Crystal Mountain Becomes Alterra

[Buster Highmen]

I mean I get it, if you made that handle 20 years ago when you were in 7th grade and are afraid of losing your internet friends if you change it. But do it, you'll feel better about yourself afterwards.

Yours fits quite well. I wouldn't change it if I were you.

I don't have friends.

[Northway]

Saw two guys in the REX line this morning wearing USFS jackets. Prolly got free tix.

Nah, a parking place. More valuable!

[dunderhead]

Yours fits quite well. I wouldn't change it if I were you.

I don't have friends.

Yeah I know, that is why it is what it is. I am a dunderhead

And you do have friends, we can be friends? You have lots of friends here on TGR, probably friends on other gamer platforms, and friends on incel chat rooms as well. Anyone older than 16 with a handle like that is obviously a card carrying incel. Be the change you want to see!

Lets stay on subject and start blueprinting a dozen double chairs and apply for all of them at once.
How Do I Apply For A Special-use Permit | US Forest Service (usda.gov)

[Buster Highmen]

Yeah I know, that is why it is what it is. I am a dunderhead!

no shit.

[kellen]

I've read a lot on here about road condition woes and issues with cars getting stuck either on 410 or on the boulevard in the morning. I noticed something today while driving to Crystal that gave me some perspective - I left my house in Renton around 6:20am, and was past Enumclaw by around 7:15am. Roads were already in not so great shape just past the Mud Mountain Dam road, but thankfully drivers were taking things cautiously and everyone kept good spacing between each other. By the time I was about 10 minutes from Greenwater, I was in the middle of a conga line of cars, probably 10-15 deep, slowly making our way down 410. Past Greenwater, things were even more snow covered/icy, but we all continued on. As we got near the skookum falls lookout, I began noticing that there was basically no shoulder on the highway - the plow berms had completely filled it up. In addition, all the areas where one could pull over (including the designated chain up areas) were either full of snow piles from the plows or looked like they had not been plowed at all for multiple days.

Long story short, if you were in a less than capable vehicle and were in one of these conga lines of cars past Greenwater, you pretty much had to commit to going all the way to crystal, or attempt a u-turn right in the middle of the highway as there was nowhere for you to pull off safely. Don't know if the DOT hadn't gotten to plowing these areas but this seems like a major red flag. Yes there's the argument that people shouldn't be attempting the boulevard in the middle of a storm in a 2wd sedan, but at a minimum if they don't have a place to pull over and put on chains (or turn around safely), then that's a recipe for disaster. In my case, I've got a 4wd truck with snow tires so I wasn't sweating it, but I'd be singing a different tune if I was driving a Toyota Camry or similar on 410 today.

[eleeskiing]

Yeah I know, that is why it is what it is. I am a dunderhead

And you do have friends, we can be friends? You have lots of friends here on TGR, probably friends on other gamer platforms, and friends on incel chat rooms as well. Anyone older than 16 with a handle like that is obviously a card carrying incel. Be the change you want to see!

Lets stay on subject and start blueprinting a dozen double chairs and apply for all of them at once.
How Do I Apply For A Special-use Permit | US Forest Service (usda.gov)

This post is just all over the place. Any chance you were coked up when you posted this? Because it sure reads that way.

[oftpiste]

It looked like there was very little plowing this morning. Short staffed? I hit Mud Mt about 6:30. Always too many Camrys.

I've read a lot on here about road condition woes and issues with cars getting stuck either on 410 or on the boulevard in the morning. I noticed something today while driving to Crystal that gave me some perspective - I left my house in Renton around 6:20am, and was past Enumclaw by around 7:15am. Roads were already in not so great shape just past the Mud Mountain Dam road, but thankfully drivers were taking things cautiously and everyone kept good spacing between each other. By the time I was about 10 minutes from Greenwater, I was in the middle of a conga line of cars, probably 10-15 deep, slowly making our way down 410. Past Greenwater, things were even more snow covered/icy, but we all continued on. As we got near the skookum falls lookout, I began noticing that there was basically no shoulder on the highway - the plow berms had completely filled it up. In addition, all the areas where one could pull over (including the designated chain up areas) were either full of snow piles from the plows or looked like they had not been plowed at all for multiple days.

Long story short, if you were in a less than capable vehicle and were in one of these conga lines of cars past Greenwater, you pretty much had to commit to going all the way to crystal, or attempt a u-turn right in the middle of the highway as there was nowhere for you to pull off safely. Don't know if the DOT hadn't gotten to plowing these areas but this seems like a major red flag. Yes there's the argument that people shouldn't be attempting the boulevard in the middle of a storm in a 2wd sedan, but at a minimum if they don't have a place to pull over and put on chains (or turn around safely), then that's a recipe for disaster. In my case, I've got a 4wd truck with snow tires so I wasn't sweating it, but I'd be singing a different tune if I was driving a Toyota Camry or similar on 410 today.

[snoqpass]

exactly. PowMou alone has damn near more acreage than every ski hill in Washington combined. It is a complete joke. The demand is obviously there, and the Forest Service controls the supply.

