10 replies to this topic

[pyrotechnik]

just FYI for everyone, here's a place to review the resorts you've been to, the skis you've used, what you recommend and whatnot, #/10 score, etc.

if everyone contributes to this it could be really helpful :)




ok, here's a few of mine:

summit at snoqualmie (washington): 8/10
weather: its cascade concrete, so the snow is generally pretty wet and heavy. not the greatest, but at alpental it isnt too bad.
lifts: they are notirious for stopping ALL THE TIME. they rarely stop for longer than a minute, but it can get annoying sometimes cause it happens a lot.
staff: very laid back and VERY friendly. possibly the most friendly staff of any ski area I've ever gone to! i mean really, how often do you get greeted when loading up?
terrain: there's not much vertical, but plenty of variety for anyone. at summit west, there's lots of beginner/intermediate terrain, at summint central, there's plenty of different runs for any ability level (unless you only do 50+ degree double blacks). at summit east, there's lots of terrain for nordic skiers and intermediates/advanced intermediates. then there's alpental - the mother of them all - the highlight of the summit. this is for the hardcore advanced/expert skiers. if you can ski any run at alpental, odds are you can ski just about anywhere in the world... true story.

northstar at tahoe(california): 9/10
weather: great snow, lots of powder to go around.
lifts: very comfortable, and they have lots of high speed quads so you can get anywhere you want on the mountain pretty quickly. this isnt much of a complaint, but only one lift had a footrest on it. we all need those footrests!
staff: friendly, somewhat laid back, but not as much as snoqualmie is. I didn't notice anything especially bad do they must be doing something right :)
terrain:they have everything you need in mad abundance... unless you are looking for double black runs. they do have plenty of steeps though, and that area is called lookout mountain. it's a bunch of blacks serviced by a high speed (very VERY comfortable) garaventa CTEC. they also have some easier black runs on their backside. both lookout and the backside get less traffic from skiers, so on a powder day, those areas are less likely to be tracked out within an hour :D

any more reviews?

This post has been edited by pyrotechnik: 02 April 2005 - 06:50 PM

[heavenly_romer]

Kirkwood, CA overall 8.5/10

Kirkwood has always gotten the most snow of all the resorts around, and it stays cold in that area, so the snow is almost always in good condition. They have some nice terrain for all levels, with a perfect beginner area off to the side, away from all the bombers. They also have some gnarly expert terrain on the wall and in the "lost cabin" (I think thats what its called) area, with plenty of intermediate terrain in between. That being said, their lift system could definately use a little improving. Their only HS lift is Cornice, and on a good day, it can be pretty crowded. My favorite area, The Wall, could use a new lift, but due to general lack of skiers that can do that terrain, I would think that is low on their list. The resort is also difficult to get to, with highway 88 being the only straight route from the Bay Area. 88 can very easily be shut down due to heavy snowfall, which can be fantastic if you are already up there when it closes, or it can be awful if you are trying to get up there for some good skiing.

I would do a few more, but its too late to by typing so much

This post has been edited by heavenly_romer: 02 April 2005 - 11:08 PM

[KZ]

Are we allowed to re-review stuff because I'm going to add my views on Kirkwood.

Kirkwood (9.5/10)

Snow: consistently better snow then the other tahoe resorts because of a higher base and higher summit. They get more snowfall then almost anyone in north america minus Baker on a good year.
Lifts: Nothing fancy here except cornice the 2001 Doppelmayr hsq providing quick laps on the cornice (about a third of the mountain). The rest are fixed chairs which generally aren't bad except chair 4 on the backside and 7 on the frontside. Beware of the backside on weekends as people just funnel up chair 2 all day and people don't expect crowds on the bottom of the backside but many people think the same thing. In the coming year 7 will be made a hsq, a new base to top of 2 hsq will be built and chair 4 will be upgraded.
Terrain: The best diversity and funnest terrain in tahoe in my opinion. With so many not so steep steeps for those who want it and those really really scary steeps for those who do. Plenty of rocks to drop, cornices to huck and lines to keep you busy for years. With the open boundries you can just go one for ever. Including the nearby boundries you have up to around 3 miles of ridgeline.


Bear Valley, Ca (4/10)
Snow: having only been once it seemed deep but the expert terrain is the lower half of the mountain so its not of as high quality
Lifts: With all fixed chairs that aren't really to long but they get annoying. Because of shorter lifts the runs are shorter so you end up spending more time waiting and riding lifts.
Terrain: Well this isn't the best review of terrain as I've only been once but i'd say the place is pretty flat. Kind of reminds me of Northstar but I wasn't able to ride the lower half of the hill. Most runs are pretty simple but nothing overly extreme and no trees. Amazing that when the 2 closest resorts have some of the best tree's bear has nothing to show in that department. I'd stick to dodge or kirkwood instead.

