Low angle terrain?

How about Crystal ... hike up under chair 4, QuickSilver.  Very little traffic -   They hardly ever use the chair.

From the base to the top of chair 4 is about an 800 ft. gain.  Then follow the road back to Hen Skin Lake and Silver Basin, a couple hundred yards.  Back behind the top of the chair, follow the left fork, down the dip across the stream (on snow), the up the road to the right about 100 yards.  Opens up to the lake and the basin.

This is the nicest little hike after ski season on a blue sky day. Crystal usually keeps the restrooms open in the lower lodge open, even during the summer.

How about Crystal ... hike up under chair 4, QuickSilver.  Very little traffic -   They hardly ever use the chair.

Yeah, I was wondering about Silver Basin -- we are just looking for a place where we can enjoy mellow backcountry turns without worrying too much about avy hazard (hence the search for <25d slopes).  Given that it is inside Crystal's permit area, is Silver Basin a controlled-but-backcountry area?

Swak meadows over by Blewtt pass is nice, it is low angle but pleasent among the eastern side pine and blue sky. access from Blewett pass or up from Pipe creek. maybe 500vt

cw

Yeah, I was wondering about Silver Basin -- we are just looking for a place where we can enjoy mellow backcountry turns without worrying too much about avy hazard (hence the search for <25d slopes).  Given that it is inside Crystal's permit area, is Silver Basin a controlled-but-backcountry area?

Yes, controlled during ski season... sometimes they close it. I wasn't thinking about you hiking up Silver Basin slopes, though... just into the bowl base, which contains hen skin lake and a few other potholes. If you take the right fork back behind the top of the chair, it takes you back further into the basin beyond the lake with some vert on that road. If you just hike into the basin, there is no slope hazard. However, note that the lake is snow covered.... melts off as the season passes by. I pretty much stick to what I perceive is the edge. I have only seen it after ski season. It might be pretty frozen over right now. I have seen Elizabeth Lake (same area) in the summer. Liz Lake is very shallow.

If you go on a sunny day, take your camera.