PNW 2021/2022 Season! La Niña ahead!

[jacob_dbu]

Crystal was unreal today. Snow in the lowlands kept everyone home. Lifts were ski-on. Chair 6 opened at around 930 with all the South gates open. Since South hadn't been open at all during the storms it was super deep, super empty, and all seemed surprisingly stable.

I put first tracks down Hourglass and when I came back I put second tracks… unreal how few people were hiking to the Throne much less to King or beyond.

Even a 230 lap from the Throne to feel out a new pair of skis ended up here, the only picture I took
Attachment 398353

Damn I wish I wasn’t home in the flatlands this week

[riff]

The icicles are touching the ground at my house….


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[vonn]

I got completely ignored in the Oregon thread so trying here:

is this the place to post for hood/portland? i'm from SLC, but will be in town the 1st week of 2022. Have a full free day friday the 7th. hoping to get a tour in on Mt. Hood or anything else good nearby (i'm a PNW virgin). just looking for someone local to help me out, i'll be in SW portland, if pre-work turns are possible then great, otherwise i'm good waiting till my free day.

I haven't toured much in that area, but Tom Dick & Harry mountain might be worth a look (really), or, depending on conditions, some of the hikes around Mt. Hood Meadows. Alternatively if those are all a bust with the cold this week you could see whether the private reserve at meadows is opening. Not much a tour, but there's some really technical stuff in there!

[glspi]

I haven't toured much in that area, but Tom Dick & Harry mountain might be worth a look (really), or, depending on conditions, some of the hikes around Mt. Hood Meadows. Alternatively if those are all a bust with the cold this week you could see whether the private reserve at meadows is opening. Not much a tour, but there's some really technical stuff in there!

thanks for the info!

[Bandit Man]

Kicking around a run up to Mt Disappointment (aka Stevens) tomorrow to try out some new skis. Should be too chilly for the kids, so I'll most likely be solo. I'll be the guy in the bright green helmet on K108's or Sender Squads. Ask for change...

[The AD]

I'm curious to hear how the road conditions are on Highway 2. Probably better than in my neighborhood...

[Zeedashbo]

I'm curious to hear how the road conditions are on Highway 2. Probably better than in my neighborhood...

Monroe to skykomish is clear. Pretty snowy after that. The downhill below the hairpin is the gnarly part. Watched 10 cars eat shit in front of me on Friday and wasn't too eager to go over 25 down it today. The state trooper I talked to Friday morning said its the worst he's seen in years in that section

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[The AD]

Thanks, Z!

[d542east]

Bring your touring stuff and go ski the backside, it was fantastic today. I was never going to give Vail any of my money in the first place, so I gotta be honest, I'm loving this.

[jacob_dbu]

Bring your touring stuff and go ski the backside, it was fantastic today. I was never going to give Vail any of my money in the first place, so I gotta be honest, I'm loving this.

The new Yodelin.

[ptavv]

If Vail fires the summer tree trimmers, in 15 years it'll ski just like Yodelin.

[Patarero]

I haven't toured much in that area, but Tom Dick & Harry mountain might be worth a look (really), or, depending on conditions, some of the hikes around Mt. Hood Meadows. Alternatively if those are all a bust with the cold this week you could see whether the private reserve at meadows is opening. Not much a tour, but there's some really technical stuff in there!

For TDH to be good, it has to stay like it is now. Cold and snowing in PDX. PR isn't a tour but lift served and within the ski area boundary. Look at the next drainage to the east....

[Stairmaster]

LMAO.
Ski area closed because it snowed 4" in 24 hours.

What a fucking joke

Check this out.

https://www.change.org/p/vail-resort...7-652493a8f0df

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[snoqpass]

Check this out.

https://www.change.org/p/vail-resort...7-652493a8f0df

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They need to find someone that is better at letter writting, that just sounds like some crybabie IKON passholder

[Bandit Man]

I went to Stevens today. It was killing everyone that there was tons of Pow to be had…up off the lifts that were closed. I got a bunch of SPAC kids to start chanting “Vail Fail” in the lift line and suggested that they figure out how to get someone to run Kehr’s/Big Chief so they could race on something steeper than Brooks.