[floridaskier]

Snowbasin, UT - 8.5/10

Location - a little out of the way, but it's easy enough to find with a map from Park City or Salt Lake for people unfamiliar with the area. Maybe an hour from Park City, a little more from Salt Lake. I have no idea how they got that many people up there for the Olympics on a two-lane road. This is probably the best Olympic leftover Salt Lake got.

Snow - the day I was there was a very warm spring type day, around March 10. They had a warm spell all week, up in the 50s. The moguls softened up pretty early in the day, around 10 they were pretty nice. Groomers were great in the morning, but it got a pretty slushy in the afternoon. All the Utah mountains now have a whole lot of snow, so there were no bare spots I encountered.

Terrain - the Strawberry gondola area - about a third of the whole mountain - has a bunch of really long cruisers and some bumps. The John Paul lift is the advanced area, with a lot of trees under the lift that would be great on a powder day but sucked in the spring. I rode the Olympic tram to the start of the Grizzly (men's) downhill, then we took the Wildflower (women's) downhill, which was groomed a day or two before. A big chunk of the mountain was closed because the Middle Bowl triple was off for no obvious reason. There looked like lots of terrain above the boundary line that yo can get to from the Mt. Allen (Olympic) Tram

Lifts - probably the weakest point here. There's one Doppelmayr 8-passenger gondola from the base up to the top middle of the mountain (Needles) and another identical gondola (Strawberry) on the southern half of the mountain. Both of these are very long bottom-to-top gondolas. It was kinda annoying taking your skis off at the Strawberry gondola every time, but not so bad because the runs were so long. The John Paul express is a Doppelmayr HSQ, another bottom-to-top lift, that serves the Olympic area and expert terrain. Two lifts were not running, the Wildcat and Middle Bowl lifts, for whatever reason, which left a big part of the mountain hard to get to. There were a bunch of really long and not all that comfortable lifts (like the Porcupine triple, that went on forever). The front page says they're replacing Little Cat -the beginner lift - with a high speed quad. Seems kinda pointless, there's better places for it. Also, the Mt. Allen Tram was pretty cool.
The Doppelmayr high speed quad theme got a little old, especially when they used it for the Mt Allen Tram, tilted up at about a 30 degree angle

Lunchtime - the lodges at Snowbasin are insane. They put DV to shame. They put the Ritz-Carlton to shame. Leather high-back chairs, stone floors, gold-looking chandeliers, fancy looking carpet, all that. No idea where they got all this money, there was nobody there. I didn't see any obvious lodging in the area, I guess you'd have to stay in Ogden, even though they are a self-proclaimed 'destination resort'

[boardski]

Winter Park/ Mary Jane
6/10//9/10 Respectively

Although Winter Park and MAry Jane are one mountian since you can ski from one area to the other and vice versa accross the top, each origniates from a different base area, has different lift systems/ issues, has different snow conditions and different difficulty of terrain. I will reveiw the areas together but address separate issues also.

Terrain:
Winter Park: Very Good beginner terrain is available and the improvement of Sorenson Park has helped first time skiers gain confidence before going up the chairlift. The problem is once beginner skiers are up the chairlift, the only easy way down is on a run called "Turnpike" which lives up to its name with several snowmobiles who are most of the time good about watching for skiers but not all the time. Advanced beginners are pretty much limited to a run called "March Hare" off the Eskimo Express and "Jack Kendrick" off the Prospector Express. Two years ago there was another run "Alan Phipps" available off the Eskimo Express but it was lost in their terrain park expansion. Condequently, the above mentioned two runs are often way over-crowded with skiers and snowboarders of all abilities and all attitudes. Intermediate Terrain: Winter Park has a little bit more to offer for intermediate skiers off of the Eskimo and Prospector chairs and significant terrain including nice long runs off the Olympia Express. The runs are well-groomed normally and have short mogul fields for practice also. If you want to escape the crowds, try the Pioneer Express on Vasquez Ridge. There are several less-skied intermediate and advanced trails over here yet there is a long flat stretch on the bottom to reach the lift. More often than not, skiers and Boarders will not have to walk accross this but their speed will often be reduced to almost nothing. Winter Park has good expert terrain for those who are just learning to ski/ board bumps but there is nothing of "extreme" status on the Winter Park side.

Winter Park Lifts: Winter Park is no longer the side of the mountain with the older chairs as significant lift improvements have taken place over the past 15 years. Most lifts are HSQ.

