Once Crystal builds the Kelly's Gap lift, the infrastructure on their current footprint will feel very complete. Their existing lift infrastructure is quite good. I appreciate that they consciously chose doubles for Northway and the Chair 6 rebuild.
@markojp I totally agree about not having a lift up Silver King.
I do hope that over time they expand their footprint to Bullion Basin. Ultimately, it would be nice if everything from Pickhandle to East was lift-served. I know that would stink a bit for uphill users, but we are suffering from a serious lack of inbounds terrain and capacity in Washington in the face of population and outdoor recreation increases. Expanding an existing ski area feels infinitely easier than trying to create a new one.
If Crystal did expand their footprint, it would be great if that could be paired with keeping more roads/passes plowed for backcountry users. While it would be a costly undertaking, keeping Cayuse and Chinook open year around like Paradise would be awesome. Sadly, I don't think the ski community has enough political power to influence the powers that be to make it happen, although the history of local politics often says that a small group of very loud, vocal people can make change happen. My dream would be for 410 to stay open year round, but that would require building sheds and dedicating serious resources to control work.
