April 23, 2006, Crystal Mt south BC

Left car 9 AM, boot packed all the way to the top of the main basin above Henskin Lakes.  I think this is Silver Basin.  You think I'd know after skiing Crystal for nearly all of its 40 odd years.  Anyway it is the one everyone skis SE of the King.  Due to the hard snow walking was faster than skinning.  I did leave a couple post holes on the top 200' tho.  At 1045 skied a south slope.  It was still frozen but quite edgable and pretty darn fun.  Skinned up an east facing slope and skied it about 1130.  The snow was soft and supportive for the most part however, some turns did break thru into about a foot mush.  It still was enjoyable and very skiable. Then skinned up and skied a westerly slope at 1200 noon.  This was just starting to soften and was excellent.  Skinned up and ate lunch then skied a SSW slope about 130.  This was a gentle grade, ~20%, but the snow was excellent until about 5000' where some turns would break into the mush.  Up again & skied a south slope at 330 and it too was excellent.  I began my exit at 500 pm on the same east slope I skied at 1130.  Tho it was now shady it had turned to mush with some crust forming just to add to the challenge.  I ended up traversing over to sun touched NNE slope and it was a little better.  Skinned up to the Throne and exited into the basin via the north facing col/slope at 600.  This north slope had it all; vague remanants of last weeks powder on top of hard crust that was slightly soft requiring some care while turning.  Then after some mush the sun softened gentler slopes were thin butter - really quite good.  The last shuss and ski down Quick Silver lift was very nice softened snow, sinking in only an inch or so.  I was able to let em rip under the chair.  A very nice day.  There was plenty of smooth consistent snow on unblemished slopes.  Pin wheeled slopes were easily avoided and the break through mush was minimal and was in predictable areas.  The snow was fast and fun with little resistence to sliding even on the sunniest slopes.

If the weather stays the same it should be great again.  However, I think I would recommend going up East peak instead of Silver Basin.  You have the hard snow to go up in the morning then drop over and ski the east slopes first.  Then work around and ski more southerly slopes and finish up with the west facing run down to the parking lot.  Seems like this would make the best use of the sun.