Crystal Opens Friday

[Admin]

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/news/s ... 26659.shtm

Boy, after last year's dismal winter, these PNW resorts are really hungry to shake off the willies! The announcement comes only one day after Whistler Blackcomb announced a Saturday opening, and I doubt that the fact that Crystal's debut will be one day earlier is any coincidence. With 28" of loose snow on the ground in Green Valley, and only 14" at the base, this strikes me as a much gutsier move than either Killington or Wildcat made back east.

 

[SoCal Rider]

Yeah for the PNW.

The Natl. Weather Service forecast for Mt. Baker during the next several days is all white. Up to 4" today and for Thursday: Snow accumulation up to 8 inches; then in evening, heavy snow accumulation possible.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Yes it's much gutsier. Crystal is a fairly steep and rocky mountain. The move supports my view that the New England areas are chicken$#!t about getting open and staying open.

I would agree with SoCal Rider and wait for Mt. Baker, which should have more snow than Crystal and must be close to opening too.

 

[Admin]

The move supports my view that the New England areas are chicken$#!t about getting open and staying open.

I'll show you why it was more reality than being chicken$#!t -- despite the date on the photo, here's the K-1 Base Lodge today., from the Killington Ski Club website.

 

[awf170]

The move supports my view that the New England areas are chicken$#!t about getting open and staying open.

I'll show you why it was more reality than being chicken$#!t -- despite the date on the photo, here's the K-1 Base Lodge today., from the Killington Ski Club website.

I really doubt that is from today... I think I remember seeing that photo a few days ago too.
And look at the foliage, Im pretty sure it is past peak now, and that pic looks before peak.

 

[Admin]

I really doubt that is from today... I think I remember seeing that photo a few days ago too

If so, I stand corrected -- I just couldn't pull the live shot from the webcam because it's dark. Tony might want to take a quick peek after sunrise tomorrow, for it doesn't look any different than it does in that still.

 

[SoCal Rider]

It looks like the photo is time-stamped Oct. 5 2005.

I love how the Baker snow report says 27 inches to 44 inches, but then comments: "BUT WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR A LITTLE BETTER COVERAGE BEFORE WE FEEL WE CAN OPEN WITH GOOD CONDITIONS.

FORECASTS ARE CALLING FOR BETWEEN 3 TO 4 FEET OF NEW SNOW BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT TUESDAY AND WE ARE HOPING THAT WITH THIS ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL WE WILL BE ABLE TO OPEN AS MANY LIFTS AS POSSIBLE ON NEXT TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY."

If the SoCal resorts (at least non-Baldy) had a 27" to 44" base, they'd have opened 12"-24" ago. :lol:

 

[JimG.]

Yes it's much gutsier. Crystal is a fairly steep and rocky mountain. The move supports my view that the New England areas are chicken$#!t about getting open and staying open.

We're gonna have to move Tony east so he can call these chicken$#!t ski areas and get on their case :lol: . I've never heard such vocal posts from him.

Anyway, it's been very warm here in the east and there's no way any of the areas that opened this past weekend could have stayed open. We'll be lucky to see some open up next weekend the 11th.

I seem to be finding myself defending the eastern areas this year; the early skiing was more fluke than anything else and an aberration in what's been an unusually warm fall.

All it really means is that I have to move west; got my headhunters working on it, and my wife and family are on board with the idea. It may not happen soon, but when it does, it's westward ho!

 

[Admin]

All it really means is that I have to move west; got my headhunters working on it, and my wife and family are on board with the idea. It may not happen soon, but when it does, it's westward ho!

Wow, that's huge news! Where are you considering?

 

[JimG.]

Wow, that's huge news! Where are you considering?

Colorado and Utah, leaning towards your neck of the woods. Had an offer in the Chicago area, but as much as I like Chicago, I don't want to move there. Gotta be a move that brings us close to world class snow .

