Whether you are interested in North facing or South facing slopes this page has you covered. The Crystal Mountain ski tours provide everything from tree skiing to open chutes. Once you start understanding the layout of the backcountry you can get numerous different styles of slopes within a single ski tour.
The King is the high point of the Crystal Mountain area summiting out at 7010 feet. During normal operations, it’s the main attraction of the South Backcountry. There are two separate faces of the King, first the mellow-angled south facing slopes with both gladed and alpine runs and the North side filled with aggressive chutes, … Read more
The Lake Basin gullies are some great terrain a ways away from where most people go. With them being Northeast facing and on the eastern side of the crest they are the perfect aspect as well as usually better weather. Since they are gullies they can be loaded with snow while other areas are scoured. Knowing all of this we decided to make our way out there at the tail end of the first big storm of the season and were not disappointing.
It was the time of the season where the lifts started running and the powder was accumulating. With the limited opening of the lower slopes at Crystal Mountain the upper mountain would still be untracked powder. Joe, Chris and I decided we would take advantage of the upper resort terrain being inaccessible via lifts and put in a skin track heading in a northerly direction. We would start from the base before skinning up to Green Valley. Once there we would push towards the Northback putting tracks in a run at a time.
Preseason turns as Crystal Mountain are somewhat or a tradition. Once the first big storm nails the Cascades you have a few days to get out before the lifts are spinning. This is the time where you can get the best terrain around in the best conditions. There is no moguls, no rope line and a generalized free for all. If you are super lucky there can be a groomer up to the Green Valley. With the storms raging in the Cascades there was rumor that the lifts could open the following day. Knowing that it was time to get out and get some powder laps in.
Mount Aix and Nelson Ridge are the sleeping Giant of the Central Cascades. The area is relatively unknown but rivaled in size only by the massive Goat Rocks. The area is what you would consider the middle of nowhere from Washington standards. The 90 mile summer drive is more then doubled when 410 closes down for winter leaving the area isolated and unused. From Crystal Mountain you can get a distant view of the massive alpine bowls that rise over 800 feet higher then the top of Crystal.
The mountain had become somewhat of an obsession for me over the years as I studied approaches and access issues of the mountain. Trying to get beta was all but impossible as trying to get any skiing info was dead end after dead end. The question kept coming up in my head “why isn’t anybody heading out to the Nelson Range”.
Today was one of those few Epic ski touring days in the Cascades this season and the masses were all out in the B.C. of Crystal. Skin tracks and bootpacks were all over the Silver Basin from 3 way all the way to bear gap. I was going solo so I didn’t want to venture out too far so I stayed on the North facing slopes of silver basin and did a full Southback Traverse from 3 Way Peak to Pickhandle Point.
Taking advantage of the rare bluebird pow day (okay 2 inches) Dan and myself did a nice scenic tour around the areas south of Crystal Mountain ski resort searching for powder in Morse Creek. We rode down SE facing slopes (sucked) W facing (even worse) S facing (o.k.) and North facing (nice deep pow if it didn’t slide). The views were great and there was minimal stability concerns.
The Pickhandle Point west trees are one of those areas that are in clear display from Crystal Mountain. Located east of the Forest Queen chair it is a long ridge with open trees throughout. From the top of the Quicksilver Chair you can take a mellow traverse over to Bear Gap before climbing the final ridge. This is a non technical route and great for people trying to get into the backcountry. With a short and sunny day both Scott and I decided to lay some tracks down in the area. Not only would we get some good snow but also one of the better views of Crystal Mountain.
East Peak is possibly one of the best lines to ride in the Crystal Mountain backcountry after a storm. Being a direct line with numerous different options for ski descents you can work numerous different aspects. While you can find yourself in some nasty and exposed terrain there are sections for safe descents. At the tail end of a storm Scott, Dan and I made plans to put in a solid skin track. Once at the summit we would get as much runs as time allowed.
Crystal Peak stands out among the surround area when hiking the Southback of Crystal Mountain to the King. Being at the end of the Crystal Lakes area it has some of the biggest lines around. From all aspects there are great terrain and numerous different styles of runs. From chutes to open tree skiing you are only limited by how much you are willing to skin. After a deep storm we made our way out there to get a few different aspect. Once happy with our riding we made a final run all the way down to 410 and a hike back to the Crystal Road.