Crystal Mountain Becomes Alterra

[f=ma]

Man the amount of bad PR Crystal continuously inflicts upon itself...it's like they want to surpass Vail for some reason.

Not even close. Crystal's got a long way to go to even remotely touch the shit show that is Stevens

[PNWbrit]

Not even close. Crystal's got a long way to go to even remotely touch the shit show that is Stevens

"We're closer than you think"

[californiagrown]

Frank: "We've so pissed off our own customers how can we attract other mountain's customers who are even more pissed off?"

I hope you all get invaded with Snoqualmie passholders for the day as payback for all the iKon day ticketers who invade alpental on pow days a bitch about the ski area ops/snow/size.

But seriously, I'm for sure taking advantage of this when my parents come visit. They wouldn't enjoy Snoqualmie, but the do love soup and underground bars!

[dunderhead]

How do I get a parking reservation for this event?

good point, I should emulate the corporate ski model and milk every last cent from attendees while maximizing profit. The product is about as good and the bumper-to-bumper traffic on 405 will be just like hwy 2. I'll be selling fake gummies and watered-down whiskey. Carpet rides will be $20 a minute even if only half the carpet is open. All attendees will need to sign an NDA, Puget Sound Gravity Research is not responsible for any injuries sustained on BIG 5 property

[Jax]

Not even close. Crystal's got a long way to go to even remotely touch the shit show that is Stevens

Crystal's problem isn't lack of staff or human logistics such as Vail's, it's their actual method of messaging. All Crystal has to do to make things right is to *make things right*, there is nothing stopping them, but they just can't help themselves with poor choices in decision making and delivery. I think it's worse, in a way. I'm not diminishing the cluster at Stevens at all.

[oftpiste]

Yeah, the money grab continues at the expense of existing customers. Unabashedly.

How fucking stoopid do you have to be to get the messaging SOOOO fucked up. They couldn't be butchering it up much worse if they tried. Seriously unbelievable.

Did you see they're now giving a 50% discount on mid-week tickets to holders of other WA state season passes?

I thought mid-week was when it was supposed to be quiet and their own pass holders could enjoy no crowds?

[XavierD]

I sincerely hope the AG decides to take them to court o we this but I have my doubts.

[SpeLunker]

a lot of complaining of the firstest of world problems. PNW people are such pussies.

Everytime I go to one of these resorts im amazed at the absurdity of it all. All this infrastructure where it shouldnt be. Chairlifts magically carry me to the top. I ski whatever I want. Even take a shit in a warm clean bathroom at the top of the mountain. I count my lucky stars. Its the height of privilege.

Sunday I woke up late. Went skiing without a res (the bus is great) and never waited in a line for more than a minute. Shit is golden up there.

[Fishskisurf]

Full on gong show...
Have to cancel by 12pm noon the day before? What happens if you: wake up sick, have a few too many the night before, wind in AM is up and upper mt lifts look like they could be on hold, or any other change of plans (getting hurt the day prior?) and you're out $100?
You have to print a paper and display on the dash? Is this 2002?
Those with condo's up there can't use them on weekends if they are draw blanks on parking reservations?
Different release timeframes/slots announced every week? You have to actively pay attention to their weekly update/changes, and still yet set alarms for the derby style dash on their crappy parking website that continues to bomb out 50% of the time. And maybe after all that you were one of the lucky ones who got parking.

Based on comments to their socials, no one seems to applaud these changes. Why don't they listen?

"Unlimited" what a f'n joke.
I can't see a renewal of Ikon pass in my future.

[dunderhead]

a lot of complaining of the firstest of world problems. PNW people are such pussies.

Everytime I go to one of these resorts im amazed at the absurdity of it all. All this infrastructure where it shouldnt be. Chairlifts magically carry me to the top. I ski whatever I want. Even take a shit in a warm clean bathroom at the top of the mountain. I count my lucky stars. Its the height of privilege.

Sunday I woke up late. Went skiing without a res (the bus is great) and never waited in a line for more than a minute. Shit is golden up there.

Nice woke commentary. You got "first world problems" and "privilege" in your post while virtue signaling about your bus ride to get last tracks on a played-out canvas.

The irony is you are defending mega corporations who underpay their worker's while profiteering off public lands. An "ally" like you could be a character witness for Vail at their collusion-antitrust lawsuit in front of SEC. You could explain the "absurdity" and "magic-ness" of it all then take a shit in their golden toilet.

[CnRzG]

I miss the days when you had to hike to get to the Northback.

[nickwm21]

I’m happy they added the 7pm parking pass drop.

I actually work for a living… that work has me doing things during work hours…. that work allows me to pay Crystal and Alterra to ski…. IMHO the 12pm pass drop was too heavily favoring the “pretend to work from home” crowd.


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[XavierD]

a lot of complaining of the firstest of world problems. PNW people are such pussies.

Everytime I go to one of these resorts im amazed at the absurdity of it all. All this infrastructure where it shouldnt be. Chairlifts magically carry me to the top. I ski whatever I want. Even take a shit in a warm clean bathroom at the top of the mountain. I count my lucky stars. Its the height of privilege.

Sunday I woke up late. Went skiing without a res (the bus is great) and never waited in a line for more than a minute. Shit is golden up there.

Good for you, now fuck off

[Buster Highmen]

I miss the days when you had to hike to get to the Northback.

I __hate__ that fucking lift.

[XavierD]

I miss the days when you had to hike to get to the Northback.

I’m sure it would have changed a ton anyway but it was nice how much traffic that hike filtered out.