This is gonna take time...not easy to find high $$ employment at this time. But I've got alot of connections in my industry, so it'll eventually happen. The hardest part was deciding to start looking seriously.

Why fly out west for a few days when I can live there?

 

[Admin]

Colorado and Utah, leaning towards your neck of the woods.

Well, it'd be phenomenal to have one more friend and ski buddy here in the land of Zion. I looked in Denver, too, but the choice to land here instead was an easy one. It was just harder to find the right opportunity here, for despite everything it's still a pretty small community.

Coming from where you are, you'd make out like a bandit with the phenomenally lower cost of living. Man, you could live like a king out here just on the profit from selling your house.

Why fly out west for a few days when I can live there?

My sentiments exactly.

Feel free to backchannel Marc_C as well. He came here 5 years ago from southern CT with the same ideas that you have, and hasn't looked back once.

 

[JimG.]

Coming from where you are, you'd make out like a bandit with the phenomenally lower cost of living. Man, you could live like a king out here just on the profit from selling your house.

Feel free to backchannel Marc_C as well. He came here 5 years ago from southern CT with the same ideas that you have, and hasn't looked back once.

You're reading my mind. It also makes me realize I won't have to make as much to live as well as I do here in NY. I'm happy with my lifestyle and I'm not looking for more, other than alot more snow.

If I get more money, fine. But it's not essential. Some businesses are willing to throw money at me just because the places I'm looking are snowier and maybe colder. How ironic!

As my search narrows and my choices become clearer, I will seek you guys out for more info.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I was vocal because I saw an internal contradiction among 3 key sets of facts.
1) Less than a decade ago Killington would open this early blowing snow over bare ground.
2) Last year SoCal got about 2 feet natural snow during the same week and 4 areas stayed open continuously for over 2 weeks by intermittent snowmaking and probably some grooming and moving snow around to keep a run or two open.
3) The New England storm last week was bigger than the one in SoCal a year ago, yet only 2 areas opened and there was no attempt to make snow or "move snow around" to keep something open past last weekend.

For most skiers who live in the West, eastern skiing is completely off the radar because, to quote one of my friends, "it sucks by our standards." I have chosen to pay some attention in the interest of analyzing snow data, and even made a trip back there for a NASJA meeting, unlike about 80% of NASJA's western members. I'm also one of those skiers who wants to try new areas and experiences all the time, even though 95+% of them won't be as good as Mammoth.

The gut reaction to the 3 numbered statements above is to flame the eastern ski area managements for being chicken$#!t relative to Snow Summit, Crystal, etc. The alternative conclusion is that due to altitude and humidity, New England snow preservation does indeed "suck by western standards," even relative to poorly preserved western regions like SoCal and Washington State. For whichever reason, the opinion I expressed in the "where to live" thread http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards ... php?t=1017 has been reinforced.

 

[SoCal Rider]

Tony,

Have you skiied Mt. Baker? Do you find it odd that this morning, with a 37" to 55" inch base, and another 1.5'+ expected by Saturday, that Baker is waiting until Tuesday to open? The report said something like "waiting for more snow to give us real good coverage and chance to open as many lifts as possible."

Is the terrain that rocky? This isn't Taos-light stuff falling. I find that weird, but, hey, I don't know the place.

 

[Patrick]

All it really means is that I have to move west; got my headhunters working on it, and my wife and family are on board with the idea. It may not happen soon, but when it does, it's westward ho!

Geez...it must be that time in life. :roll: I would say that a move has also crossed my mind, but you seem much further ahead than me of the realisation of this move (W&F aren't necessarly aboard).

 

[powderfreak]

The guys in the NW can also open due to the forecast...looks very good for constant snow there through November and December. Pattern looks ripe for excellent early season skiing across the northern tier of the west. I'm sure some eastern resorts would stay open from last weeks storm if the forecast was for continued heavy snowfall...or even periods of snow throughout the week. But highs in the 60's and lows in the mid 40's doesn't do it.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I have not skied Mt. Baker. It has no snowmaking whatsoever, and I recall last week that there were a couple of feet of snowpack up the mountain, but none at all at the base where October precip had been nearly all rain. The snow level has just come down in recent storms. If the reported base is correct, I'm a little surprised they wouldn't try for this weekend.