Snow was still nice, although anything off of 7th (only steeps open) was skied out and either bumped out or firm variable.

Crowds were light since it was cold, but it was really nice to see the sun. Parking lots were not full when I left at 12:30. Hwy 2 had one drivable lane in both directions after Skykomish with the left lane being large piles of sloppy mush. I miss the days of teams of plows actually clearing the highway of snow on a dry sunny day.

My highlight on the drive up was some chucklehead in a white Expedition who lost traction and slammed the rear end of the SUV into the snow bank. He straightened it out and kept driving without missing a beat. I decided to pass him on the left right after the hairpin and about 30-seconds later after I passed him, I saw him spinning into the downhill lanes (in my rear view mirror). Fun times!

[BeardedClam]

The northern dead end has had 1 plow truck working from mapes to the hill. This is the weather that keeps you town folk out, and its been great.

[wickstad]

The northern dead end has had 1 plow truck working from mapes to the hill. This is the weather that keeps you town folk out, and its been great.

Eh?

[jacob_dbu]

Has anyone been following kooksofstevenspass on insta?

It seems they’re on a real mission over there to save Stevens

[plugboots]

Has anyone been following kooksofstevenspass on insta?

It seems they’re on a real mission over there to save Stevens

Nice follow, thanks.

[XavierD]

The anger toward Vail towards mismanagement needs some focus and not just grabbing at the standard “fuck the man” emotions. Vail pays folks at Stevens more than they ever were before, sucks to say it but the wages aren’t the primary issue. Sure they could continue to raise pay until they get to a high enough number to overcome the other HR issues but reality is that won’t get the Old Stevens back.

Customer anger needs to be directed at Vail’s failure to adequately deliver what they sold to epic pass holders. At Stevens and others. Getting sidetracked into “livable wage” whatever that is dilutes the argument.

If you’re an employee who is fed up, I hate to say it but you need to just quit or collectively take a holiday weekend off and make it worse on Vail I know pretty much everyone at the ski area level loves the Mountain, wants to deliver and is frustrated with the constraints imposed by Vail. It sucks but sometimes you need to make ownership suck.

I know Stevens is relatively small fish in the Vail portfolio but imagine if PCMR, Beaver Creek or Vail actual wasn’t able to operate for a few days over a booked out holiday weekend. Yeah, Vail Co would realize they need to fix some shit internally. That would be a lot of pissed-off, lawyered-up money.

Edit: the change.whogivesashit letter eventually gets to the point but it’s poorly written and takes a long path to get there with lots of stops for scenic views of emotions.

[altasnob]

Maybe Vail will "listen to the their customer concerns" just like Alterra did for Crystal and jack up their season pass prices.

[XavierD]

Two different problems, somewhat similar symptoms.

[Stairmaster]

They need to find someone that is better at letter writting, that just sounds like some crybabie IKON passholder

Doesn't seem like that to me. The petition is all about optics and putting some pressure on Vail to fix the shitty operations. Glad to see someone is doing something. Over 5k signatures in 1 day...

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[bfree]

Two different problems, somewhat similar symptoms.

Maybe Vail will "listen to the their customer concerns" just like Alterra did for Crystal and jack up their season pass prices.

What are the symptoms at crystal? Seems pretty well run and I imagine the vast majority of Stevens folks would be pleased if it was running like crystal. Somewhat expensive, sure, but that's Pugetopolis in 2021.

Vail should also be offering to pay WSDOT to nuke the traffic lights in Sultan and replace with roundabouts. I will never ski there other than once in a blue moon because of those lights, and I imagine they're a hindrance to prospective employees too.

[XavierD]

Overselling passes at below historic market rate resulting in overcrowding regularly exceeding lift, parking, and road capacity.