[altasnob]

Sunday I woke up late. Went skiing without a res (the bus is great) and never waited in a line for more than a minute. Shit is golden up there.

I haven't taken the bus yet but heard good things from others who have. I'll have to try it sometime.

My biggest beef of all is they should have worked all this shit out in the off season. So we can chew on the details for a bit and decide if we want to plunk down a grand to ski up there. It's as if every week they throw a new wrinkle that, had we known six months ago, would have changed our decision. I'm contemplating going mid-week only next year but then if I ever go back to unlimited, I lose out on the renewal discount (and I lose out on renewal discount by going full Ikon to mid-week). They got us by the balls.

[SpeLunker]

Nice woke commentary. You got "first world problems" and "privilege" in your post while virtue signaling about your bus ride to get last tracks on a played-out canvas.

The irony is you are defending mega corporations who underpay their worker's while profiteering off public lands. An "ally" like you could be a character witness for Vail at their collusion-antitrust lawsuit in front of SEC. You could explain the "absurdity" and "magic-ness" of it all then take a shit in their golden toilet.

Oh shut your face. I dont give a crap about the morality of alterra's business model. You can choose not to give them your money if you like but you still do and bitch about it like a dork. Snobby ass pussy. Whiney rich people complaining about their country club. I'll take that bus a mid day to ski ice and be totally happy while you and the "part time bad ass" complain about the good old days.

[SpeLunker]

I haven't taken the bus yet but heard good things from others who have. I'll have to try it sometime.

My biggest beef of all is they should have worked all this shit out in the off season. So we can chew on the details for a bit and decide if we want to plunk down a grand to ski up there. It's as if every week they throw a new wrinkle that, had we known six months ago, would have changed our decision. I'm contemplating going mid-week only next year but then if I ever go back to unlimited, I lose out on the renewal discount (and I lose out on renewal discount by going full Ikon to mid-week). They got us by the balls.

I could see why people are upset about them making changes on the fly. Especially after they have your money. It's a gong show across the board these days tho. Nothing works like it used to in any industry it seems.

The bus is pretty great. They run really frequently so you can just show up whenever with no reservation. Use the bathroom, have breakfast on the way up, take a nap on the way back. Not bad. I will plan on using it all year when I ride solo.

[CnRzG]

I’m sure it would have changed a ton anyway but it was nice how much traffic that hike filtered out.

Truly.... I wish I had some of my photographs from Brand X when it was quiet and wild.

[CnRzG]

I __hate__ that fucking lift.

Changed the entire character of the mountain. Before the lift, you could get easily five untracked runs in there. The last time I was at Crustal, two lift rides and most was tracked out.

[XavierD]

Oh shut your face. I dont give a crap about the morality of alterra's business model. You can choose not to give them your money if you like but you still do and bitch about it like a dork. Snobby ass pussy. Whiney rich people complaining about their country club. I'll take that bus a mid day to ski ice and be totally happy while you and the "part time bad ass" complain about the good old days.

Yeah, but they already have everyone’s money and have basically run a bait and switch. I really don’t care if it was due to deceit or incompetence. They oversold to their customer base making $10s of millions by promising something they didn’t deliver. So yeah fuck them. Additionally many families allocated resources to Crystal/Altera instead of their competition based on that now broken promise. There should be punitive damages for this sort of business practice.

A shuttle is great but isn’t a realistic solution for many people. Saying it’s a perfectly good alternative is bullshit.

[nickwm21]

A shuttle is great but isn’t a realistic solution for many people. Saying it’s a perfectly good alternative is bullshit.

Outside of COVID concerns, what makes it not a good alternative?

I’ve never taken it but I likely will this season…

Honestly - It’s not the worst idea is to close 410 at Enumclaw for all non-residents and bus everyone in. They would have to expand the parking and bus loading at the expo center but that would fix the traffic issue instantly. It would likely help spread out the morning rush at Chinook and the gondy.

…But red blooded Americans HAVE to drive their own vehicles to the mountain…. Myself included.



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[XavierD]

They don’t run it all day - big gap in the middle of the day and first one leaves at 2:00pm and last one at 6:00pm. I’m regularly leaving the MTN by noon or am on my way up later if I have work I need to do in the morning/afternoon. Other times something comes up which causes a need to leave early.

You can go back to your car in the middle of the day for any number of reasons: have/make lunch, let the dog out of the car, switch skis to go tour, Ditch/grab a layer. I do pretty much each of those everyday. The resort doesn’t have locker or table space to support everyone basing out of the lodge even with the expanded Conex village bullshit.

Also busses are slow cramped and stinky.

[PNWbrit]

Outside of COVID concerns, what makes it not a good alternative?

I’ve never taken it but I likely will this season…

Honestly - It’s not the worst idea is to close 410 at Enumclaw for all non-residents and bus everyone in. They would have to expand the parking and bus loading at the expo center but that would fix the traffic issue instantly. It would likely help spread out the morning rush at Chinook and the gondy.

…But red blooded Americans HAVE to drive their own vehicles to the mountain…. Myself included.



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This is a truly terrible idea.

Closing non resident public access to the whole white river valley, snow parks, hiking, 4x4ing.

Bankrupting the small businesses in Greenwater.

Expanding the parking at expo center fairgrounds where?

Do you know how many buses would be needed to replace all the regular traffic? Or the chaos that would entail loading them at either end.

[XavierD]

Bankrupting the small businesses in Greenwater

The Cinnamon rolls at Wapiti are phenomenal. Affogato after a spring day is also outstanding.

Also what’s up with the replacement for Greenwater Skis? I get a little worried any time something is called “collective.”