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SJA, glad to hear Cal got lots of snow. nothing like being at a ski hill when it's dumping! ...I'm a little confused by your geography... Oh right.. I just re-thought that. There's another Vancouver in Washington State too. Sorry. thumbsup.gif

 

Thanks Toque. I was thinking about Baker. I'm also checking out Chrystal Mt. Seems like it has good terrain and accessible bc ... and really good reviews on the net, except for the nightlife... but I'll get enough of that on the latter part of my trip in Seattle, Vancouver and Whistler. cool.gif

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Steven's Pass is my home mountain...it is a 1.5-2hr drive from seattle center. It is a great mtn. with lots to explore.

 

The largest resort, also about a 2hr drive, is Crystal Mtn. This is a huge area, with over 3,000' of vert, and lots of BC access. Incredible views of Mt. Rainier make it a real treat on a bluebird day.

 

Closer is Alpental/Snoqualmie. You can get there in under an hour. Alpental is the only mountain with any challenging terrain. If you have safety gear and know-how, then there is great bc access at alpental.

 

As toque said, Baker is where it's at. That mountain has crazy terrain, although I must say it is not the greatest layout. And if the weather holds out, the views from there a spectacular. It is more like a 2.5-3.5 hr drive though...

 

the season we have been having here has been amazing! we just survived a month drought, but the snow is back in full force now (had a wonderful 40cm "sick day" last week). The snowpack is deep and the lift-accessed skiing is superb.

 

enjoy!

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It's nice to know Seattle is not too far from those mountains. I was wondering what the snow around there is like, too. I have never been Seattle but am very interested in going there, where my great-grandparents lived and earned money 100years ago.

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Seattle is wonderful...and the summers here are the best kept secret in the world! truly spectacular. If you like the outdoors, if you like a laid back west-coast attitude, and if you like coffee you will love seattle.

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danz, that sounds like a city I want to live. I hear good things about Seattle. People say Vancouver is a good place, too.

I just applied for a scholarship for internship program in Seattle next year. Fingers crossed!! \:\)

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  • 2 weeks later...

The NAME may be LAME, but Crystal Mountain WA is a GOOD place with GREAT accessible BC! I'll stick some pics of the FINE terrain on SJ later when I get a chance.

OK. Here's one pic from Crystal mountain south BC.

crystalog6.jpg

Not the biggest or highest peak but it's sexy as hell... and damn fun! From now, I'll be city-hopping for about a week before hitting Whistler....

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Hello,

 

Just looked up this site and love to see DanZ giving out good advice on the skiing around Seattle. I am partial to Stevens above all, but like what was said.

 

I am going to be in Osaka for work but going to be avle to sneak out for a couple days to ride.

 

Can anyone point me in the right direction for a quick ski weekend? I know I have a ways to go from Osaka, but I don't mind the travel. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

If anyone wants to be shown around the BC in washington let me know I can hook up.

 

Great BC info for Seattle www.turns-all-year.com

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Seattle's cool. Had really good African food tonight. Lot's of good brewery pubs too... good coffee shops are more common than good bakeries (Slow).... as far as I've seen.

 

It's been raining lightly off and on down here. I'm headed to Vicoria and Vancouver before going up to Whistler but the rain in Seattle has got me thinking of the snow at Whistler. The freezing level is 1600m for the next couple of days with moderately heavy snowfalls in the alpine.....

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Oops - I'm a bit late on this, but danz hit the nail on the head, pretty much. Snoqualmie also has a killer park and a superpipe, if that's your thing.

 

Not to toot my horn, but www.snowboardseattle.com has a solid message board with loads of people to help you out there on places to shred or other things for Seattle. Whether you're still in town or not, check it out.

 

We've been getting pummeled with Pineapple Expresses, not to mention or January snowfall was only 50% the normal amount, so we probably only have three or four more weeks of lift-served riding left. Starting Sunday though, the temps are dropping and we might get some decent snowfall. At least we won't have rain washing away our snowpack so quickly.

 

Enjoy your Pacific NW shred time!

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 Quote:
Originally posted by ger:
Seattle's cool. Lot's of good brewery pubs too... good coffee shops are more common than good bakeries (Slow).... as far as I've seen.
Thanks for the report, ger.
Good brewery sounds nice. ;\)
It's not easy to find good bread in the US compared to Canada...
Wholefoods market is the place to go for the good bread in the US, I know this at least.

66, - getting pummeled with "Pineapple Expresses"? What is it? That sounds cute.
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hey cb...

 

season has been fantastic...on day 40. Just got back from a quick 2-day whistler escape and had some great conditions with about 25cm of fresh and bluebird ta boot. That area is massive!

with the snowpack we have this year, hoping to ski into may/june as I start to learn some of the many bc routes out here...

 

as for school...I am in no rush to get out! probably another 2-3 yrs if I play things out right (although could finish sooner if I wanted to).

 

slow...pineapple express is the affectionate term we give to weather systems with origins from the hawaiin tropics. It usually means lots and lots of rain with warmer temperatures...so not so good for us snow riders. more info from the always trustworthy wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple_Express

 

oh yah...the brews here are deeeeelicious

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  • 2 weeks later...

...Quick description of my trip. I was in Seattle for a conference and managed to get in a few days skiing at Crystal beforehand, then I hit Whistler later, after visits in Victoria and Vancouver. Actually, my flight left Narita on a Saturday afternoon and arrived in Seattle in the morning of the same day. I picked up a rental car and drove straight to the mountain. Without even showering (which is a little gross, planes being as disgusting as they are), I got a half day ticket and was at the summit before 1:00 Saturday afternoon –more than 2 hours before leaving. I slept 12 hours the first night. Nothing like an outdoor adrenaline sport to kill the jet lag.

 

Anyway, Crystal Mountain was a bit of a surprise —maybe because I hadn’t skied outside of Japan in several years. It was BIG, with a lot of steeps –both lift-served, and hike-in. Japan’s fine but I kept thinking “Damn! There’s no way this would be a ‘run’ in Japan”. Plus it was sunny and warm, top to bottom --nice spring conditions --Soft up top, slushy down below. First night, it didn’t freeze over. Second night it froze to the valley so morning was crap on the third day but by afternoon, everything had softened in the sun.

Here are some pics.

 

A short hike-in...

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The middle ground is steep lift-served terrain. The background is hike-in.

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After a short hike.

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My wife joined me after Crystal for the conference, city-hopping, and then Whistler. I hadn't been there in six or seven years. The village seems even bigger and more disney-like than ever and the lift tickets are around $85.00 CA which made me think "WFT?" ....but the mountain is awesome, as everyone knows. --ridiculously huge.

 

Conditions were pretty good. Slushy below. Up top, northern exposures were very good --like mid-winter. Eastern and Southern exposures were variable from freeze/thaw effect. The snow pack was settled and stable and everything was open.

I spent most of two days on Blackcomb alternating between very steep terrain and easy groomers with my wife, who is early in her ski career. Here are some pics.

 

Beautiful morning. Just point and shoot. Whistler mountain, from Blackcomb sub-alpine.

dscf0060sq5.jpg

 

Backbowls of blackcomb. I spent more time exploring back there than I had in previous trips. There are three main bowls, each having several entry points and other options on the way down. Ruby bowl is largely visible in the foreground. Diamond is partially visible in the background. Saphire is shy. You can pick your line as scary as you like!

dscf0063gs3.jpg

 

My wife, shredding. The main coulior at Blackcomb in the background.

dscf0067dd7.jpg

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