Restaurants at Winter PArk are fair, the Sunspot lodge is nice although the routine at the restaurant has been changed and is not as good (you are taken past a tray where all the entrees are displayed and are given 5 min to think about what you saw (I usually forget what I saw) and order one of those entrees you walked past when you came in) hopefully they will return to the original system (a traditional upscale restaurant). Otherwise, as with most ski areas, cafeterias get crowded but there are plenty to choose from.

PArking at Winter Park pretty well sucks. Condos have been erected where the parking lots used to be and they still charge for "close in" parking which is not close at all. Lifts have not been added to ease parking situation but rumour has it, a cabriolet is due to be built and all parking will be moved to the opposite side of US 40. Difficult to visualize now so hard to say if this will actually improve things.

Crowding at Winter PArk is extensive on weekends, especially early morning at the base area. Zephyr Express is the main route up (a HSQ) but it stops and slows excessively. It would be nice if they would have a paralell lift or a newer "Arrow" chairlift (currently a FGT) which ran all the way to the top of Olympia Express but nothing of that nature is in the plans. Other choices to access the mountain in the AM are "Arrow" (FGT) also quite a few slows and stops and only goes 1/3 of the way up. and Gemini (HSQ, but provides beginners access to their terrain).

Snow Conditions: Often Winter PArk will get some snow and it will pass and snow on MAry Jane for quite a bit longer. Due to more skier traffic on the Winter Park side it becomes packed more quickly and on the trails off the Zephyr Express it often becomes very icy. Snow conditions are the best usually off the Pioneer Express lift and usually not bad off Olympia Express.

MARY JANE:
Things are generally much better at Mary Jane unless you are a beginner skier. Beginner skiing is limited to the "Galloping Goose" which is the short beginner chair at the base and only runs on weekends and holidays now and the "High Lonesome Express" , a HSQ accessible from the top of the Summit Express, however you must ski down an intermediate run (Edelweiss) to a road to return to the Mary Jane base. Switchyard is a nice advanced beginner run but has several "double fall lines" and some flats toward the bottom of High Lonesome Express (You DO have to use your poles or release your back foot for this one).
Intermediate skiing has expanded over the past 20 years with the addition of the Sunnyside FGT and Timberline FGD (a Heron recycle from a defunct CO ski area from the 70's) "Mary Jane" off Summit Express/ Iron Horse, Arrowhead Loop and Rainbow Cut off the Pony Express (FGD), and Sleeper off the Summit Express/ Challenger are the only mogul-less options down the front side of Mary Jane and usually have good snow conditions. Bluebell, Edelweiss, and Roundhouse are good cruising terrain off the Sunnyside lift. Most runs off the Timberline chair are rated intermediate but conditions at the top can be cold and windy and the snow can become windpacked. It is best to be a strong-intermediate to ski up here.
Expert skiers have a wealth of options at MAry Jane. The bumps are definately the best of anywhere I have ever skied (I've skied at most Utah and Colorado areas). Challenger lift (FGD) is the most efficient way to access most mogul runs and originates out of its own parking lot ("Utah Junction") with restroom facilities. This chair, however, only runs on weekends, holidays and powder days in excess of 4" new, however you can still easily access Summit Express from this parking lot. Expert trails off the Iron Horse (FGD) lift are also very nice but not as long. Iron Horse also runs only on weekends and holidays but the terrain is accessed by the Summit Express. If you don't mind a short 3-5 min walk to the top of the Iron Horse when the lift is not open, good powder stashes can often be found in this area. There is also some very nice tree skiing off the top of the Iron Horse. Vasquez cirque is also available if you want "extreme skiing" but access is difficult. (bring your walking boots) Some chutes are available off the top of Challenger but are not open often (sometimes unclear why not).
Snow conditions on the MAry Jane most of the time are excellent. Many times there is even more snow than what is being reported on the snow report.
Parking: EXcellent, the way it used to be close and free! On weekends, however, it is necessary to arrive early to avoild a long walk or bus ride.
Lifts: Excellent (Hopefully will stay that way) Summit Express gets the longest lines, the double chairs (Iron Horse, Pony Express, and Challenger) do not normally have lines. The ride time of Challenger is less than 1 minute longer than that of Summit Express and terminates closer to much of the mogul runs. Sunnyside can also be accessed from the top of Challenger and High Lonesome Express can be accessed from the top of Iron Horse. Pony Express terminates 1/2 way up front side. If you stay away from Summit Express on weekends when the doubles are running, you will not wait in near as many lines, if at all.
Restaurants: Mostly basic dining options. Club Car provides traditional restaurant service (similar to that of a brew-pub) and Pepperonis is the pizza parlor. Cafeteria has basic dining options and average crowds.
The Future: Summit Express is due to be changed from a HSQ to HSS for next season they have not stated for certain which ones if any double chairlifts will be removed). Rumour has it that Timberline is due to be changed from a FGD to HSS and realigned to originate at the bottom of Sunnyside (hopefully they will leave SUnnyside alone) for 2006. With any luck, hopefully the condos and glitzy crap that the Winter PArk side has and is due to have will not fill the MAry Jane PArking lots.
OVerall a great place to ski, hopefully it stays that way.

