Pacific NW/AK/BC 2020/2021 PNW news, weather, conditions, stoke.

[dovski]

Crystal is bigger, so it wins. Baker has NO lodging (well, OK, it has the Mountaineers lodge, but you have to join the club and it's very primitive) so you have to commute. Both Crystal and Alpental have some lodging, though not much.

Really, in my opinion the reason none of these places are as well known as the UT, CA, and CO resorts (as well as ID,MT, NM, BC, & AB) is that you have to be there at the right time. The snow can sometimes be epic, but by the next day it could be raining so it's just fine for the local who just doesn't go up on the crappy days and hits it when things are good, but for the tourist you could get skunked on a week long trip. I've skied in some of the aforementioned more well known areas and had crummy conditions there when it was dumping prodigiously at home. It's just averages.

I like Crystal but prefer the terrain at Alpental. I live local so lodging is not a factor for me and my commute to Alpental is 40min vs 2 hours to Crystal. Crystal does have some limited lodging but it is not great. Bottom line is that no hill in WA has had its base developed even close to the level of what you find in Utah or Colorado and almost all of the skiers are driving there for the day.

 

[David Chaus]

I've never skied Crystal Mountain WA.

If you don't do it this year, you'll be older when you do. Or so I've heard.

While it will just be Green Valley open (maybe also Rainier Express), it's a lot of fun skiing into June and sometimes even July.

 

[DanoT]

If you don't do it this year, you'll be older when you do. Or so I've heard.

Might as well wait until the border is open and this place is built: Home - Bridal Veil Mountain Resort skiing and recreation

 

[John O]

While it will just be Green Valley open (maybe also Rainier Express), it's a lot of fun skiing into June and sometimes even July.

It'll just be Green Valley. If you looked at the web cams a couple of days ago, before this latest bit of snow, you'd have seen that the base of REX was completely melted out already. But that's ok with me, even just Green Valley is enough to have fun with in May/June.

 

[David Chaus]

Might as well wait until the border is open and this place is built: Home - Bridal Veil Mountain Resort skiing and recreation

First I've heard of that project. I really don't want to wait that long. Aren't we still waiting for anything to happen with Valemount, Jumbo and Garibaldi?

The one thing going for Bridal Veil is that it's close enough for day trips from Vancouver and Bellingham (actually 2 hours or so from where I live).

 

[Posaune]

First I've heard of that project. I really don't want to wait that long. Aren't we still waiting for anything to happen with Valemount, Jumbo and Garibaldi?

The one thing going for Bridal Veil is that it's close enough for day trips from Vancouver and Bellingham (actually 2 hours or so from where I live).

According to Google Maps it will be a wash for drive time with Mt. Baker from Bellingham. It also sounds like it will be at about the same altitude as Baker.

 

[Tricia]

If you don't do it this year, you'll be older when you do. Or so I've heard.

While it will just be Green Valley open (maybe also Rainier Express), it's a lot of fun skiing into June and sometimes even July.

Does it count that Crystal Mountain Michigan was my home mountain [cough]hill[/cough] when I lived there?

 

[David Chaus]

Does it count that Crystal Mountain Michigan was my home mountain [cough]hill[/cough] when I lived there?

You'll just have to compare the two Crystal Mountains for yourself.

 

[DanoT]

According to Google Maps it will be a wash for drive time with Mt. Baker from Bellingham. It also sounds like it will be at about the same altitude as Baker.

And as you mentioned in post #878 about Baker, Bridal Veil Resort as well will be fine for locals who can show up on the good weather days and stay home when it rains and not so good for the ski weekers. And unlike Whistler there will be no terrain above 5500'asl.

Unlikely to get B.C. government approved without local First Nations approval:

Cheam First Nation ‘shocked’ over all-season mountain resort proposal near Chilliwack

For five years the band has been working on a gondola project of their own

www.abbynews.com

I think the Cheam Nation proposal is on the other side of the Fraser Valley, so anyway the Bridal Veil Resort will need the Cheap Nation to be a partner to proceed.

 

[Posaune]

And as you mentioned in post #878 about Baker, Bridal Veil Resort as well will be fine for locals who can show up on the good weather days and stay home when it rains and not so good for the ski weekers. And unlike Whistler there will be no terrain above 5500'asl.

