3 replies to this topic

[bramat]

Copyright Tacoma News, Inc. Apr 3, 2004



This is the last full weekend to hit the slopes as ski areas begin shuttering their lodges, ending a season that far surpassed the dismal numbers of last winter and is slightly ahead of long- term averages.

Of the five areas closest to Tacoma, three will halt daily operations on Sunday, two will close April 11 and the fifth will close April 18.

Stacy Schuster, sales and marketing director at Crystal Mountain, gives the 2003-2004 ski season a grade of B-plus.

Good snow, which allowed the area to open early (Nov. 20), plus a strong holiday season pushed business 33 percent above last winter.

"We had a great Christmas week. It gave us kind of a two-week window because they were midweek holidays. Mother Nature gave us a huge snow and beautiful weather," Schuster said. "This year goes into the record book as a good solid season. It wasn't a record breaker. Everyone said it was going to be a good, average winter and that applies to everything, the snow, the weather, the conditions, and that's what we had."

At the Summit at Snoqualmie, a good early start to the season led to a falloff in February and March.

"We're on par with an average year," said John Pretty, marketing and public relations director.

While Mother Nature cooperated to allow the resort to have its earliest opening in the last 10 years, Pretty said the typical late- season storm never materialized in March.

"It was great for early season snow. But we really didn't get the late season snowfall we normally get. Last year, we got 53 inches in three days," Pretty said.

At Crystal, 396 inches of snow fell this year, compared to 249 inches last year.

That gave management the confidence to move ahead with plans to complete a midmountain lodge and restaurant, Schuster said.

Work on the 10,000-square-foot building will begin as soon as the snow melts, she said. Plans call for completing the $4.15 million project by the time lifts begin operating next winter.

Schuster said the progress on the lodge was thwarted by last year's poor results. She pointed out that the foundation was poured two years ago.

[liftmech]

At least the TNT has some information about this- I had heard rumours but nothing concrete. Now when are some new lifts going in?

[bramat]

How many chairlifts have gone in since the new ownership, three, and all high speed? they are well ahead of the game when compared to Stevens or The Summit. Hopefully the new lodge and masterplan at Crystal will speed the others up a bit into making improvements on their hills for things they already have approval for, and stop them from taking the dollars from profitable Washington areas and sending em to sister resorts in other states.

[liftmech]

I was thinking more along the lines of completely new lifts and terrain. Crystal tentatively has approval to go back to old chair 7 and that area, as well as into the North Back and possibly further out. I couldn't care less if the new lifts are high-speed or not, since those areas are more advanced skiing anyway.