March 22, 2014, Crystal

Forecast was for 4000'FL and partly cloudy, I had difficulty getting out of bed to drive alone to Crystal and ski icy groomers.   As usual, "you don't know if you don't go!"  Blue skies and no wind at 830 when I parked in the front row of B (? the one below the road) lot.  Then a friend at the rental shop offered his 180cm Soul 7 mounted with Plum bindings for me to demo!!  Corderory groomers to start gave me a nice foot massage in my TLT5Ps.

Then I got on the Forest Queen chair and noticed a PNWbrit and Scotsman on either side of me, yikes.  They were headed to skin Silver Basin with Joedabaker by traversing to the top of Quicksilver lift.  Hmm, another testing opportunity, so I said I would try to catch up and headed to the base for some skins.  Wow the Rossi Pomoca skins are perfect, great grip and great glide, how is that possible?  Kinda like how can the Soul 7 be better than original S7, but it sure is.  I've decided it makes a bad skier good, a good skier great, and a great skier fantastic.  Scotty, let the DPS / Rossi arguing begin? ;)

Superb boot top soft powder over a smooth base on north facing slopes of Three Way Peak was my choice.  The other 20 folks in the basin seemed happy with their choices too, all untracked when they hit them.  Hourglass, Box Car, Joe's Badass Shoulder were some of the names I heard.  I had to return the Souls in the early afternoon so I only skinned a couple lines, then headed for Campbell Lodge restroom before trying some more lift assisted runs.  And who should appear but BrianT, so the two of us ran all over the area for an hour, Soul brothers.

Down to my car for light skis to skin the Crystal Nachtspektakel 330-530 with 75 happy skinners, some even first timers, as well as folks training for the Haute Route next week, an esteemed NWAC forecaster, Wednesday night BC ski class graduates, ex Vertfesters, and long time Crystal lift skiing locals on their rarely used super heavy touring gear, wow congrats, better you than lazy me.  Thanks Dynafit for loaner gear, including boots!, to the folks who needed it.   A meat and cheese appetizer plate with your beverage of choice greeted folks on arrival at the Summit Restaurant, followed by salad, then salmon pasta and a meat stew.  It was great to see old friends and make new ones.  (No dinner for me, I had to head home for rib eye steak, cabbage risotto, and a caesar salad.)   On the descent I found much crunchier conditions than the sunny day had made earlier.  Hope the crowd who descended in the dark after food and drink survived without incident.

Biggest skinning day for me this year for sure, I'm tired and sore (in a good way!)  Health issues in January and February limited me to lift skiing.  :(   Apologies to my fellow readers who do not enjoy long winded reports.

Thanks friends for turning a doubtful, unknown start into a fantastic day.  :)  Tomorrow's weather is forecast to be just as good, perhaps open slopes other than due north will have some crust, tho.   Tree skiing might be soft and protected from sun, like Robie found yesterday?