Mar 25, 2009, Crystal Yeah

Chose Door #3... reference Zap's Stevens Oh Yeah report ...Hoping everyone was there and at alpy...I guess they were since freshies were had everywhere all day long.

Telemetry said 6 inches...found 12-18 inches on the slopes. Freshies in green valley and iceberg. Needed some wind consolidation/transport to avoid crust below...left angle trees proved awful with 18 inches powder so light that skiing was done on horrid weak bumpy crust below. Ended day on High Campbell since no one was there and every run had face shots.

South Back was closed....but northway opened in afternoon. Some avy's off the thrones seemed worrisome.

There was lots of new snow, more than reported by Crystal or the NWAC telemetry. With some off and on wind that may have fouled up the readings. Unfortunately there is a very firm base under the new that made it difficult to let loose and fly down the slopes. It was hard to pinpoint where the best snow could be found but it seemed to favor higher altitude and less steep slopes. The steeper slopes sloughed off the new, either on its own or by the first skier. The best snow was not dependant on the exposure direction with the best runs found on the chair side of C6 (although I never ventured into Powder Bowl due to poor visibility). The run of the day was far skiers left off C6 all the way along the BP rope (C6/FQ side). Other good shots were GV West Face and the lower slope under the chair, Northway middle finger (lower part) and the run to skiers right of the chair, the top of the Doors and Sunnyside. I may have forgotten a few in there. REX was not open for about 20 minutes so we took a first run on Forest Queen. I don’t remember ever getting face shots on Rolling Knolls before! The rest was ok but you were definitely feeling the hardpack underneath in Bear Pits, Northway peak area, lower REX runs, GV bowl. Worst run of the day was Niagras; too steep to hold any snow. On the plus side, coverage was excellent. It snowed hard all day and the consistency was very nice. The crowds were light so tracks would partially fill in keeping the skiing good all day. Only one REX stoppage all day. Great day with C2, son Kyle and a 30-something new amigo D2 who made us all look like little old ladies.

DaveC and I had a great day at Crystal on Wednesday. Highlights: Right Angle; first tracks down the left Teddy Bear Chute; Left Angle; Morning Glory Bowl...

This reply is puzzling to me.

DaveC and I had a great day at Crystal on Wednesday. Highlights: Right Angle; first tracks down the left Teddy Bear Chute; Left Angle; Morning Glory Bowl...

Do you enjoy breakable crust? Or perhaps the crust underneath was more solid on the aspect of left angle trees that you were on? Or perhaps your skis were so fat that you never touched the crust? Very puzzling!

Granted it was a great day at crystal....except for my run on left angle trees.

This reply is puzzling to me.

Do you enjoy breakable crust? Or perhaps the crust underneath was more solid on the aspect of left angle trees that you were on? Or perhaps your skis were so fat that you never touched the crust? Very puzzling!

Granted it was a great day at crystal....except for my run on left angle trees.

I was definitely feeling the hard stuff underneath but the snow was very deep and so there was an adequate coushion and my wide skis (1080 guns) were helping. It was very enjoyable. Didn't encounter breakable crust as I can recall and I would because I hate breakable crust and it scares me.

Cool. I don't feel so crazy now....It is weird how a slight aspect change can make all the difference. Or perhaps that we were in the trees...so that the crust had not developed as fully. So we probably missed the good stuff by a few hundred feet argghhh.

Thanks for the info.