One thing I have observed is that many areas which usually have big base depths are not prepared to run very well with low depths. Fernie comes to mind per my Jan. 2003 visit http://216.250.243.13/discus2/messages/ ... 1044777762. And often the opposite is true also and chronically low depth areas try to keep their slopes smooth so they can ski decently on 2-3 feet. We see this at Big Bear, and by reputation Sun Valley also does a good job at it.

And I too wish Jim G. luck in escaping from New Jersey. I spent 4 school years in college there and thought the weather was obnoxious. 6 months a year of 40-50 degrees and rain: Seattle dreary without the mountains. The flip side that I didn't see as much were the steamy and buggy summers. Sometimes there was a pleasant spring or fall for as much as 6 weeks. But in some years the weather flipped abruptly from steambath to Seattle winter in less than a week. I never saw a snowstorm of more than 4 inches the whole time.

 

[ChrisC]

Have you skiied Mt. Baker? Do you find it odd that this morning, with a 37" to 55" inch base, and another 1.5'+ expected by Saturday, that Baker is waiting until Tuesday to open? The report said something like "waiting for more snow to give us real good coverage and chance to open as many lifts as possible."

I lived in Seattle in late 90s/early 00s.

Baker could open with those bases -- if truly necessary. They do/did at Thanksgiving all the time. However, Baker requires a lot of snow because the vegetation, ferns, stumps, rocks, glacier deposits, etc....is quite deep. 60" -- and there is still plently of debris to avoid.

I think the issue with Baker is work force. There is almost zero housing at the mountain. Proabably most workers come from Bellingham - 45 min or so down the road -- and a few of the small outsposts. With this early opening...probably hard to round enough people up this early.

Also, Baker is a bit off the grid....I mean the could not take credit cards without ID because the transactions were done by hand -- no fraud screening by Visa (maybe this has changed?). My point is -- there is probably still some things they need to take care of -- you can read their pleas about season pass sales on the web site. I think they produce their own power. Very remote location. (They even closed for a few days in Feb 99 after 300" in a month created snow removal issues).


Meanwhile, Crystal would ski better with those numbers/present numbers. They generally get the least amount of snow compared to Stevens/Baker --therefore, their slope summer maintenance is better. Also, Crystal has a reputation of "going for it" more than the other mountains -- it opened for most of the month July in 99 and June in 00 -- after closing in late April. No one else tried. Also, Green Valley holds snow a lot better than the rest of the mountain.

 

[JimG.]

And I too wish Jim G. luck in escaping from New Jersey.

Tony, you're close...I'm escaping from NY, not from NJ. I'd already be out west if I lived in NJ. At least in NY I've got mountains (Catskills, Adirondacks) and a real winter (by eastern standards). As a resource I respect highly I will be asking you for some backchannel advice once my options for moving west are clearer.

BTW, I liked your rant about chicken$#!t eastern ski areas. I defended them only because the weather is the reason for the closures, not management. So your statement about crappy snow preservation in the east is right on the money.

As powderfreak elaborated on in another post, the high humidity and relatively high temps ate away at the snow even as the resorts were open. Now, with temps near 70, the snow is mostly just a memory.

 

[JimG.]

All it really means is that I have to move west; got my headhunters working on it, and my wife and family are on board with the idea. It may not happen soon, but when it does, it's westward ho!

Geez...it must be that time in life. :roll: I would say that a move has also crossed my mind, but you seem much further ahead than me of the realisation of this move (W&F aren't necessarly aboard).

I've got a ways to go yet Patrick...no job offer on the horizon yet, but the feelers are out there.

But, as you said, I've started the process. Getting the wife and family on board was easy; my wife love the mountains, my kids like any kind of adventure.