Only around half the ski areas in the US are on USFS land

[dunderhead]

Only around half the ski areas in the US are on USFS land

yah, but 90% of the good ones are, and 99.9% of the best terrain left out there surely is. Railroad blocks like Lone Peak are few and far between.

I made friends with Buster and did a spread eagle today, what did you do?

[CnRzG]

Who is this dunderhead douche nozzle and why is he trolling the king of the toque? Haven’t skied crustal in about five years. But Buster was on my tail all around the throne, king, avy basin, and silver. Blunder is a troll.

[counterfeitfake]

I like the other threads where people talk about topics they have knowledge about

[Bobcat Sig]

On a rare instagram hit today, I caught a post from the official Crystal account. A good portion of the comments either were asking about reservations or vocally against the reservations.

[dunderhead]

Who is this dunderhead douche nozzle and why is he trolling the king of the toque? Haven’t skied crustal in about five years. But Buster was on my tail all around the throne, king, avy basin, and silver. Blunder is a troll.

That's cool you guys came up and visited the mountains.

One time I came down and visited the Sound, even caught a salmon, I thought I was killing it! I promptly joined a chat room called Puget Sound Gravity Research and started posting about what a bad ass fisherman I was. Not until many years later did I realize I was only a tourist on the water, and a total Jong.

[oftpiste]

I had no idea this was such a pandemic with Vail. Thought it was just Stevens. Wow.

https://www.stormskiing.com/p/idle-l...9_DC_9OfCRhBII

[dunderhead]

I had no idea this was such a pandemic with Vail. Thought it was just Stevens. Wow.

https://www.stormskiing.com/p/idle-l...9_DC_9OfCRhBII

oh yes, these corporations will destroy every hill they set their eyes on. The only way to stop this is for the forest service to pull their permits, which they won't because they are clueless and on the take. The other way is a boycott. At the very least a soft boycott right now. That means pack your own lunch, BYOB, and don't buy any of their merch. I have taken to eating my brown bag lunch in the cafeteria and putting $5 in tip jar, and if there is not a tip jar, I pull a Karen and demand to see a manager and ask why not. I am industry so I get free tickets and none of my money goes to them. As sad as it would be to see the indy's overrun with an eventual full boycott, it may just save skiing: Too Big to Vail: The Downfall of the North American Mega Resort | The Inertia

[oftpiste]

I haven't bought merch or food in years.

[kellen]

It looked like there was very little plowing this morning. Short staffed? I hit Mud Mt about 6:30. Always too many Camrys.

They may have started plowing right after you, I was at mud mountain around 7:30ish and both lanes looked like they had at least 1 pass of plowing done to them. As mentioned though, it seemed like plows were only touching the main driving lanes, shoulders and pullouts were still packed with snow.

[oftpiste]

Just got an email from the AG's office acknowledging my complaint and that they'd found it worthy of some (low level) involvement. Probably won't purse given reversal of lift reservation system, but good to know the complaint has some merit in their eyes.

[PNWbrit]

Just got an email from the AG's office acknowledging my complaint and that they'd found it worthy of some (low level) involvement. Probably won't purse given reversal of lift reservation system, but good to know the complaint has some merit in their eyes.

Same here.

If nothing else it might keep Frank on his toes in future. Or a pivot to the parking reservations.

[timeo]

Xtal just sent out this via email:

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Road to Crystal Mountain
THE PERFECT STORM THIS WEEKEND AT CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN

All of us in the Pacific Northwest ski and ride community have observed the four feet or more of snowfall this week with pleasure and anticipation. We also know that the road conditions over the mountain passes have been challenging this week and may be closed through Sunday, however, forecasts call for mild and potentially sunny weather this weekend.


It’s a recipe for a perfect storm at Crystal this weekend where there will be more skiers and riders wanting to come up than the mountain and resort can physically hold.


We have been thinking about this scenario in depth and want to share our thoughts on how best to approach this weekend for a positive experience:


Communication
Crystal will communicate to our guests frequently tomorrow morning on what parking and transportation is looking like, via SMS text alert, website alerts, app notifications, social media and importantly, the electronic sign in Enumclaw.


Arrive Early
Please plan on getting to Crystal early if you want to ensure you’ll be able to get on the mountain.


Carpool
More people in fewer cars helps the greater good and remember: carpools of four or more do not have to pay to park.


Take The Bus
Our plan to significantly increase bus shuttle service out of Enumclaw has been put in place. Shuttle service is available for guests who reserve it, or if space is available, for walk-on passengers. For information on available bus reservations go to crystalmountainexpress.com

No Day Tickets Available at the Window
We will not be selling any day tickets at the ticket window or online, only Friends and Family tickets. Please do not visit if you don’t already have a pass product and are not Friends and Family. You will not be able to buy a lift ticket until 1:00pm.


Night Skiing
Arrive after 1:00pm for night skiing which is open until 8:00pm tomorrow. Parking will be free, lift tickets available, and the snow is fantastic.


If we’re being candid, please be smart about your plan to visit Crystal this weekend. We are doing our best to accommodate as many skiers and riders as we can including an unprecedented number of free buses.