[boardski]

boardski, on Apr 10 2005, 07:30 PM, said:

Winter Park/ Mary Jane
6/10//9/10 Respectively

Although Winter Park and MAry Jane are one mountian since you can ski from one area to the other and vice versa accross the top, each origniates from a different base area, has different lift systems/ issues, has different snow conditions and different difficulty of terrain.  I will reveiw the areas together but address separate issues also.

Terrain:
Winter Park: Very Good beginner terrain is available and the improvement of Sorenson Park has helped first time skiers gain confidence before going up the chairlift.  The problem is once beginner skiers are up the chairlift, the only easy way down is on a run called "Turnpike" which lives up to its name with several snowmobiles who are most of the time good about watching for skiers but not all the time.  Advanced beginners are pretty much limited to a run called "March Hare" off the Eskimo Express and "Jack Kendrick" off the Prospector Express.  Two years ago there was another run "Alan Phipps" available off the Eskimo Express but it was lost in their terrain park expansion.  Condequently, the above mentioned two runs are often way over-crowded with skiers and snowboarders of all abilities and all attitudes.  Intermediate Terrain:  Winter Park has a little bit more to offer for intermediate skiers off of the Eskimo and Prospector chairs and significant terrain including nice long runs off the Olympia Express.  The runs are well-groomed normally and have short mogul fields for practice also.  If you want to escape the crowds, try the Pioneer Express on Vasquez Ridge.  There are several less-skied intermediate and advanced trails over here yet there is a long flat stretch on the bottom to reach the lift.  More often than not, skiers and Boarders will not have to walk accross this but their speed will often be reduced to almost nothing.  Winter Park has good expert terrain for those who are just learning to ski/ board bumps but there is nothing of "extreme" status on the Winter Park side.

Winter Park Lifts:  Winter Park is no longer the side of the mountain with the older chairs as significant lift improvements have taken place over the past 15 years.  Most lifts are HSQ.

Restaurants at Winter PArk are fair, the Sunspot lodge is nice although the routine at the restaurant has been changed and is not as good (you are taken past a tray where all the entrees are displayed and are given 5 min to think about what you saw (I usually forget what I saw) and order one of those entrees you walked past when you came in)  hopefully they will return to the original system (a traditional upscale restaurant).  Otherwise, as with most ski areas, cafeterias get crowded but there are plenty to choose from.

PArking at Winter Park pretty well sucks.  Condos have been erected where the parking lots used to be and they still charge for "close in" parking which is not close at all.  Lifts have not been added to ease parking situation but rumour has it, a cabriolet is due to be built and all parking will be moved to the opposite side of US 40.  Difficult to visualize now so hard to say if this will actually improve things.

Crowding at Winter PArk is extensive on weekends, especially early morning at the base area.  Zephyr Express is the main route up (a HSQ) but it stops and slows excessively.  It would be nice if they would have a paralell lift  or a newer "Arrow" chairlift (currently a FGT) which ran all the way to the top of Olympia Express but nothing of that nature is in the plans.  Other choices to access the mountain in the AM are "Arrow" (FGT) also quite a few slows and stops and only goes 1/3 of the way up. and Gemini (HSQ, but provides beginners access to their terrain).

Snow Conditions: Often Winter PArk will get some snow and it will pass and snow on MAry Jane for quite a bit longer.  Due to more skier traffic on the Winter Park side it becomes packed more quickly and on the trails off the Zephyr Express it often becomes very icy.  Snow conditions are the best usually off the Pioneer Express lift and usually not bad off Olympia Express.

