Wash State Crystal Mountain

[C5 Golfer]

Anyone interested in a meet at Crystal on this Sat or Sun the 10 or 11 of April? They close on the 11th so this is our last chance.

Stevens Pass was great today. wonderful spring conditions.

[Jon Dahl]

I'll let you know later this week, and maybe I'll have my new TD2's!

[P06781]

Maybe the 11th ? I need to switch out of working that sunday...

Jim

[Mike T]

Damn... My ankle will probably be ready for action on the 18th... but the 11th would probably be pushing it. I want to err on the side of caution so it will be good and ready the Hood shindig in May!

[zachp13]

Were you at Stevens Pass yesterday with another rider?

[C5 Golfer]

Originally posted by zachp13
Were you at Stevens Pass yesterday with another rider?

Yes, I was riding with my son. He was trying out my 173 Volkl RT. which he rode pretty darn good for such an increase from a 162 Sims Burner.

Were you there on soft or hard set up. We saw no other hard booters.

[P06781]

Mike ,

I have 2 tickets to use for Crystal Mtn from the race to the cup thing . I would really like to use them instead of wasting them. It is about a 3hr drive from pdx...

Jim

[zachp13]

I got there kind of late in the afternoon on my 180 coiler. I saw you getting on the chairlift the first run up and that was it.

[C5 Golfer]

You should have been there early - conditions were great before it got all chopped up. Maybe next time.. how did your Coiler do and which one do you have?
AL

[Art]

Sorry, Im done for the year. Possible Mount Hood trip with y'all in May though. More later. Al, playing Fort Lewis on the 14th.

[zachp13]

It did pretty well, as long as I chose my runs wisely. I have the 180 RC. It was alot better this weekend than the the last couple weekends that I have been up. Brought up my new digital camera and got some pics for the first time. This is my third year on hardboots, so it was kinda cool seeing how ridiculous I look.

[thomas_m]

I'll probably be there on the 11th. I was there this past Sunday and it was OK early in the AM but got very soft very fast - took off at lunch.

It was only my 2nd day in hardboots and I found the soft conditions a bit challenging at time but no major carnage. Ran into Charlie from Bellevue on a skinny Donek. The best carving run for me was actually the green Quicksilver since it is straight with sustained elevation drop and smooth. The lift takes forever though... Most of the blue runs got pretty bumpy by 10:00 if they weren't full of mogul pitches already. They were fun to run but I didn't get in too many good turns.

Based on conversations with Charlie and Tye, it looks like there are several Eastside hardbooters that frequent Alpental regularly. I was softbooting at Summit Central a couple nights a week until the night season closed, looks like I'll have to make it Alpental next year(now that I can ride something more than greens...).

Thomas

[Jon Dahl]

Sunday would be my day, and I've recieved approval from the better half. Lets designate a meeting place before 9 am, its been years since I've been there so make it easy!I'll be in a blue&red jacket/ black pants and packing a Volkl Renntiger (black) hopefully with my new TD2's. I've been tracking them with great anticipation! When is first chair, 9am?

[C5 Golfer]

Originally posted by Jon Dahl
Sunday would be my day, and I've recieved approval from the better half. Lets designate a meeting place before 9 am, its been years since I've been there so make it easy!I'll be in a blue&red jacket/ black pants and packing a Volkl Renntiger (black) hopefully with my new TD2's. I've been tracking them with great anticipation! When is first chair, 9am?

Chairs open at 8:30 on Sat and Sunday. We could meet outside near 6 person chair and the base lodge - I think it is called the Chinook Express. Meet at 9AM. Let use Radio channel same as the date on Sunday so it is easy to remember. 4-11. Hopefully we have a few from PDX too!
AL

[C5 Golfer]

-- how bout you Portland riders - you going to be there?
Who from washington shall I look for besides Jon?

[jason_watkins]

Not certain yet, but I'm thinking of heading up on saterday or sunday. Seems like everyone is going to be riding sunday, I'll see if I can't switch things around to get there.

[thomas_m]

I'll be there somewhere. What part of the mountain(s) depends on whether the wife & kids choose boarding or Easter Egg hunting...

Orange boots, black Prior 4WD, maybe shorts and a t-shirt if this nasty weather keeps up.

Thomas

[Jon Dahl]

I'm trying to talk speed demon to come down, and bribing him with offers of using my snowpro stepins and offering a ride(in my humble '82 Audi) so we'll see what happens. Jon Hey thomas m, that's no choice at all, snowboard!!!

[thomas_m]

Originally posted by Jon Dahl
Hey thomas m, that's no choice at all, snowboard!!!

Don't worry, my choice is made. I told them they could chase eggs to their hearts content if they wanted to but I wuz ridin!

BTW - Elvis was at Crystal last Sunday. He's a skier. He was doing the green runs in a white jumpsuit while playing an acoustic guitar. Another guy in a brown leisure suit and big shades was with him but I couldn't figure out if it was his publicist or bodyguard. Maybe the Easter Bunny will be there this weekend.

T.

[Art]

I wonder if it was Leon Berman the DJ on 90.3 KEXP Fridays. He skis crystal frequently. Hey, my department just hired a guy who rides and hes psyched to try alpine. Gonne be about 12 months till hes off proby.

[Speed Demon]

Jon, i dont think i can come down this weekend. I think I'll just have to get started up next season, Sorry I can't come. I'll try to get as much later this year. Sorry...

