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My family is thinking of going to Crystal Mountain for 5 days after X-Mas. I've never been, and the problem is that I'm the only one who skis. It kinda looks like there is not much to do there or many restaurants in the area...is my mom/sister/niece/nephew/brother-in-law going to be bored while I ski all day?
Any suggestions on where to stay that has a pool? The kids want a pool. Anything better a short drive away?
Thanks.
Crystal is not the place for this trip - you will not have a happy family to come back to at the end of one day let alone 5 days!Quote:
Originally Posted by slippy
Yes.......Quote:
Originally Posted by slippy
Yes, unless they can chemically keep themselves busy otherwise. One option, though, could be getting a cabin on the south west of Rainier. You can find some really nice places, here - hot tubs, etc -- but the downside is you'll have 1 + hour drive to/from Crystal.Quote:
Originally Posted by slippy
You are way to core to have a family... I figured you were just born of snow or something. You just ruined my uber hardcore image of you. ;)
As others have said, five days of no skiing would be quite boring. The one main lodge/hotel does have a pool though.
What they said! + Don't come to WA. The weather is bad, snow sucks, slopes are lame.
Just leave the family in enumclaw at the Best Western.
Let em fend for themselves.
;)
Slippy, I'll make a suggestion. Come over here to Schweitzer. There's a pretty good little town at the bottom that will keep people busy. Good terrain and should be better snow than western WA by then. I could even be talked into playing hookey to ski w/ you. Its only 5 hrs. from seattle which is a trek but not too bad. Plus, the prices are prolly pretty good compared to anything on the west side.
Like everyone else has said this is a bad idea. Basically skiing is the only thing to do at Crystal. You can't even get into Mt. Rainier NP easily because 410 is blocked off right at the Crystal turnoff in the winter. Not that there would be a heck of a lot for them to do there in the winter anyway. The bottom line is they would be bored by about noon of the first day.
There are two hotel "groups" to stay at up at the area
1) http://www.crystalhotels.com/ (no pool, best ambience & food, my fav)
2) http://www.crystalmtlodging-wa.com/ (has pool, condos)
and one down at the base of the access road - Alta Crystal.
3) http://www.altacrystalresort.com/ (pool, hot tub).
It's true there's not a lot to do up at the mountain, but they could drive into Seattle for shopping/urban jollies.
I will be up there all those days and could show you around.
Dude, go to Whistler.....if they require that you go to the PNW. They will need lots of drugs if they don't ski/snowboard/snowshoe or do something with the word snow in it.....for 5 days straight.
I'm not even sure I'd want to SKI at Crystal for 5 days in a row.
Thanks for the replies, sounds like a no-go. They live in Portland, so a 3 1/2 hour drive is their limit for some reason. I already tried the Whistler option, believe me. They were thinking Bend, so I panicked and suggested Crystal.
Thanks for the offer 1080, but it's just too far for them. Buster, thanks, but they would rather be in the mountains than shop around. More of a sleigh-ride, ice skate or who-knows-what crowd. I don't even know. Figure11, don't worry, I am so core I piss hot magma.
There's not much there but skiing, touring, snowshoeing and pool. But the skiing can amaze, especially if you bring skins.Quote:
Originally Posted by slippy
This trip is a recipe for divorce......
Crystal is a skiers mountain - everything else is bare bones...
Whistler - great for non-skiers -
Schweitzer - could be a fun trip but still limited...
Bend might not be so bad especially if it snows again. Hook up with Jonesy, Tap and Schralper and I guarentee YOU will have a great time and .. the family will be entertained.;)Quote:
Originally Posted by slippy
Yeah Slippy, that would be a long trek over here. I'd say Whistler too but sounds like its too far for them to drive... Good luck, hope you get some turns!
May I suggest the lovely Pocono Mountains in PA. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by slippy
(although it is a long ass drive)
I may be inbred, but I never married my sister. So no divorce issues here. Buster, very very tempting. Marry my Mom in the next month and we'll solve this problem together.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gregbo
While you may opt out of incest, allow me to opt out of polygamy or polygyny or infidelity or bigamy or whatever the freak you want to call it.
But you should still go.
What are your in laws looking for? Alta Crystal is pretty and quiet, but there's just not much in the way of restaurants or bars up there.
What is available: The Alpine Inn restaurant, Snorting Elk cellar, Bullwheel up at the area. Down in Greenwater, there's Buzzy's Eats (breakfast & lunch), Naches Tavern (very local burgers & beer) and the old Greenwater Inn (new name and owners, don't know much about it).
Anyway, if you're around, let the Pugetards (inherited from the MD9 namespace) know.
nothing to add aside to props to slippy for ths gemQuote:
Originally Posted by slippy
Go to Bachelor. If Whistler is out it's your only real solution
Well, it looks like my family doesn't mind that there is nothing to do at Crystal. They still want to go and are booking a trip there.
So I'll be skiing there tues-thurs after Christmas, I think. I'll make another thread closer to that time Buster and see if you're still going up for a ski. It would be great to get a tour of the place, thanks. I'm psyched to ski there finally.
Heh....we're booked in to the AI 27-30, so I'll be there.Quote:
Originally Posted by slippy
If there still isn't any snow in Utah, then I'll be there.....would be sweet to actually ski with you as opposed to the usual drill..
You could rent a cabin and park the fam in Greenwater, 15-25 minutes from the hill depending on the exact location. There's no commercial entertainment like sleigh rides or ice skating but, if they really do like the mountains, they could stay fairly entertained hiking and exploring the area, driving around to the Paradise side of Mt. Rainier one day, going up to Crystal to snowshoe another day, sledding, meeting you for lunch or dinner on the hill, yada yada. (Or they could stay busy getting dinner ready for you when you come home from the hill.) Prices are about the same or lower than staying in the hotels; most of the cabins are stocked with games, DVD players, and other indoor options; and of course the fam is less likely to go postal with a cabin to spread out in rather than a cramped hotel room. If they do get too bored it's only about 1.5 hours to Seattle. Greenwater is scenic, right on the White River. It sometimes has quite a bit of snow on the ground but more often it's clear and there are enough low-altitude trails to have options all winter. (Keep in mind hiking in winter here usually means hiking in rain or snow.) Here's a link to someone who knows about private cabins for rent that you wouldn't be able to find via Google etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by slippy