MARY JANE:
Things are generally much better at Mary Jane unless you are a beginner skier.  Beginner skiing is limited to the "Galloping Goose" which is the short beginner chair at the base and only runs on weekends and holidays now  and the "High Lonesome Express" , a HSQ accessible from the top of the Summit Express, however you must ski down an intermediate run (Edelweiss) to a road to return to the Mary Jane base.  Switchyard is a nice advanced beginner run but has several "double fall lines" and some flats toward the bottom of High Lonesome Express (You DO have to use your poles or release your back foot for this one).
Intermediate skiing has expanded over the past 20 years with the addition of the Sunnyside FGT and Timberline FGD (a Heron recycle from a defunct CO ski area from the 70's)  "Mary Jane" off Summit Express/ Iron Horse, Arrowhead Loop and Rainbow Cut off the Pony Express (FGD), and Sleeper off the Summit Express/ Challenger are the only mogul-less options down the front side of Mary Jane and usually have good snow conditions.  Bluebell, Edelweiss, and Roundhouse are good cruising terrain off the Sunnyside lift.  Most runs off the Timberline chair are rated intermediate but conditions at the top can be cold and windy and the snow can become windpacked.  It is best to be a strong-intermediate to ski up here.
Expert skiers have a wealth of options at MAry Jane.  The bumps are definately the best of anywhere I have ever skied (I've skied at most Utah and Colorado areas).  Challenger lift (FGD) is the most efficient way to access most mogul runs and originates out of its own parking lot ("Utah Junction") with restroom facilities.  This chair, however, only runs on weekends, holidays and powder days in excess of 4" new, however you can still easily access Summit Express from this parking lot.  Expert trails off the Iron Horse (FGD) lift are also very nice but not as long.  Iron Horse also runs only on weekends and holidays but the terrain is accessed by the Summit Express.  If you don't mind a short 3-5 min walk to the top of the Iron Horse when the lift is not open, good powder stashes can often be found in this area.  There is also some very nice tree skiing off the top of the Iron Horse.  Vasquez cirque is also available if you want "extreme skiing" but access is difficult. (bring your walking boots)  Some chutes are available off the top of Challenger but are not open often (sometimes unclear why not).
Snow conditions on the MAry Jane most of the time are excellent.  Many times there is even more snow than what is being reported on the snow report.
Parking: EXcellent, the way it used to be close and free!  On weekends, however, it is necessary to arrive early to avoild a long walk or bus ride.
Lifts: Excellent (Hopefully will stay that way) Summit Express gets the longest lines, the double chairs (Iron Horse, Pony Express, and Challenger) do not normally have lines.  The ride time of Challenger is less than 1 minute longer than that of Summit Express and terminates closer to much of the mogul runs.  Sunnyside can also be accessed from the top of Challenger and High Lonesome Express can be accessed from the top of Iron Horse.  Pony Express terminates 1/2 way up front side.  If you stay away from Summit Express on weekends when the doubles are running, you will not wait in near as many lines, if at all.
Restaurants: Mostly basic dining options.  Club Car provides traditional restaurant service (similar to that of a brew-pub) and Pepperonis is the pizza parlor.  Cafeteria has basic dining options and average crowds.
The Future: Summit Express is due to be changed from a HSQ to HSS for next season they have not stated for certain which ones if any double chairlifts will be removed).  Rumour has it that Timberline is due to be changed from a FGD to HSS and realigned to originate at the bottom of Sunnyside (hopefully they will leave SUnnyside alone) for 2006.  With any luck, hopefully the condos and glitzy crap that the Winter PArk side has  and is due to have will not fill the MAry Jane PArking lots.
OVerall a great place to ski, hopefully it stays that way.

Also important to mention is the adaptive ski program (National Sports Center for the Disabled) is top notch.  I have spent 15 of the most rewarding  seasons of my ski career as a volunteer instructor with this organization.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Kicking Horse]

I'm glad to see someone else that enjoys working with Special needs / disabled.

[liftmech]

