First Tracks of the Season
Scott and I headed down to Crystal Mt. on Saturday and met up with a fellow Microsoftie. It took us about an hour and forty five minutes to get down there. There were signs all over saying "early season conditions may exist", but for me that translated to "east coast conditions do exist." The locals weren't all that happy with the hardpack snow, but for me it was comparable to one of the better days I've had at Blue Mt. Anything off piste was crusty and unskiable, but the runs themselves were just fine.
The resort holds a lot of possibilities once they get more snow. There is a lot of in bounds, off trail skiing that will challenge just about anyone. Want to huck off cliffs, ski trees, or tear down massive bowls? It's all there and easily accessible from the lifts.
Once you get to the top, there are incredible views of Mt. Rainier. It was a clear day so we could see Mt. St. Helens and we even saw all the way up to Mt. Baker (about 4 hours north.) I started a new photo album for the 2006-2007 ski season and posted some pictures from this trip. if you want some video, check out the Warren Miller segment that was filmed there.
Congratulations to MrsA for winning the latest contest! The final tally was 20,500 feet and her guess of 17,300 was the closest without going over. I'll be in touch with her to figure out which prize she wants.
Up next... Mt. Baker on Tuesday!