Crystal - 01/20 Good Luck for the Next 4 Years

Another day, A different day…Swapped out my brain and skis…Think the Coobas were the better swap. Still variable, still icy nasty in places, more icy grooming, some more nice cold enough new that was very nice and deep in places…Best for me early Grubstake Trees (and actually nice all day), way skier right side of GV Bowl – just nice enough to be very nice when the vis was great and safe enough to not care when the vis was marginal (every other run almost). Played a lot between Melby Trees/MIFB/Memorial and the Gully…good at times, not so good at others, but always nice vis (makes it easier to see the ice blue parts…and dodge them). Did a late morning run up FQex to check the soup at CB (bonus)…Decided to check PB…skied down the ridge skiers right (actually surpisingly nice) to the lower right side of PB – again nice and deep with no frozen boulders…so it skied nicely when I did it with limited vis…weather seemed to be clearing when I finally quit (way to early) and PB and most of the mountain looked pretty nice. BP's skier left close to the forest was best and deepest.

Other – As noted CB lodge had Chicken Noodle for me again today and it was mighty fine. Pay lot was massive big and massively empty when I left…7 buses and room for a lot more afternoon kid buses. Don’t think there were a lot of cars in other lots…but I might have spaced. No lift lines, light crowds, more grooming (though still pretty icy), Coombas made my day and were very very happy even on the nasty ice weird MIFB.

Nothing much to add to ddks report, other than we quit at 1pm when freezing fog hit most of REX frosting the goggles and wrecking what little vis was left. Traffic was light and at the limit both directions. No elk sightings.

I was on the afternoon shift after a morning at work.
Mrs scotsman  and I arrived at 2:00 PM for a few laps.
No viz at top....frozen ice googles until below bottom of powder bowl so we headed over to FQ.
We managed to have some fun along the fringes and margins.

Can't imagine skiing that crap all day though so it's off to the BC for me this weekend until conditions improve.

No traffic but I was overtaken by a pickup who must have been going at about 75 MPH.. I was going 61!

Some things to add. The weather sucked with white-out fog and blasting ridge top wind. East facing ridges sported nasty ice. Just around the corners was 4-10” of wind-deposited fluff behind the trees. Sometimes fluff over WTF, and sometimes fluff over smooth rain crust. The latter was nice, the former, not so much. Oddly cold feeling with the thick fog and wind, went into the Campbell Lodge for a once-a-year warmup. Soup report: they had two kinds of soup. Very expensive (8$/bowl?) and some 16oz cans on ice at half the price. Opted for the second. A well known local came in, and assuming because he works for the soup marketing department, got a HUGE bowl, 2-3 times the norm. Happy with my cold pounder, the rest of the day was quite fun. Lots of slidey spots of frozen avie debris (bombs in the never opened Southback) and wind scoured ice on the tops of the east facers. Wind deposit off wind kept the juices flowing till the wind stopped and freezing goggle fog started.

Other than Elk, 75 sounds fine on today’s road surface (within safe passing zones that is and not for a pickup of course). Not that I’d do that, when people are watching.

Ken
+

A well known local came in, and assuming because he works for the soup marketing department, got a HUGE bowl, 2-3 times the norm.

You have confirmed what I always suspected , that he has been corrupted by illicit soup and that his reports can no longer be considering unbiased. He should be made to confess and write self-criticism essays.

PSA: La Policia have upped their vigilance. Saw two cars pulled over on 410 today, presumably for speeding. One in GW.

....... Campbell Lodge for a once-a-year warmup. Soup report: they had two kinds of soup. Very expensive (8$/bowl?) and some 16oz cans on ice at half the price. Opted for the second. A well known local came in, and assuming because he works for the soup marketing department, got a HUGE bowl, 2-3 times the norm. Happy with my cold pounder, the rest of the day was quite fun. .....Ken

Blah blah blad...yadda..yddaa....same amount of soup...just in a non spill bowl...since I'm not as cordinated as some...congrats on spending time in CB lodge...must have been increadible....maybe you could try a little more marketing youself rather than comenting about my reports ;D

PSA: La Policia have upped their vigilance. Saw two cars pulled over on 410 today, presumably for speeding. One in GW.

Just saying, speed is not always unsafe. An who would speed in Greenwater? Definitely not the place - mind your manners and don't endanger the local wildlife. Or the elk.

 maybe you could try a little more marketing youself rather than comenting about my reports ;D

You flatter yourself - Who mentioned you? And why do the marketing for CM? They seem quite capable. Just telling it like I skied it.

You flatter yourself - Who mentioned you? And why do the marketing for CM? They seem quite capable. Just telling it like I skied it.

Yep...that be me...high on myself...would guess only the most random readers of these posts would not know....I guess I should do a better job for the marketing department....soup and parking to Crystal high points on everybodies items of interest.

I like reading the driving report and see if a snorting elk gets alarmed.

I like reading the driving report and see if a snorting elk gets alarmed.

Saw the result of a Elk not getting alarmed enough last Sunday morning (?)...the mini vans front end was flattened and the elk definitely did not survive - very messy...just past the Mud Mountain straight aways....Elk are a hazard with all the snow in the "low" lands...always keeps my eye balls wide open on the drive up in the morning. Those big rats are pretty unpredictable.

Yikes, have never seen elk around Mud Mt area! I am most vigilant between GW and the turn to the blvd, and reverse.

Still, since the WSP covers that Mud Mt area, both ways, I am always on my best behavior there.