Snow in the PNW 20-21: We may have Corona but Corona doesn't have us!

[wickstad]

This is with Donnelly M and Justin A? Sweet. Legends.

That would be Justin in the background of the climbing photo. We followed their trail back up to lunch counter after skiing this sw chutes even though we were camped a ways lower. Pretty sure they camped at lunch counter. They came past our camp late the previous day. Amy and Toby Torterelli were the first to drop in to the chutes that day. It was super firm up top. We watched them and took off. Donnelly was attempting his speed records. Total figure eleven off the summit. Hit a bump and yard saled. They caught us in the chutes and passed us by the time we were at the bottom which was pretty much mashed potatoes. Good skiing in the middle though.

[kamtron]

That would be Justin in the background of the climbing photo. We followed their trail back up to lunch counter after skiing this sw chutes even though we were camped a ways lower. Pretty sure they camped at lunch counter. They came past our camp late the previous day. Amy and Toby Torterelli were the first to drop in to the chutes that day. It was super firm up top. We watched them and took off. Donnelly was attempting his speed records. Total figure eleven off the summit. Hit a bump and yard saled. They caught us in the chutes and passed us by the time we were at the bottom which was pretty much mashed potatoes. Good skiing in the middle though.

Funny. I have Justin to thank for a lot of my ski friends since moving to WA. I imagine he was boarding back in '04.

[wickstad]

Funny. I have Justin to thank for a lot of my ski friends since moving to WA. I imagine he was boarding back in '04.

Yes I think he had a split. Definitely boarding though. I think we ran into him on the Coleman Deming one day as well. Username I think.

[ptavv]

New-normal day at Crustyal. Left Tacoma at 6:20 and the boulevard was a crawl when I got there at 7:50. Still snagged a spot in mid-B lot. Last shot to open Southback went off around 9:10 or so, by which time Chair 6 was already spinning and the line stretched halfway to Campbell Lodge. Ended up standing up on top of Six waiting for a friend for awhile and then putting a new dent in my helmet with an ill advised attempt at getting across one of the scree fields that now constitute the traverse off mi'lady the Queen. Fortunately, backpack and helmet absorbed all the damage and it was off to shralping the heavy-ish but virginal pow along with every other person in the greater Puget Sound who realized it had snowed and that Six didn't spin yesterday.

Definitely worse ways to spend the day.


I tried to do a shaka for this picture but belatedly realized my trigger mitts made it impossible, which is 30% of why I look so dumb (the rest is natural).

[MagnificentUnicorn]

New-normal day at Crustyal. Left Tacoma at 6:20 and the boulevard was a crawl when I got there at 7:50. Still snagged a spot in mid-B lot. Last shot to open Southback went off around 9:10 or so, by which time Chair 6 was already spinning and the line stretched halfway to Campbell Lodge. Ended up standing up on top of Six waiting for a friend for awhile and then putting a new dent in my helmet with an ill advised attempt at getting across one of the scree fields that now constitute the traverse off mi'lady the Queen. Fortunately, backpack and helmet absorbed all the damage and it was off to shralping the heavy-ish but virginal pow along with every other person in the greater Puget Sound who realized it had snowed and that Six didn't spin yesterday.

Definitely worse ways to spend the day.


I tried to do a shaka for this picture but belatedly realized my trigger mitts made it impossible, which is 30% of why I look so dumb (the rest is natural).

Did your kids stay warm?


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[ptavv]

Did your kids stay warm?

Yes, they were quite warm in my house.

[The AD]

Ended up standing up on top of Six waiting for a friend for awhile and then putting a new dent in my helmet with an ill advised attempt at getting across one of the scree fields

Are you supposed to throw away a helmet when it suffers an impact like that?

[XavierD]

Fun day at crustal indeed. Definitely was warming up by the end of the day but a few good king laps to be had. Also AT&T got coverage all the way to greenwater which is cool.

[ptavv]

Are you supposed to throw away a helmet when it suffers an impact like that?

This is such a challenging question to answer in the abstract sense. All of the guidance that exists for when to replace helmets is so clouded by a) helmet makers wanting to sell more helmets and b) fear of liability for encouraging someone to not replace a pristine helmet.

