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Thread: Crystal Mountain Becomes Alterra
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11-03-2022, 03:47 PM #1676
Frank seemed completely out of his league from day one. His back ground is Snowshoe West Virginia, which couldn't be more different than Crystal. Snowshoe has a bunch of East Coasters who dabble in skiing. Where as Crystal has as passionate and savvy customer base as any ski area in North America. On top of that, the average Crystal customer is rich. Extremely rich. Most are Bellevue attorneys, doctors, dentists, and computer programmers. They are used to taking shit from no one and certainly were not going to take shit from some buffoon from West Virginia. Frank and Alterra were treating Crystal like just another shopping mall ski area not realizing the average Crystal skier is there for one thing, to ski. Not buy shit and be pampered, like at big resorts back East, in the Rockies, and even Whistler. It seems like a terrible job because you are never going to make everyone happy and everyone will hate you no matter what. Who's on deck?
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11-03-2022, 04:29 PM #1677
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11-03-2022, 04:55 PM #1678
I'll give it a stab, pay is good and I can ski daily right?
Here's my platform:
- Cancel the hotel project, divert funds to Snorting Elk expansion
- Eliminate parking fees, first come first served
- Move aggressively on laying track for xtal xpress (Bullet train departing every 30 mins from Enumclaw)
- Every third gondola will be painted green and 420 friendly moving forward
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11-03-2022, 05:09 PM #1679
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11-03-2022, 05:20 PM #1680Registered User
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11-03-2022, 05:29 PM #1681
I'll offer two theories:
1. Being an east facing ridgeline at high elevation, it can be pretty wind loaded.
2. The amount of low angle terrain is fairly small, so people inevitably push further down the ridgeline to steeper start zones.
I don't know that a chair would make much of a difference though. You still have to skin back up regardless, and that will severely limit who does it. It's not a traverse out like other lift-served slackcountry areas.
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11-03-2022, 05:47 PM #1682
I wouldn't call Cement Basin more dangerous than any of the surrounding areas. A bit more prone to wind loading as bfree mentions.
Lets face it, the only realistic "zones" you can backcountry ski within two hours from Seattle are Stevens, Alpy, and Crystal. A lift to the top of East Peak would essentially kill all backcountry touring from Crystal. Who wants to have to skin up a ski area 2,000 feet only to find the place you intend to ski tracked out from people taking the lift and touring? And then the run back down at the end of the day will be packed out moguls. There would be little reason for a backcountry skier to waste their time at Crystal (what Crystal seems to want).
And unless they cut a massive amount of trees and groom daily, an East Peak chair would be even more of a ghost town than Northway. The idea screams boondoggle.
As it stands, Crystal has permission to build a lower Bullion Basin lift. They don't have permission to build East Peak lift. To do so, they would have to submit a new master plan to the Forest Service, which would require a whole new Environmental Impact Statement, be open to public comment, and I assume there would be litigation. That's why I say I don't ever see it happening and if I am wrong, it certainly wouldn't happen quickly.
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11-06-2022, 09:41 PM #1683Registered User
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The Crystal webpage say 39 inches of snow. No mention of an opening date yet.
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11-06-2022, 11:41 PM #1684
That's 39 inches of total snowfall for the year, not base. The Green Valley telemetry says 31 inch base. Paradise (which will almost always have more snow than Crystal) is showing a 31 inch base.
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11-11-2022, 03:28 PM #1685
Crystal is opening with three lifts (Chinook, Quicksilver, and Disco) starting next Friday, 10/18.
Not worth burning an IKON pass but the season is officially upon us.
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11-11-2022, 04:08 PM #1686
Crystal and Ikon Passholders only https://www.crystalmountainresort.co...-first-to-open
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11-11-2022, 05:04 PM #1687
Did you see Crystal had the balls to claim "last to close and first to open in the Pacific Northwest!" I guess Timberline doesn't exist, not to mention 49° North opened today.
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11-24-2022, 03:10 PM #1688
Pay parking. Fuck, fine. Shitty half-finished lodge. Guh, whatever. Today Altera crossed the line: "Our tap system is down, sorry no draft beer".
This does not bode well.
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11-24-2022, 03:21 PM #1689
Parking pass registration for pass holders also fails, at least on Edge.
https://www.parkcrystal.com/registerplate.
All for only $1900!!!
FYI: No parking reservations and no paid parking is required prior December 26th.Last edited by Buster Highmen; 11-24-2022 at 06:40 PM.
Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
>>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<
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11-29-2022, 04:10 PM #1690Registered User
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Looks like it's going to be dumping all night, anyone have predictions on how bad the road might be in the morning? Trying to decide if I should head up tonight and camp.
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11-29-2022, 04:19 PM #1691
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11-29-2022, 04:51 PM #1692
The road itself won't be too bad, but the legions of "A minus" personality types (with Ikon pass in hand, screaming 'yeeeewwwww' all the way up) should make it pretty vibrant.
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11-29-2022, 05:34 PM #1693Registered User
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11-29-2022, 10:15 PM #1694
FYI I think Crystal often sucks on heavy storm days. High winds can close all the important lifts and then it's a really small mountain.
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12-02-2022, 01:55 PM #1695Registered User
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Just saw this video for the first time, felt like it needed to be in this thread (maybe it already is, but I'm not going through 68 pages to look)
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12-03-2022, 11:22 AM #1696
That's Mo Scheiblehner handing off a pitcher at the Snorting Elk. Mo ran the restaurant and bar with help from her kids while Leo took care of the infrastructure. When overnight rooms were $35 and Mo made a killer tapanade that cost $5 for dinner and filled you up.
Their kids Matt and Heidi were ripping skiers and smart kids.
https://crystalfoundersclub.com/uplo...14_corrock.pdf.Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
>>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<
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12-03-2022, 09:01 PM #1697Registered User
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That video is legit !
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12-05-2022, 02:38 PM #1698Registered User
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I continue to be baffled by the lack of effective management by alterra. Wouldn’t you assume a corporate takeover would improve management effectiveness. Examples - b-lot reservations were cancelled due to something involving employee housing ? Cambell lodge overrun with customers since there’s no cafeteria in base lodge . They have one ketchup container that never gets refilled ? One employee leaves register at 12:20 when there are large lines to pay? It’s not that hard …
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12-05-2022, 02:45 PM #1699Registered User
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Kudos to that employee having their priorities straight.
At some point folks up here need to stop expecting resort amenities for the resort prices. The price may change to be inline wiht the UTs and COs and CAs of the world, but the culture will forever be a grungier, rougher version. From the grooming, to the toilet dungeons, to the food. Bring your own food and beer, pee in the trees, ski in the sleet on steep ungroomed gnarly terrain. But now, you also have to pay through the nose because its the only game in town and target clients have cash to burn.Last edited by californiagrown; 12-05-2022 at 04:13 PM.
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12-05-2022, 03:19 PM #1700Registered User
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To be expected, there'll be a lodge/food issue this year with the base renovations.
Not surprising there's staffing issues when they made employee housing another parking lot.
I make it a point now to spend as little as possible.
Used to love getting up early and having a coffee/breakfast sando in the base lodge (pre-alterra) now the program is to ski thru lunch and either elk it at end of day or head down for grub elsewhere.
I'll pass on the 2 fish sticks and lukewarm fries for $24 handed out of a shipping container.
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