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 Crystal Mountain has undergone some major improvements since being bought by Boyne USA back in 1996. Part of the sales agreement was that Boyne had to invest some serious money into the resort over the next 10 years and that is exactly what they have done, and continue to do. This upgrading has included the Forest Queen and the Chinook Express, both high-speed "six packs," the Green Valley high-speed quad up to Grubstake Point and most recently, the Northway double which added 1,000 acres of lift serviced backcountry style terrain. In addition to the updated lifts they have also expanding the trail system, increasing the size of the rental shop, renovated bathrooms, added new groomers, built the Campbell Basin Lodge, and they still aren't done! The already approved Master Development Plan also includes an all-season 80-passenger tram, the conversion of some of the fixed-grip chair to high-speed lifts, a slope side hotel and more base facility upgrades. The bottom-line is that Crystal Mountain Resort is doing everything it can to make itself THE place to go in Washington and perhaps the whole West Coast. Crystal welcomes skiers and snowboarders to its slopes; however, a downside to Crystal is its complete lack of man-made freestyle terrain. As of this writing there is no terrain park or halfpipe at Crystal. So, if you are looking for terrain your best bet is the backcountry. Terrain With a total of 2,600 acres and over 50 runs there truly is something for everyone at Crystal. The terrain breaks down to 11% Beginner, 54% Intermediate, and 35% Advanced/Expert which makes Crystal an experienced skier or rider's dream! However, although percentage-wise the newbies or those without a lot of mileage seem to get the short end of the stick, keep in mind that this is a good-sized resort so there are still plenty of options. Discovery, Quicksilver, Chinook Express, Miner's Basin, and the Forest Queen Express all assess beginner terrain so you should have no trouble finding something you can handle. For the intermediates, you might try warming up on Gold Hill or jump right in and take Chinook Express to Rainier Express and get to the top of the tree line. The backcountry crew will have plenty of options here and the true experts will want to head to Northway Peak. At the end of the day everyone can meet up at the Base Lodge and head to BullWheel Pub for some great casual food and the areas Après ski with live entertainment on the weekends and fun into the evening. Off-slope Fun Although parts of Mount Rainier National Park are not open in the winter there is still plenty to do there including ranger-guided snowshoe walks, snowplay at Paradise, camping and snowmobiling. In nearby Enumclaw there is cross country skiing and even trout fishing in the nearby rivers. Restaurants, shops and lodging can also be found in town.
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Ski Report
Washington
