Trip out west on the cheap, Crystal Mountain

Well, my work trip is on the books.  Leave for Seattle on the 21st.  Two days of training is Shoreline, then Wednesday at Crystal and Thursday at Alpental.  Excited to get a taste of the PNW!  

Only decision left is weather to ski Alpental until 1pm and catch a 4:00 direct flight getting me into NY at midnight, or ski until 3:00 and catch a 6:00 connecting flight getting me in to NY at 5:40am.  As much as I'd like the extra couple hours of skiing, the direct flight makes more sense.  On Friday morning we'll be getting in the car early for a trip up to Placid, and getting home earlier puts skiing WF Friday in play.

nepa.....need your opinion.  Going to leave NY on Sat, with a return flight Thursday at 4pm.  That gives me Sunday, Wednedsay and a half day Thursday to ski.  Trying to make the most of the skiing opportunity....would you hoof it up to Baker Sat night to ski a day there (and head back down to Shoreline Sunday night), then do Wednesday at Crystal and a half day at Alpental on Thursday?  Or just skip the 2.5 hours each way up to Baker and do Alpental on Sunday and a day and a half at Crystal later in the week?

Weather pattern looks active through next week with the r*in/snow line being dicey, which would seem to give Baker and Crystal the best shot at avoiding the wet stuff?

Appreciate the 411!

Tough call JTG. Let me get back to you when there is a bit more clarity in the forecast for that week.  The 5 hour round trip to Baker is risky in my opinion, but chances of snow will be better there than Alpental in a borderline scenario.

Thanks for the local 411.  As I have it currently booked I'm going to ski Alpental on Sunday, then head back and do Wed/Thurs at Crystal.  The Alpine Inn at Crystal looks a little dive-y, but staying at the base of the mountain will be nice.  Yes, Crystal is further south than Baker, but the ski area tops out at 7k, and the forecasts I'm watching currently give them the best chance for all or mostly snow at the summit.  Crystal looks to have more areas to explore with the bowls off Northway and the Southback area, so having a day and a half there will be nice.  Big snows in the forecasts, interspersed with a lot of r*in.  Should be interesting.

Not crazy about the idea of the 5 hours r/t up to Baker.  I can adjust on the fly as needed.

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JTG4eva! wrote

Thanks for the local 411.  As I have it currently booked I'm going to ski Alpental on Sunday, then head back and do Wed/Thurs at Crystal.  The Alpine Inn at Crystal looks a little dive-y, but staying at the base of the mountain will be nice.  Yes, Crystal is further south than Baker, but the ski area tops out at 7k, and the forecasts I'm watching currently give them the best chance for all or mostly snow at the summit.  Crystal looks to have more areas to explore with the bowls off Northway and the Southback area, so having a day and a half there will be nice.  Big snows in the forecasts, interspersed with a lot of r*in.  Should be interesting.

Not crazy about the idea of the 5 hours r/t up to Baker.  I can adjust on the fly as needed.

I think you'll have a great time regardless of the weather... that said, it's been getting colder, so you may hit the jackpot either way.

Even with an inch or two of r*in in the discussion for the middle of next week, snow totals in the days before and after are pushing 30 inches depending on the resort/forecast I'm looking at, so I'm excited.  A little elevation, a little luck......either way I'll come back with a kick ass trip report.

Sounds a lot like the NE forecast next week, just on a grander scale!

enjoy man! I am flying out to San Jose to meet a buddy in early April then headed to squaw/alpine! Flight was $300 round trip and free lift tix for military. My first time out west and I cannot wait

Nice!  My only other "western" skiing was early April at Breck/A Basin.  Gotta love spring skiing, especially out west on the cheap.

I'm going to obsess all week!  At 7,000 feet there are some forecasts calling for 60 inches of snow at Crystal through next Thursday......

JTG4eva! wrote

I'm going to obsess all week!  At 7,000 feet there are some forecasts calling for 60 inches of snow at Crystal through next Thursday......

Here's some fuel for you: NWAC Weather stations.  This will give you up to the minute accumulation data.

Here's some Crystal video from this weekend:

Fingers crossed.  The mixed bag of weather the past couple of days has had Southback and Northway closed yesterday and today, but I've got a week and a half for things to improve there.  This coming Saturday is Alpental.....unless you tell me I'd be a fool not to hoof it up to Baker!

nepa......help!

Crystal is looking great.  Past the wet earlier this week and they are 100% open.  Six inches last night and snow on the way through Saturday morning.  Northway and Southback are both open and should only improve with colder weather and more snow.

Alpental is still warmish and spring-like, with colder temps and some snow moving in through Saturday morning.  The Back Bowls haven't been open all week.

One could explore Crystal for several days and not see it all, especially pushing it to the far reaches of Southback.  If the Alpental Back Bowls aren't going to be open I keep thinking that Saturday at Crystal instead of Alpental might be a good thing.  Of course then I'd only see Crystal (for two and a half days) on my likely only ever WA ski trip.

Go for better conditions and full backcountry (Crystal), or stick with Alpental and hope the Back Bowls open.....thoughts?  Have till 4pm tomorrow to cancel the Best Western in Cle Elum...

Nash Gate opened.....Alpental still in play.

Curveball.  Looks like I'm going to set up a day of guided touring in the Crystal backcountry.

The guy is Seth Waterfall.  Looks like a complete badass.  He's summited Everest numerous times.  Summited Denali numerous times with one ski descent.  Dude has climbed Kilimanjaro 14 times, and summited a bunch of other rad places.  He guides with Rainier Mountaineering, Inc., but he and his wife have their own company, Tahoma Ski Guides, on the side.

Group rate is $165, which he'll guarantee me even if he doesn't get any other skiers for a weekday group, but I'll throw him his private rate if that happens, which is $325.  That's cheap compared to private lesson and other guide prices.

holy crap
that guy has  a insane climbing resume

https://www.rmiguides.com/about/guides/seth-waterfall

I think you're all set JTG.  All in at Crystal.  I think that's way to go.  It's getting colder, but I think Alpental is still a risk... there may be snow, but it will probably not be good quality.  Alpental... a great spot, but still located at an area sometimes referred to as low-sno-quality-pass.  Like I said... regardless of where you go... I'm sure you'll have a blast.  Good Luck and Be Safe.  

JasonWx wrote

holy crap that guy has an insane climbing resume

I'm exhausted just reading the bullet points:

        138 ascents of Mount Rainier, several ski descents
        3 summits of Mount Everest, Nepal
        4 summits to Denali, 1 ski descent
        3 summits of Vinson Massif, Antarctica
        14 summits of Kilimanjaro, Africa
        7 summits of el Pico de Orizaba, Mexico
        4 summits of Ixtaccihuatl, Mexico
        1 summit of Aconcagua, Argentina
        1 summit of Cotopaxi, Ecuador
        1 summit of Mt. Elbrus, Russia

Yeah, that's some serious shit.  He (Kilimanjaro) and his wife (Mexico) recently got back from international guiding.  He's headed for the South side of Everest next month.  These guys are climbing/guiding rock stars, but spend what (probably) little free time they have guiding folks around the Crystal BC for a few hundred a day.  It's gotta be for the love of being out there.  Seems like a fascinating life!