If you can enjoy the sunny weather while enjoying other activities, this might be the weekend to consider it. But this weekend in particular, because of this convergence of snow, weather, and pass closures, please think about your plan. We genuinely may not be able to accommodate all visitors this weekend.

[powder_to_the_people]

Ok, so I’m not actually advocating for one over the other, but I’m having a hard time understanding why everyone here thinks that parking at Crystal should be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis, rather through a reservation system. I'm undecided as to which of these two "solutions" I dislike the least. Don’t get me wrong, I’m furious that Ikon created the parking problem in the first place by overselling passes (and as so many have said, they should be held accountable, I’d like to see them cap sales for next year, etc).

Perhaps naive of me, but now that we’re in this fucked situation, why is first-come, first-serve basis better? Isn’t a reservation system also a first-come, first-serve basis? If the argument is that first-come, first-serve allocates parking to those who “want it more”, then isn’t a reservation system doing a similar thing (i.e. you have to spend a bunch of time at your computer/check back multiple times a day), except that you don’t have to get up at 6am and drive for a couple of hours to figure out if you’ll get to ski on that day?

But then maybe people here are more freaked out about the reservation system because they doubt Ikon’s ability to implement the proper IT infrastructure to ensure that the reservations system won’t be a shit show. And maybe worried too that people won’t play by the rules and cancel their reservations on time so that someone else can enjoy them.

[counterfeitfake]

I'm concerned that with the 2 reservation limit, I'll make my 2 and then they'll all be booked until April. That's worse.

[Buster Highmen]

Ok, so I’m not actually advocating for one over the other, but I’m having a hard time understanding why everyone here thinks that parking at Crystal should be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis, rather through a reservation system. I'm undecided as to which of these two "solutions" I dislike the least. Don’t get me wrong, I’m furious that Ikon created the parking problem in the first place by overselling passes (and as so many have said, they should be held accountable, I’d like to see them cap sales for next year, etc).

Perhaps naive of me, but now that we’re in this fucked situation, why is first-come, first-serve basis better? Isn’t a reservation system also a first-come, first-serve basis? If the argument is that first-come, first-serve allocates parking to those who “want it more”, then isn’t a reservation system doing a similar thing (i.e. you have to spend a bunch of time at your computer/check back multiple times a day), except that you don’t have to get up at 6am and drive for a couple of hours to figure out if you’ll get to ski on that day?

But then maybe people here are more freaked out about the reservation system because they doubt Ikon’s ability to implement the proper IT infrastructure to ensure that the reservations system won’t be a shit show. And maybe worried too that people won’t play by the rules and cancel their reservations on time so that someone else can enjoy them.

The resey system has been and will likely continue to be gamed by bots for one thing.
But the original objection had to do with ski reseys, not parking reseys.

Fundamentally though, the problem is that Alterra is knowingly selling more passes than the area can accommodate.

[altasnob]

I don't think Crystal, or anyone else, can run a reservation parking system at a ski area without it turning into a shit show. Crystal will limit the reserveable spots for X, but in reality, you can always fit in one more car. People will figure this out and go up even without a reservation. I don't think Crystal has the active manpower to go around and check every car in all of their lots. So I still expect slow drives for people who don't get up early. Also, what about no shows? When they had skiing reservations, it was easy to catch, and punish, the now shows because their pass wasn't scanned. Not sure how Crystal will figure out you no showed. Are they really going to scan every plate? The situation with backcountry access is totally fucked because of this reservation rule and ripe for a law suit. Do they need a reservation? They have to pay $30 on the weekend (which is lame), but can they park for free if they carpool in a group of 4? If so, where do they park (it says this on Crystal's website but is very ambiguous). I don't think the status quo is broken. I ski the busiest of weekend days and have never been turned away. Yes, I am leaving Tacoma around 6 am these days but that is not that big of a deal.

[oftpiste]

Because if I'm wiling to get up early enough I can ski whenever I want. If I can only make a certain number of any kind of reservation at once I am limited to those days I reserved.

Ok, so I’m not actually advocating for one over the other, but I’m having a hard time understanding why everyone here thinks that parking at Crystal should be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis, rather through a reservation system. I'm undecided as to which of these two "solutions" I dislike the least. Don’t get me wrong, I’m furious that Ikon created the parking problem in the first place by overselling passes (and as so many have said, they should be held accountable, I’d like to see them cap sales for next year, etc).

Perhaps naive of me, but now that we’re in this fucked situation, why is first-come, first-serve basis better? Isn’t a reservation system also a first-come, first-serve basis? If the argument is that first-come, first-serve allocates parking to those who “want it more”, then isn’t a reservation system doing a similar thing (i.e. you have to spend a bunch of time at your computer/check back multiple times a day), except that you don’t have to get up at 6am and drive for a couple of hours to figure out if you’ll get to ski on that day?

But then maybe people here are more freaked out about the reservation system because they doubt Ikon’s ability to implement the proper IT infrastructure to ensure that the reservations system won’t be a shit show. And maybe worried too that people won’t play by the rules and cancel their reservations on time so that someone else can enjoy them.