A good time to break in your snow gear

By Chester Allen | The Olympian • Published December 01, 2007

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CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN – Crystal Mountain's lifts were a day away from opening, but Friday, Mark Craddock of Tacoma couldn't wait.

• Photo: Snow at Crystal Mountain Heralds Ski Season 2007

Craddock put on ski gear and hiked up the snow-covered slopes.

"I couldn't stop myself," he said. "I've been waiting and waiting for ski season, and I couldn't take it anymore."

The ski and snowboard season starts today at Crystal Mountain and White Pass ski areas. Crystal's workers spent Friday getting ski rentals, ski lessons, lodges, restaurants, bars, stores and the snow itself ready.

Crystal Mountain and White Pass also will be open Sunday but are expected to close Monday to weather out a predicted rainstorm early next week. Operators of the resorts hope both will reopen by Dec. 8 and remain open for the season.

"We want to give our season passholders a couple of days of skiing and boarding," Crystal spokeswoman Tiana Enger said. "We're opening this weekend for everyone who has been jonesing to ski or board. "This weekend is a chance to scratch that itch."

Crystal's mid-week passholders can use their passes this weekend, she said.

Enger said Crystal should have the new, $3.5 million Northway lift, which opens up 1,000 acres of expert terrain, running by mid-December.

Meanwhile Crystal buzzed with activity as light snow fell Friday.

Neat ranks of rental snowboards and skis were ready for today, and the scent of ski wax was heavy.

"We're all ready; we're just polishing everything before tomorrow," rental director Gerry Hall said Friday.

"The skis are all freshly tuned ..."

Ski-rental technicians unwrapped neon-colored powder skis for the new demonstration program. The program gives skiers and boarders a chance to try out hot new equipment. It will begin when there is more snow on the hill.

"We need at least two more feet of snow," Hall said.

Skiers and boarders should bring older equipment to Crystal this weekend because snow coverage is skimpy on some runs.

Crystal had 29 inches of snow at the summit and 22 inches at the base. It will run the Chinook Express, Discovery, Forest Queen and High Campbell lifts this weekend.

A crew of new lift operators learned the ropes with veteran Frank Nemeth. This will be the fifth year on the lifts for Nemeth.

"I do this a couple days of the week, mostly to stay sociable with the younger generation," Nemeth said from the Chinook lift shack. "And I like to ski."

Stephanie Hunt, manager of the base day lodge, roamed her domain.

Workers arranged dining chairs and replaced dozens of vintage skis on the walls. The skis were taken down when walls were painted, Hunt said.

Most Crystal workers love their jobs for two reasons: "The people are a lot of fun, and you get to ski," she said.

Skiing can turn any day into something special, Craddock said just before his first hike up the runs.

"I'll hike as far as I can, and then go down the run; maybe I'll do it twice. I'll find some untracked snow, and three, four, five turns can make the whole day."