Crystal - 2/5

Checked the report this morning and no mention of possible wind hold even though the winds were gusting pretty good on top. By the time we left the lodge, they were pulling the buckets off the gondie. Not a good sign. Headed up Chinook to find REX closed. Over to Forest Queen where we found lots of yesterday's leftovers in Cisco and the high left traverse into Bear Pits. Awesome. Around 10am, they started spinning REX at half speed, so up we go. Howling on top, but GV was running full speed. Did many laps on GV until the line started to form, so off for some slow runs on REX to get back into Bear Pits. Couldn't take the chair ride, particularly going that slow through the snow blasting on top, so back to GV. Just before noon, REX closed again. We bailed early satisfied with yesterday's great day and today's partial one.

And the middle 2/3rds of the report....Aaahhhh what a mental up and down and every which way kinda day…lots of early morning anticipation, winds blowing up top (but maybe not to bad), vis nice, some almost sun, fairly pleasant temps….oh so sad when the winds spiked up and the upper mountain went on wind hold and the word from those in the know did not sound very promising – dang not another day skiing FQex….but some time around 10am REX started loading (very very slowly), got some nice runs in BP’s, last Door and MiddleIceFerkBerg, jumped onto REX one more even slower stop and go ride up…hhhhmmmm….noticed that there were a lot of empty chairs behind me….wind hold for REX again. Big lucky that GVex was running (reasonably fast), so had a lot of fun doing Grubstake and the trees, plus a few other places as the few folks in the Valley got less and less and the winds got bigger and bigger. Thought for sure it would all close down, but by 1pm the winds started decreasing and by 1:30 REX was loading again.

Other – Started to bail around 1pm, so headed up to check what the soup was at CB Lodge….Chicken Noodle (and sorry MS CD it was good, but then I get to use one of the Teriyaki Bowls, and maybe they give me a little extra than a single ladle full and sometimes I get an extra discount being a special customer). Very late lunch, winds had died down, REX was running allowing for a few more runs…And I left Crystal a lot later than my wimpy usual early departures.

Other Other – no lift lines today, Pay lot was not full, 11 buses when I left and a few more heading up, C was full almost to the shuttle stop, B had a number of rows, definitely a very very light Friday. But it ended up being a nice day with the wind smoothed conditions.

Wind was the game today as they started taking off the Gondy buckets at 8:15. FQ had some nice, but short, pockets of goodness as we skied our early 80s learning-to-ski lines. It was fun, but the upper mountain beckoned. Rex opened at a snail’s pace, so skied GV till everyone else got the same idea. Bear Pits delivered the best snow of the day even skiing directly into an odd uphill wind. Till, they shut down Rex again at 11:30. The snow is in great shape, but I had enough waiting even though I was enjoying the weather from a strictly wow-look-at-that aspect. An excellent 1.5 days.

Ken
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but then I get to use one of the Teriyaki Bowls, and maybe they give me a little extra than a single ladle full and sometimes I get an extra discount

Ah, so you do work for Marketing