Written by: Emma Brice
As we wrap up the 21/22 winter season, we reflect on the moments that made this year so memorable and want to thank you for making it a great season! We couldn’t have done it without our loyal guests that make Crystal the mountain it is. In a year that brought unpredictable weather patterns, challenges, and big changes, we were able to spin our lifts for 158 days, and extend our season not once, not twice, but three times! We were the last ski resort open in WA, and one of only two resorts still open in North America during the second weekend of June. Take a look at some of our favorite moments of the season!
MTN PRIDE: PRIDE IN THE POW
This year, we partnered with QPOC Hikers and Seattle Pride to welcome the LGBTQIA+ community to the slopes with our inaugural three day “Mtn Pride: Pride in the Pow” event. March 11-13th we invited everybody to the mountain to learn to ski, snowshoe, and have access to an inclusive and safe outdoor space. We held a lip sync and cat-walk contest, a dance party, meet & ski groups, discounted beginner lessons, a snowshoe tour, a raffle and more! Seattle queens Rowan Ruthless, Miss Monday Mournings, and Hoochie Papa performed on the sundeck and brought all the moves. Stay tuned for next year’s event!
IFSA FREERIDE WORLD QUALIFIERS 4* EVENT
Crystal Mountain hosted the IFSA Freeride World Qualifiers on March 16th and welcomed professional athletes from all over the world, showcasing the biggest sends and steepest lines off the summit of the Silver King. The top athletes from the event continued on to the Freeride World Tour. If you missed the show, check out these sensational highlights from the event.
SPRING EVENTS
Spring is one of our favorite times of the year. The sun comes out, we break out the costumes, and the energy on the mountain is high. This season, we brought back some of our most iconic events. The pond skim and the Elysian Brewing Bikini Downhill Race made a reappearance, we introduced the Over-the-top Rail Jam on the summit with Mt. Rainier as the backdrop, hosted several SheJumps clinics for young girls and women, and hosted themed costume weekends through the month of April.
EXTENDED SEASON
We started the season on December 4th, 2021, and didn’t stop until June 12th! Our original projected closing date was April 17th and with the dry mid-season we experienced, we were questioning whether we’d make it. Then, the storms hit hard, and we received over 8 feet of snow in April alone! Our first season extension added two bonus weekends through May 1st. But the snow kept falling, allowing us to extend through Memorial Day weekend. Finally, we made the call to ski two weekends into June- staying open as long as possible for guests to enjoy the late spring snow. This is the fifth time in the last 20 years that we’ve skied later than May, and while our latest closing date in history was July 16th in 2011, it is still a rare occurrence to ski into the summer months in the PNW. Our motto this season was “the snow must go on,” and that proved to be true.
We’d love to hear about your favorite moments of the ski season too- share with us on Instagram and tag @crystalmountain! Thank you for joining us this season, and we look forward to seeing you on the mountain this summer.
