Life on the slopes

I’m struggling to cope with the fact that I live within day trip distance of 4 ski resorts.  La vie est dure, n’est-ce pas?  This weekend, I made it to the openings of Crystal Mountain and Mt. Baker.  Until this weekend, there hadn’t been much accumulation, but following a dumping of over 2 feet Friday and Saturday, these two were ready to open.  Sort of.  The powder was fantastic, especially at Baker, but at both places there was the constant surprise of bottoming out on rocks or stumps hidden under the powder.

Both places were phenomenally beautiful.  OK, at Crystal there was visibility of about 20 ft for most of the day, so I don’t actually know for certain that it’s beautiful, but it’s right next to Mt. Rainier so I’m really excited to go back on a clear day.  I also preferred the runs that were open at Crystal and the overall organization – high speed lifts and fewer traverses meant more time skiing.  Also 2 hours less of total driving (Crystal is 2 hours away and Baker is 3) make Crystal a more desirable destination to return to.  The main advantage Baker has is better snow – it’s a lot drier than Crystal which makes the snow lighter and fluffier.

I don’t think I’m going to have any trouble avoiding staying happy through Seattle’s dark and rainy winter.