haWHYnXX

Opening day of skiing yesterday at Crystal Mtn in Washington. It was a glorious day. 25deg F and clear skies with 33" of snow on the upper mountain! I had 63 ski days last year and looking forward for another great year.

Crystal was voted #23 top ski area in North America last year by Ski magazine. Pretty high vote for a non-"resort" ski area. It was up there with Whistler, Vail, Park City, and all the other usual suspects. Crystal's claim to fame is it's awesome backcountry skiing that's second only (in North America) to Whistler/Blackcomb and maybe Squaw. See a video clip here of Warren Miller's "Fifty" Crystal if interested: Crystal Mountain Washington Pics & Clips

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-Vern

Hawaiian Island Stylin'

exskibum

Asshole!!!! Rub it in, why don't you. I do remember the flip flopped weather patterns of '04-'05 when you Washingtonians were flying south to ski and complaining to us about lack of snow. Were we rubbing our frozen precipitation totals in your faces???

We have maybe 6 inches at the top of Donner Summit. I haven't been in yet to have my pass pic taken for Sugar Bowl yet, but I am praying for snow. Is this sad, or what:

Sugar Bowl Ski Resort - Mountain Cams - Norden, CA - Lake Tahoe California/Nevada

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jcrich

Damn, that sounds like a worse addiction than track days!!

exskibum

You have NO IDEA!!!

Actually, you do -- because you're addicted to the same kind of carving and speed. It's been my worst life long addiction.

Started skiing before I was 2, my Dad was a ski patrolman (so we skied for free), spent my 20s skiing 100+ days a year, went to college 45 minutes from Squaw Valley, lived in Steamboat Springs and Tahoe for years, after which I have typically lived less than an hour from a major resort, and January or February of this season will mark my 53rd anniversary on skis. So, I believe I'm a junkie: lift served alpine, randonee ski mountaineering, or back country nordic -- it's all skiing, so . . . there's only one thing that can touch it! (No, NOT motorcycles.)

I've always wanted to ski Crystal Mtn -- have always heard good things about it. We used to head up to Whistler every year on Thanksgiving for the opening weekend (not a good weekend to be at overcrowded Tahoe resorts that too often have too little snow that time of year) -- Whistler and Blackcomb are GREAT mountains and the village is one of the most fun and convenient ski towns around.

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Involute

You damn Snow Pixies enjoy it.

I hate the stuff. It means I can’t ride.

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Scot

jcrich

Ya know I tried to learn to ski once at a PA resort ( 7 Springs), a friend took me and I was kind of starting to get the hang of it. I fell and hit my knee on a patch of ice and it swelled up like a mofo. I was into a lot of other athletics ( tennis, volleyball, golf ) and decided I needed my knees for those. The shame of it all was I lived about 15 minutes from a county park that had what would be considered a bunny slope and they gave lessons, but I never did it. It looks like it is fun as hell, once you know how, it is just trying to get to the once you know how.

haWHYnXX

Yeah, that year sucked ass!! I actually drove to Utah and skiied in the Big/Little Cottonwood canyons - Crystal season passes were good at Alta and Snowbird that year. And I do remember having all that precip rubbed in our faces!

I'm feeling for you with the lack of snow but if it's any consolation, the resorts here looked like that 2-3 weeks ago. When the storms came, they came hard and fast. Hopefully you'll get to ski soon.

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-Vern

Hawaiian Island Stylin'

haWHYnXX

If you ever make it up, call me and I'll show you the mountain. It really is a well kept secret on how great the backcountry is. I agree with you on Whistler - had the pleasure of skiing there at least 7 times and find freshies every time there!

The cool part about the weather here currently is that I skiied yesterday and rode the Bird to work today. Apparently God decided to keep all the snow in the mountains for the time being.

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-Vern

Hawaiian Island Stylin'

exskibum

Most cool! Nothing better than being introduced to the mountain by a local addict who can show you the good stuff right off. Same goes if you decide to come down here for some Nor Cal skiing. I once represented Squaw Valley Ski Corp, and have had numerous passes all over the area (in order of most years to least) -- Squaw, Alpine Meadows, Sugar Bowl, Kirkwood, Heavenly Valley.

Love that!!! Nothing like the left coast for that phenomenon. I used to ski at Alpine or Squaw in the morning and then go get 18 holes in before dark at Dayton Valley G.C. or Eagle Valley G.C., and more than once I've skied on the 4th of July morning at Alpine, then played golf in Tahoe City (or gone to the beach on the east shore of Lake Tahoe) and come back to watch fireworks at Tahoe City Golf Course that night. With the pass at Sugar Bowl and living in Auburn, I've often gone in the morning, come back to get in a few hours at work, or gone for a ride. Looking forward to doing more of that this year.

Seriously, if you get down here, Vern (and we have snow), let me know -- we'll go sliding. Who knows, though, if we don't get any here this year, I may be hitting you up first.

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Warchild

I used to be a fairly hard-core skier in my younger days.

But nowadays, while I enjoy seeing snow in the mountains, I don't want to see it my asphalt.

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- Warchild
http://www.superblackbird.com/