MT BAKER, Washington

There are basically two different ski areas here with a common point in the middle to get from one to the other. I'll start with the White Salmon side, since it's the most popular.
Skiing on this side is more of the intermediate stripe. Chair 7 accesses two beginner runs, and also is the only way up out of the base area so it can be pretty crowded on weekends. From chair 7, you can ski straight ahead to the base of chair 8 which serves one long intermediate cruiser (Daytona) and the main terrain park on Big Hemi. this is also the chair to ride for access to the Hemispheres and Shuksan Arm backcountry gates. After several avalanche fatalities a few years back, the mountain instituted a policy wherein you must have a shovel, tranciever, partner, and knowledge of current conditions and snowpack before you may leave the ski area; remember this if you want to hike to the goods. From the to p of chair 7, you can also ride down to the base of chairs 3, 5, and 6. Chair 5 serves both the mellow terrain of White Salmon/Easy Money (two runs with many windows between them) and the expert Hollywood runs of Gabl's and Chute Four. There is also a nice upper intermediate run (Diehl's) and the Natural Halfpipe, scene of the Legendary Banked Slalom in late January. From the top of chair 5, you may also access the Elbow (so named because it begins on a bend in Shuksan Arm); This used to be in-bounds but since it both drains into several mandatory-air chutes and has a high avalanche potential, it is now subject to the backcountry policy.
The Panorama Dome side, also called the Heather Meadows area, Pan Dome or simply the upper area, is much steeper and gnarlier than the White Salmon side. Beginning at the parking lot, chair 1 (1952 Riblet double) takes you on a gentle, flat ride across the Heather/7 Hills beginner runs and the chair 2 beginner area. Immediately after crossing chair 2 (they share a tower) there is a mid-load- don't try to get off here as the ramp is up to 35' in the air and the fall will hurt. Immediately after Midstation, the lift rises precipitously up The Chute, a double-diamond run with several good air points and much sluff from the walls. This is a good place to show off your skills or be heckled merciliessly depending upon how you do. The lift dumps you off at the summit of Pan Dome, where you can pick from 360 degres of skiing possibilities. To the left (east) are the runs of chair 6- North Face, Canuck's Deluxe, Sticky Wicket, and Gold Mine. North Face takes you down a moderately difficult pitch to the top of chair 3, where you can either return to chair 1 via chair 2 or continue back to chair 6. Sticky, Canuck's, and Gold Mine all trend generally toward the bottom of chair 6. Sticky Wicket has some especially fine trees- huge Northwest old-growth firs and hemlocks which are space jsut about perfectly and catch all the sluff from the upper part of the run. To the right (west) of chairs 1 and 6 are the Blueberry Cat Track, and meandering beginner track through some nice views and stands of timber; Austin, a two-part intermediate run, and the upper bowl of Razorhone Canyon. To the North, and subject to avalanche closures, are the frontside runs Dolphy's, Hairy Scary, The Knob, and Willows. All have several sections where if you go off course air is required, and these are not easy lines. The entrances are hard to find and if you miss them you will most likey cliff out and have to hike back up. They are also in full view of the Heather Meadows base area so don't stack it. The final run off Pan Dome is Razorhone Canyon, accessed from half a dozen points alon the Pan Dome ridgeline. After skiing the intermediate upper bowl, you are quickly funnelled into the canyon proper, a narrow slot between Hemispheres and Pan Dome. In places it is barely one snowcat wide. they do groom this, which is advanced in pitch and consequently quite fun to scream down at mach 9. Watch for unexpected holes- in the five years I worked there the Canyon never melted out so there are a myriad of snow caves underneath. The canyon dumps you out at the bottom of chairs 3, 5, and 6. Chair 3 is an up-and-over lift which serves three very short intermediate runs on the west (Heather Meadows) side, and three more longer intermediate cruisers on the east side. The advanced Honkers run follows the eastern liftline and lends its name to that side; it can have some ferocious bumps and hosts a contest every so often. Finally, chair 2 serves three beginner runs and gets people back to the Heather Meadows base area from the bottom of the Pan Dome runs. It can be crowded at times but it is a beginner lift.
Lifts are all fixed-grip diesel powered (there is no mainline power and the base areas are powered by generators). Chair 1 is a 1952 Riblet double; it usually has line only at the beginning of the day and from time to time at Midstation. Chair two is a 2001 Riblet quad serving the beginner area. Shair 3 is a 1968 Murray-Latta double; it can get lines on the Galena side in the morning as people head over to the White Salmon side from the Heather Meadows side. Ther is no chair 4 anymore. Chair 5 replaced both chairs 4 and 5 in 2002, it is a nice new CTEC quad that pretty much elimiated lines in that area. Chair 6 was a 1976 Riblet double and never saw lines excpet for the first 10 minutes of the day; it has nonethless been replaced by a 2004 CTEC quad so there is now no waiting at all. Chairs 7 and 8 are 1990 and 1992 Riblet quads and serve the most popular terrain on the hill, so be prepared to wait on weekends.
Food is standard ski-area cafeteria fare. There are specials from time to time but generally it's burgers and chili. The White Salmon day lodge is a beautiful Cascade-style timbered building with great views of Mt Shuksan. The Heather Meadows lodge is much more mudane but has its own history. It is a three-part building; the centre A-frame section has been there since 1958 and is the site of the bar on the third floor. There are close to five decades' worth of grafitti signatures carved into the walls there. The Raven Hot Cafe, formerly the Razorhone, sits at the bottom of chairs 3, 5, and 6 and serves up pretty good Mexican food. Try the potato burrito.
Baker is kind of difficult to get to but that's part of the appeal. From Bellingham of Vancouver BC take I-5/Highway 99 to the SR-542 exit and drive 56 miles to the end of the road. It's windy and twisty, and sometimes you'll see random animals and backwoods shacks. For dinner go to Milano's in Glacier (the last town before the ski area) and enjoy some excellent Italian food.

[iceberg210]

May I say that Alpental of all of them on Edelwiess it doesn't stop as much.

[boardski]

Snowmass, CO 9/10

Snowmass is definately the best value of all the Aspen ski areas since it has something for everyone. Close in parking (there is a charge but not near as expensive as Vail), a base villiage (soon to expand), high speed lifts in high traffic areas which move riders accross the mountain smoothly and efficiently, and miles of trails for every ability. It is uncertain how the newly expanded village and lifts will effect the access of the mountain but hopefully it will stay efficient and hassel-free which is what makes snowmass fun to ski and board.

