  I heard him say he paid $120 for 4 runs.  I feel you, bro.

A slow mental morning working through some pain on the hard-underneath morning runs. Once we found some 
soft snow underlayments, it was really nice (NOT below 5500’). Nice snow that is, but huge lines that built as they shut down lifts due to wind. Crystal must be making bank this year. 70% limits on weekend crowds, but a 10 times increase in weekday skiers. 10-15 minute lines upper mountain (when they got bigger, we moved on), CDs run count shows it. Normally a ski onto the lift day was huge lines. We found the Doors to be great mid-day. If, you paused for the windy whiteouts. We quit with winds in the 70mph zone and they shut down Rex. 84mph followed. A lot of people new to season passes don’t understand weather induced mountain changes (CD’s snowboarder). You pay your money and take your chances, get over it. 

Ken

All of the above but got on the conga line to SB when the rope dropped. Incredible deep snow in A basin, best of the year, but 6 closed before noon and Rex shortly after . Was on 'wind hold' so skied a couple groomers and left. Really sick couple of runs tho. Worth the drive. Serious dumpage up there.