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12/23 - Crystal Mountain
- CD
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23 Dec 2014 16:18 #223322
by CD
12/23 - Crystal Mountain was created by CD
Arrived 40 minutes before opening and parked in the third row of the free parking in A-lot. Not much of a line for Chinook Express at the 9am opening and the chair actually started loading before the gondie which had a line maybe half way back the lodge. Nothing like yesterday. Due to the increase in chairs running today, zero lines anywhere.
There was some misty rain off and on all day top to bottom, but never enough to get us wet enough to even think of leaving; just a goggle wipe here and there. And in between, there were overcast skies and occasional sun breaks. Everything that had been groomed or skied yesterday was firm pack, but nicely carvable. Stuff that was not groomed and kinda skied was lumpy and difficult (Iceberg). The surprise of the day was the front side. It was a bit heavy with some wind crust, but it was perfectly smooth. As long as you kept your speed up and turns light, it was very nice. Slow down or stick a heavy turn and you got locked in the direction you were facing. After several runs, the snow got even heavier with the moisture in the air and I bailed on the front side needing much wider skies to keep ripping it. Didn't hit a rock, but watch out for the drop to the road 2/3 of the way down. Lucky Shot had surprisingly good coverage and at the end of the day looked better than Grubstake after yesterday's carnage. Coverage in GV is still very good as well. Also took a few runs on FQ as the grooming down Rolling Knoll was smooth and very fast. They were cycling C6 and it looks ready to go tomorrow. Too bad just about everything in Powder Bowl and Campbell Basin has been avalanched and slid. They are a few lines up there, but not many.
When we left, there was a few rows of cars in B-lot, about like yesterday, but it was a later crowd.
The bottom lodge is now in full operation. Campbell Basin lodge was open, but no food service today, so no soup to report for ddk. A lot of people hustling around getting it ready for tomorrow.
All in all, great to get back to back days at my favorite mountain. CD
There was some misty rain off and on all day top to bottom, but never enough to get us wet enough to even think of leaving; just a goggle wipe here and there. And in between, there were overcast skies and occasional sun breaks. Everything that had been groomed or skied yesterday was firm pack, but nicely carvable. Stuff that was not groomed and kinda skied was lumpy and difficult (Iceberg). The surprise of the day was the front side. It was a bit heavy with some wind crust, but it was perfectly smooth. As long as you kept your speed up and turns light, it was very nice. Slow down or stick a heavy turn and you got locked in the direction you were facing. After several runs, the snow got even heavier with the moisture in the air and I bailed on the front side needing much wider skies to keep ripping it. Didn't hit a rock, but watch out for the drop to the road 2/3 of the way down. Lucky Shot had surprisingly good coverage and at the end of the day looked better than Grubstake after yesterday's carnage. Coverage in GV is still very good as well. Also took a few runs on FQ as the grooming down Rolling Knoll was smooth and very fast. They were cycling C6 and it looks ready to go tomorrow. Too bad just about everything in Powder Bowl and Campbell Basin has been avalanched and slid. They are a few lines up there, but not many.
When we left, there was a few rows of cars in B-lot, about like yesterday, but it was a later crowd.
The bottom lodge is now in full operation. Campbell Basin lodge was open, but no food service today, so no soup to report for ddk. A lot of people hustling around getting it ready for tomorrow.
All in all, great to get back to back days at my favorite mountain. CD
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