Parking is currently available at three base areas. The first base area approached on the access road is Two Creeks. There is a large parking lot with a $7 fee (the same rate applies in all lots currently) complete with a basic day lodge and HSQ with the same name which accesses primarily intermediate terrain at Elk Camp and a traverse trail "Adams Avenue" which leads to either Alpine Springs HSQ (the center of the mountain) and continues on to the village area. The Two Creeks base area does not have any beginner trails which return to the base, all are rated intermediate. Two Creeks will likely be an attractive way for intermediate and advanced riders to avoid the construction hassel during the next few seasons.
The second base area is a quick left turn as soon as you see the Wood Run triple chair. There is a road which makes a horseshoe and takes you directly to this underutilized lift. Wood Run accesses trails rated for all abilities and is a quick way to access Assay Hill and Funnel chairlifts explained in the next section.
The third base area will have a new chairlift next year but has formerly been accessed by the over-utilized, always jam-packed, frequently slowing and stopping Fanny Hill HSQ. The new HSS will originate in the same location as the former Fanny Hill chair and carry riders directly to the top of Sam's Knob (formerly requiring 3 HSQ rides or 1 very long, slow double ride and 1HSQ ride). The unfortunate feature will be the mid-unload located where the top of the former Fanny Hill HSQ lift was which served primarily beginner terrain. There could be many stops and slowdowns on the new lift.

The best beginner skiing is found served by the Assay Hill and Funnel double chairlifts (while they are still there). Assay Hill is a short side bar double chair which runs slow and is easy to load and unload. The terrain off of this chair is quite gentle. Once a beginner skier knows is mostly comfortable with the basics (turning in either direction and stopping), the Funnel chairlift is a much longer chair (center-bar Riblet double with retractable footrest). The runs off the Funnel chair are long but still gentle with access to the village area for those who become more confident. The disadvantage is the long lift ride. Both these lifts are rumoured to disappear in the next few years to make way for a gondola but it is unclear if the line for the new gondola will be as favorable to beginner skiers.

Intermediates have immense trail options on almost the entire mountain. Even lifts which serve mostly expert terrain but offer great views such as High Alpine, Cirque, and Campground offer at least one intermediate run or expert trail without moguls to offer a non- intimidating run down. One interesting quirk is that there is no way to access any other lift from the top of Elk Camp besides Elk Camp, to access other lifts, one must ride "Adams Avenue" to either Alpine Springs HSQ or the village (Fanny Hill). Speaking of the Alpine Springes HSQ, this lift accesses the central portion of the mountain and is located on the immediate left when unloading Wood Run lift. From the top of Alpine Springs, one can ski "Coffee Pot" to access Coney Glade HSQ which is a short ride to access to Sams Knob or Big Burn or ride along the ridge to the left and access Elk Camp. Big Burn is also a vast area of wide open intermediate trails served by a HSQ and a long double (Sheer Bliss) that runs almost paralell but has a ride time of 16 min as opposed to approx 7 min on Big Burn. This area will be directly accessed by the new HSS also.

Expert skiers should not feel that Snowmass is just for intermediates as there are plenty of trail options for advanced and Extreme skiers. The disadvantage which is not acutally a disadvantage because it keeps riders with deficient abilities away is the fact that the expert terrain is mostly served by the older, slower lifts. High Alpine (center bar Riblet double) is accessed at the top of Alpine Springs and serves several nice bump runs such as Reiders and extreme terrain such as Hanging Valley Glades. Most of the extreme terrain will take you to the next lowest lift (Alpine Springs) requiring two lift rides to return to the same trail. Well worth it, however, because the powder is usually incredible. Sheer Bliss (another Riblet center bar double) is the longest lift on the mountain but accesses very nice expert and extreme trails which can be a good source of powder because people don't want to deal with the long lift ride. A good way to save time and get a longer run is to coninue past Sheer Bliss and board Coney Glade HSQ delivering riders almost directly to Big Burn HSQ and in less time than a ride up Sheer Bliss. Sam's Knob HSQ is a short chair which serves advanced, steeper trails such as "Zugspite" which are very enjoyable with a shorter return time. Campground is a FGD built from the recycled Ajax Express from Aspen Mountain. This chair allows riders to ride further down and creates more trail options if one is looking for steep cruisers and long bump runs.