-Jon
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[AlpentalRider]

For all those in the Seattle area,

My freind and I go up riding every week during the winter season to Alpental (Summit-at-Snoqualmie). We are usually the only hardbooters on the mountain (although we ride both hard and soft setup depending on the conditions). It would be great to hook up with fellow hardbooters in the area next year. Maybe we can create some distribution list for anyone in the Seattle area?

[C5 Golfer]

Originally posted by AlpentalRider
For all those in the Seattle area,

Maybe we can create some distribution list for anyone in the Seattle area?

I have started this and have quite a few on the Washington Crystal Carvers List. I email out to y'all during the season. Email me you contact info and I'll add you in. email is Niblick5@msn.com
Al

[lonecarver]

Are you guys instructors there? A friend of mine rides Alpental just about every weekend during the season. My friend said he met 3 guys there that are snowboard instructors and ride alpine boards. He rode up chair #2 with them once and took a run. He said these guys were fast and digging some serious trenches on the way down. He remembered one of the instructor's name was "Marty" and that this guy could really rail! :D

[Pepe Le Pew]

Thanks to the folks who showed up today.
CM was actually pretty good. We finally had spring snow, no more of this sticky crap I got for the last few weeks.
And 7 carvers at a time!
That's the most I've seen in WA in 5 years...

Eric

[thomas_m]

Yeah, having every seat on a 6 person lift filled with a hardbooter was pretty cool. It was good to put faces to names. hope to see you at Hood in May or next season for sure.

Oh yeah! The skiing Easter Bunny was great too...

Thomas

[Bill]

What a day it was! Met Al and Thomas by luck and by noon there was 6 or seven booters going for it. First time riding with other "booters". My wife was bummed she wasn't there.Can't wait till next season. Thanks again everyone for a memorable day!

[jason_watkins]

hey, where were you guys? Only saw one hardbooter all day. Anyhow, that was my first time at crystal... you guys have a nice mountain. I bet that place is fantastic on a powder day.

[C5 Golfer]

Originally posted by jason_watkins
hey, where were you guys? Only saw one hardbooter all day. Anyhow, that was my first time at crystal... you guys have a nice mountain. I bet that place is fantastic on a powder day.

Jason
Queens run area and Rainier Express down Lucky Shot is where we were in the morning. Sorry we missed you - I had radio on all day did you try to call?

Bill and others -- yes it was good to ride with all of you that day , glad it worked out and hopefully we can strart next season with a ride at Crystal and 10 or more will show up.
Al:)

[jason_watkins]

I was on Forest Express most of the day. I do remember seeing some carved tracks on queens that I wasn't sure were mine... I probibly just missed you guys several times :P. I radio'd on 4-11 a couple times as well.

No biggie, it would have been nice to meet some people but I enjoyed riding your hill. Did you guys see the skiier chick that did her last run topless? :D

[Jon Dahl]

was that you on the donek w/hardboots around 12:30 down on downhill? Anyway, I had a lot of fun and overdid it! Till next season!

[AlpentalRider]

No we aren't ski patrol, but my buddy was a snowboard instructor there. Matter of fact, he's the one who kept bugging me for 3 years to get out of my skis and into a snowboard. I made the change 8 years ago and haven't touched my skis since rofl.

[jason_watkins]

If it was someone with hardboots on an incline, that'd be me. I'm still getting used to even just cruising around in hardboots... the one medium steep section of mush moguls around there was really schooling me. I had a good time. I'm going to plan on getting up there a few times next season.

[thomas_m]

Hi Jason. Sorry I missed you. I was with the main group on my 4WD until 11:00 or so when I went to eat & rest a bit. I tried another run with John after and the slush and my dead legs made me switch to my Donek Wide and softboots for the last few runs. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone and my radio's batts died...

I know what you mean about getting used to the hardboots. It was only my third time out and I was having to really push it to try keep up with the others. I was probably riding faster than I ever have and they still had to sit and wait for me. LOL I did a couple beautiful ass slides after washing out on the heelside. The 3lbs of snow that then forced its way down the back of my pants was refreshing on in the heat! Riding behind people that had a clue was a big help in figuring out my own probs. Watching Eric jam down the moguls on his Madd was uhhh hmmm enlightening - especially since I was a total cluster**** on the bumps on my Prior.

Let me know when you come up next season. Crystal is really pretty when it's covered. Yesterday was kind of depressing with the muddy spots and rocks. The coolest thing for me is the variety of terrain within a small area from easy greens to steep backcountry.

Hope to see you at Hood next month.

Thomas

[jason_watkins]

Yeah. I've gotten in 9 days or so now on hardboots, and am still very inconsistant. Sometimes everythings working and I actually feel more confident than on my usual setup. But much of the day I'm floundering around trying to get back in the groove.

I had your crash experience this weekend at hood. Was working on carving, and was getting way to much speed over a bunch of choppy stuff. Got thrown off my heelside by a bump I didn't soak up. By the time I stopped skipping and sliding, I had snow packed all the way down my back, the backs of my pants legs, and even into my boots.

Yeah, hope to see you guys at hood in May. I'm stoked that it looks like there will be a couple of us that are just starting out on plates... we can compare notes.

[Speed Demon]

Sounds like all you guys had fun, I just wish I could have made it, I still need to get up with the Hardboot setup. Well maybe next season.
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