One thing that I didn't think of right away was that this will take some of Baker's business. Lots of folks that ski Baker come from the Fraser valley and along with it being a shorter drive to the new place they also won't have to hassle the border. I doubt it will do Baker a lot of harm, but it might make the lines a little shorter. I also imagine that Bridal Veil will be packed on weekends since it will be an easy drive up the freeway from the urban area.

 

[DanoT]

Aren't we still waiting for anything to happen with Valemount, Jumbo and Garibaldi?

Garibaldi: Not sure but I think it is mostly hiking and backcountry skiing access. And they keep getting the cables cut.

Jumbo: Lost their resort development permit, didn't get much done; put building footings in a slide path; didn't have locals both native and non native on board; couldn't get financial backing. Permit expired.

Valemount: Has full backing of all local groups and government approval of Master Plan but no financing. I noticed several red flags in their MP:

Tiny population of Valemount will not provide enough skier visits and neither will Kamloops or Prince George, each about 3 hours away and both with a 90k or so blue collar population of mostly non-skiers.

They only plan to have 2,000 beds and 150 staff which is not enough. Skiers will as a result stay in Jasper 1.5 hours away and then mostly ski at Marmot, 20 minutes from Jasper, with a 1 or maybe 2 day side trip to Valemount.

Nearest international airport is in Edmonton, 5 hours away which means in winter after the plane lands, renting a car and traveling to Valemount most of the way in the dark.

There's more problems but one doesn't need to know more to know why the financing is not happening so sadly neither is the Valemount Glacier Resort.

 

[David Chaus]

So do you feel that Bridal Veil is a viable resort?

 

[DanoT]

So do you feel that Bridal Veil is a viable resort?

I don't know what the skiing at Bridal Veil would be like but there have also been other ski area proposals, with one being near the Coquihalla Highway summit that with higher elevation and further inland would at least have more reliable snow conditions and i don't think that one is going anywhere. B.C. as you know, has no shortage of mountains that would make fantastic ski resorts, just a shortage of skiers and local investment capital.

Bridal Veil will have to entice that local native band, Cheam Nation, to get on board and they currently have a competing tourist development interest of their own.

 

[David Chaus]

<sigh> I guess I'll just have to make do with Sun Peaks, Silver Star, Big White, Apex, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Panorama, Lake Louise, Sunshine, Whitewater and Red Mt.

 

[DanoT]

<sigh> I guess I'll just have to make do with Sun Peaks, Silver Star, Big White, Apex, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Panorama, Lake Louise, Sunshine, Whitewater and Red Mt.

What? Where's Fernie, Kimberly, Norquay, Castle, Marmot, Mount Washington, Shames, Hudson Bay Mountain, Powder King?

I'm not going to mention Whistler.

 

[John O]

"Green Valley will be open next weekend, May 28-31, for bonus skiing and riding!"

It's official, according to the newsletter Crystal just sent out.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

Beautiful hiking above Bridal Veil Falls.
One gondola to top of Cheam would put you at the view point which overlooks the entire Fraser Valley.
The south side has a big alpine bowl which would be great skiing but again it faces south, and the top elevation of the skiable terrain would be under 5500'
The highest peaks in the area are not suitable for skiing above treeline. I'll see if I can locate a couple of my photos.
I think the skiing would be comparable to the North Shore hills. With the population increase in the valley it might work.
As a summer attraction very similar to the Sea to Sky gondola which was very successful until someone cut the cable

 

[slowrider]

Snowing at the bachelor. Trace of new on a firm base. Employees out numbered customers. A few thin spots on the groom but excellent carving conditions.


25°f a light wind with Snow @ 1230.

 

[dovski]

It is official, Crystal to re-open May 28-31 for skiing in the Green Valley

https://www.crystalmountainresort.com/the-mountain/spring

Looks like I need to start scraping off storage wax, our season is not finished

 

[David Chaus]

Cool, I'll be in Mammoth for a few days, then will still be able to ski Crystal over Memorial Day. I hope they will stay open on weekends as long as the snow holds out.