Restaurants are efficiently located and of good quality with the exception of Cafe Suzanne at the base of Elk Camp/ top of Funnel and Two Creeks. This is a small cafeteria in which it seems as if people are sitting on top of each other. The food is crap and is priced as if you are dining at your favorite fine restaurant. Hopefully this dining spot will get some redevelopment attention if they are planning a gondola to carry riders directly to this location. Other on-mountain dining include top of Alpine Springs and top of Sam's Knob which are both very good. "Up 4 Pizza" on top of Big Burn is limited but better than the "choke and puke" they have called "Cafe Suzanne".

Overall an excellent mountain and the best skiing/ boarding value in Aspen. Most everyone of all abilities will likely be pleased. Hopefully they will proceed with caution with future improvements so not to spoil an already excellent mountian.

[liftmech]

Crystal Mountain, WA

You notice I haven't rated either area I've reviewed; I think reviews in themselves are subjective and someone else may have a different opinion. Anyway-

Crystal has some of the best skiing to be found in the Pacific Northwest. The mountain sprawls across the next ridge east of Mount Rainier, and both benefits and loses from this location. The downside is that Rainier creastes a massive rainshadow which costs Crystal snow; the upside is that Rainier also dries storms out before they hit Crystal. The base sites at 4400', which is just high enough to avoid rain most of the winter. There are three lift-served summits, at 7002', 6872, and 6877' respectively. One can hike to 7012' (more on this later). There is a shuttle stop three miles down the road from the base; it sits at 3912' and serves the North Backcountry.
Crystal's lift system allows for pretty efficient utilisation of the terrain. From the base, one can access C-8 Discovery, C-7 Gold Hills, C-4 Quicksilver, C-1 Miner's Basin, and C-11 Chinook Express. C-11 is a newer detachable sixpack which replaced a fixed-grip quad a few years ago and has all but eliminated lines out of the base area. C-1 only operates on weekends but serves some uncrowded advanced runs. Mid- and upper-mountain lifts include C-9 Forest Queen (which replaced the former Rendezvous triple and also eliminated lines there), C-10 Rainier Express (the first detachable in Washington State, known locally as Rex), C-6 High Campbell (via C-9) and C-3 Green Valley (via C-10).
Terrain is limited on the beginner end of things, but is pretty decent in spite of that. First-timers ride C-8, a fixed triple lift, and do short laps on The Meadow. Once the basics have been mastered, they head to C-4 and C-9. C-4 offers long, consistent cruisers on Qicksilver and Tinkerbell while C-9 has Queen's Run, a meandering tour through the forest. Intermediates go just about everywhere on the mountain, from the cruisers of C-9 to the steeper bowls of C-3. A popular (and unfortunately crowded) run is Lucky Shot off Rex, a stairstep speed run that offers bumps and straight stretches as well as a final drop down the liftline to the bottom. Green Valley, the upper-mountain bowl between Rex and C-3, offers a mix of groomed and natural terrain on the lines of Grubstake and Iceberg Ridge. Advanced/expert skiers are perhaps the best served at Crystal. C-6 is entirely expert, from the wide-open Powder Bowl to the tight cliff lines of 00 chutes. C-6 also accesses the South Backcountry (erroneously called South Country by the Boyne regime but known locally as the South Back). This extensive (400 acres) alpine playground includes Silver King (7012') and the chutes collectively known as Brain Damage. Chief among these is Pinball, which was featured in Warren Miller's 'Fifty'. Pinball is so named for the very real chance of bouncing off rock walls if you screw up; if you're on it's a great rush down the thousand or so feet to Avalanche Basin. Further on past the King is Silver Basin, a gentler (relatively) bowl with endless lines. Back to the north is the (of course) North Backcountry, with 600 acres of bowls, trees, and cliff drops. Crystal's greatest vertical can be found here; when the shuttle is running one can drop 2900' from Northway Peak to the pickup point. Northway Bowl is similar to but smaller than Silver Basin. Spook Hill/Paradise Bowl is a cliff-lined scoop of terrain with a relatively flat runout. Gun Tower and Right Angle are consistent steep pitches down to the return path known as I-5 (after the freeway).
Food is rather limited but not bad for that. The lodge has both the standard cafeteria on the third floor and a sit-down restaurant (formerly known as Rafters but since renamed by Boyne) on the fifth. The Summit House at the top of Rex used to be a good cheap lunch spot with incredible views. The cheap food has become expensive but the views remain. New this past season is the Campbell Basin lodge, located at the top of C-9. This has been a long time coming and should be a popular spot.
Parking is a little funky, being as the base area is shoehorned into a tight valley floor. The lots are strung out for a mile and a half, but even if you're in F-lot at the end of the base area the shuttle system gives you a quick ride up.
There are limited accomodations in the valley, mostly of the rental-condominium variety. Enumclaw, 39 miles to the northwest, offers several hotels. The nearest airport is Sea-Tac, 76 miles to the northwest.