Skiing in the Pacific Northwest: It's Prime Time

With a record-breaking stretch of warm weather in January during an El Nino winter, Pacific Northwest skiers were getting a tad worried. It's not supposed to be almost 60 degrees in the middle of winter here.

When I skied just over a week ago at Crystal Mountain, we passed over patches of exposed rock on the ride up Rainier Express chairlift. It didn't bode well for the remainder of the season.

But then....winter showed up here in the Northwest. Like, record-breaking snowfall winter. 

So we grabbed our (new!) skis and some friends and headed to Crystal Mountain yesterday.

What a contrast to my trip there a week earlier. We glided over powdery fresh snow, cut through some fluffy "pow," and overall had a hella fun day.

And beyond that, the thick layer of fresh snow on the surrounding forest and trees was just plain picturesque. Which, to me, is part of the big picture appeal of being in the mountains.

So, skiers and riders, if you've been dragging your feet, now is the time to go. According to a King 5 TV in Seattle, Crystal got 7 feet of snow in the last week, with more to come!

When you're out there, look for the smiles. Because there will be many. IMO, life doesn't get much better than an exhilarating day on the slopes with lots of cold, powdery, fresh snow.

I'm pretty sure there was a smile behind the snow.

 
And maybe if you're really lucky, the clouds will clear and the surrounding mountains will be revealed under bluebird skies.

So how about you? Have you gotten up and out in the last week? I'd love to hear your experiences in a comment below. (BTW, if you do comment, please leave your name, or even a fake name, so I know you're not spam.)

Happy trails and thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons! 

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When You Go
Be sure and check the forecasts and avoid backcountry skiing if the avalanche danger is high, like it was this past weekend. Here are a few links for Northwest ski conditions: Open Snow blog and Sno Country.