Crystal Mountain on verge of major ski expansion

A snowHead

For those who've not snapped on skis in that part of the USA, Crystal Mountain is one of the primary ski resorts local to Seattle, the boom north-western city that houses Microsoft and Boeing.

In recent years Crystal Mountain's fortunes have been sapped by the growth of Whistler (British Columbia), Sun Valley (Idaho) and Mount Bachelor (Oregon). Expansion of the resort has been opposed by local environmentalists, and some local skiers don't want the back-country gobbled up by new lift development. Ambitious plans for the resort have now gained approval, with important compromises and a claim that all will be for the good.

This very informative article, by Ron Judd of The Seattle Times, explains the issues and plans involved.

A snowHead

That article only explains the issues from one point of view, there are others who would explain things differently. I first skied at Crystal in 1969. Skied there a lot in the late 70s through the 80s until I moved 85 miles farther north.
I disagree with your statement of their fortunes being sapped by Whistler, Sun Valley and Bachy. Those are all destination resorts that depend on people coming from far away. Crystal has always been a local ski area depending on people who live within 100 or so miles.(true of all Washington state ski areas) When conditions are good it is a fantastic place to ski, especially on weekdays when it isn't crowded. Weekends it is jammed, you have to go to the backcountry or the expert only lift to keep from going crazy.
If skier visits are flat in this region I think it's partly because of the increased cost of gear and lift tickets. Lift tickets were always much lower than most places in the country but are now catching up. We're still cheaper but there is definately sticker shock at work. As far as the new development plans at Crystal, I have very mixed feelings. Some expanded lift capacity is needed. If you can believe the new owners, and their concept of staying a local ski area means what most of us have always thought it meant then maybe it will turn out alright. I know many employees have not been happy with their new employer. This year I know a number of people who bought cheaper passes at other ski areas because of the very high price. Those are not good signs. But in time we will see. I miss skiing Crystal, but I live an hour and 15 minutes from Baker and 3hrs from WhistlerBlackcomb so I can't really complain. Especially since they are both opening this weekend!
About Seattle, a boom town it is not. We have been in a stubborn recession for a number of years (which also cuts into skier visits). For one thing Boeing has laid off many thousands of workers over the last few years and moved corporate headquarters out of state. All the peripheral businesses that depended on Boeing subcontracts are suffering. All the retail stores that relied on Boeing employees paychecks are suffering. The cost of living is very high, especially housing. Good jobs are scarce and there a lot of out of work people competing for them. The high tech industry has leveled off and isn't the gold mine it once was. It's still a good place to live though if you have work and can afford rent/mortgage and can manage to avoid the ever increasing traffic madness. Well that last is impossible. Oh, and it rains every day! Wink

(local joke, even if it is true)

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

fiddler, thanks a lot for those comments. My one and only visit to Seattle, to see the K2 factory - whose production is now in China I gather, gave me the impression of a city that would thrive forever. I suppose that was about 12 years ago.

Thanks for bringing us up to date. The comments about the Whistler etc. were extracted from the Seattle Times article, linked to above. Again, thanks for the alternative analysis.

The place I found equally interesting to Crystal - at least from a commercial point of view - was Snoqualmie. Remind me - is this closer to Seattle?

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Crystal always claims to be only 76 miles from Seattle. I don't know where they measured that, anywhere inside the city it's more like 90. Snoqualmie is only about 53 miles east of downtown on Interstate 90, the major east-west freeway across Washington that continues on across the US. I learned how to ski there, at Ski Acres, now called Central. The ski school buses, lots of them, went up for 10 weeks each season starting in January. Of the four ski areas on Snoqualmie Pass, Alpental is the best. 2200 vertical feet, steep terrain and some really good back country. All four areas are now owned by one out of state company.
Back then, early 60s, the region's population was much smaller. I-90 was called US 10 and was a four lane road. Seattle was a big small town that had one well known industry, Boeing, and was ignored by the rest of the country. We liked it that way. But like the song says, "Time changes everything".

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Latchigo
You could have a great holiday around here. It really depends on what you're looking for. Crystal has lodging and a couple small bars but no real village. Crystal's back country is a little different. It is within the ski area boundary. There are two areas, North and South of the main lift served area. You hike to both from the top of lifts nearby. The areas are patroled. Access is controled depending on conditions.
Snoqualmie has a hotel and some bars. Three small areas with 1000 or less vertical and one slightly bigger area with 2200 vertical and good steep runs. Connected by free shuttle. Back country access is controled by patrol. You must register with them and they guide you out there I believe.
You mentioned the town of Skykomish. That is about 20 miles from Stevens Pass which is a good ski area with a good variety of terrain.
Mt Baker is good, closest lodging is 18 miles in the town of Glacier. Huge out of bounds back country. Not patroled or avy controled. Can be very dangerous. Gates from the ski area are open when conditions are acceptable. You must have the right equipment and knowledge before the patrol lets you out there. You can see it from the ski area and it is an inviting sight.

You won't find anything like Whistler around here, except Whistler, only 3 hours from my house in Bellingham.
You can pick a place and stay there for awhile or rent a car and cruise around and hit a bunch of different places. Rent a camping van and sleep in ski area parking lots! Road trip!! Follow the storms, ski powder!

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Crystal Mountain on verge of major ski expansion

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