My rule of thumb, which I've had to use too often probably, is that if there's a visible dent in the shell it definitely gets replaced. There's a legitimate dent in my helmet from today's fall (not very deep but palpable and at least an inch across) and some abrasions on the side from, what was just a really dumb decision. One of the many traverse paths off Silver Queen crossed a scree field and it looked like it went okay aside from a few shark teeth sticking up. Well, one of the shark teeth grabbed my ski and caused my binding to release, so I fell over sideways and forwards onto the scree field and caught myself with head, followed by my right shoulder (has a nice bruise, but my jacket didn't get ripped, amazingly) and backpack (shovel blade in the avy pocket has saved me many times).

Rolled over once off the scree field and caught the ski that was headed straight for me with my hand and all was well, but a good reminder of how a single minor, stupid decision can have major consequences. New helmet is a small price to pay for the reminder to slow down and be less dumb.

There is also a chip in the front brim of the helmet, but that's from how I set my pack down once while my skis were on it in a diagonal carry with the helmet in the helmet carrier thing atop the skis and so the ski edges chipped the brim. That didn't seen worth replacing it for.

[Bandit Man]

I was able to get a “reservation” midday yesterday for Stevens so took in a night session. So empty. Groomers were trashed and were like skiing on washboards but there were fun scraps to be had. It was 22 at the base and 30 up top which felt weird.

Totally agree that they need to figure out how to allow more night skiing reservations. When we left at 7:30 pm, the ticket window line must have been 40-50 people deep. There is demand that can be satisfied but the current method leaves room for improvement.

[cstefanic]

Good day at Crystal until the warming trend. The Ch6 line was..... significant.

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[oftpiste]

What's going on with those poles^^^^^?

60% capacity my ass. Seriously it's been a shitshow up there. Hoping the end of the holiday weeks will bring a little relief.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

It the next hot thing after the boo poles, stick poles. So hawt, so kore


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[cstefanic]

What's going on with those poles^^^^^?

https://www.praxisskis.com/ski-poles/

Buddy bought skis in the spring Praxis sale and Keith threw them in for free.

[The AD]

I bet it feels great if you fall on one!

[cstefanic]

They were ridiculous and heavy as hell, but fun to try and pair with the new skis. And yes, hurt if you get whacked with them!

[Toadman]

Good day at Crystal until the warming trend. The Ch6 line was..... significant.

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time for a porta-potty next to the lift...And maybe an ice bar too!

[oftpiste]

I bet it feels great if you fall on one!

No problem because it just breaks!

[Buster Highmen]

Yesterdays chop turned pretty well until about 10:30 when the rain started.
Then the lower mountain raincorn was fast and fun for our pod.

Only line was at 8:15 and later on FQ, loaded by 8:30, upper mountain laps starting at 8:50, a few in Green Valley, then over to 6 where the new snow hasn't helped the traverse. Screaming Babies again the ticket, Hamburger got choppy after second pass, so that's when we started raging lower mountain with a bunch of laps on Lower Bull, Deerfly and of course, Stumpfarm.

Rode every lift except Northway. Ski on everything except Forest Queen, that was a welcome change.

Had a great time with my kids, my gal's out with sore knees today.

[jacob_dbu]

Looks like Crystal is gonna get hammered tomorrow. Who’s gonna be there?

[XavierD]

reservations for tomorrow available now.

[Huskier]

Baker closed for the day as of 10:00 a.m. Snowing sideways & supersaturated. Hole'd up off Hannigan pass Rd. watched a D3-4 slide make mincemeat of slidealder and doug fir. Gonna say closing was a good call.

[PNWbrit]

Probably whoever had a reservation 6 weeks ago.
See you fockers Sunday.

Very disappointing storm last night.

We bailed when upper mountain went on wind hold.

Sitting in GW now and it feels like next round is arriving, wind/rain just picked up and temperature dropping.

Tonight's forecast is a hell of thing. Fingers crossed.

[bfree]

Baker closed for the day as of 10:00 a.m. Snowing sideways & supersaturated. Hole'd up off Hannigan pass Rd. watched a D3-4 slide make mincemeat of slidealder and doug fir. Gonna say closing was a good call.

[emoji44]
17 inches on 4 inches of precip, they are getting laid in cement.

In better news, the snow level has come down to Snoqualmie wayyyy earlier than expected, I hope that keeps up!

[jacob_dbu]

Very disappointing storm last night.

We bailed when upper mountain went on wind hold.

Sitting in GW now and it feels like next round is arriving, wind/rain just picked up and temperature dropping.

Tonight's forecast is a hell of thing. Fingers crossed.

Same, I did one FQ lap before bailing. I knew last night storm didn’t bring much but I thought it would dump harder during the day today. Never really materialized even though something was falling. Sti fun to get out. I’ll be at Steven’s tomorrow