Canada had spoiled us. We were expecting that a move south, although necessary, couldn't possibly yield the results we had enjoyed in the north. We were wrong. Not only did Crystal Mountain have more deadly terrain than we ever expected, we were able to push the Fresh-O-meter up a few notches, and we had the pleasure of skiing with locals Wayne Grevey and Matt Small.
The long sustained pitches at Crystal are definite leg burners and feature some of the most easily accessed and interesting terrain available. This place is the real deal and due to its remote location it remains off the radar for many tourists.

The first day of our stay we were embarrassingly late and didn't hit the mountain until 11:30. Call it dumb luck, but our tardiness turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because Wayne was on the same program. The timing was perfect for the local hookup and much to our surprise the mountain remained untrammeled by the early morning skiers. Fresh lines awaited us on every pitch we skied and just when we thought it couldn't get any better the South rope dropped and then the real fun began. A ten-minute hike accessed shots that would be fought over in most places, but everyone charged past them in search of a bigger prize, the King. This peak boasts a steep north face with so much line potential it's ridiculous, and a backside that is often overlooked, but equally as fun. We were able get in two runs off the King and then Matt showed us his stash at the other end of the resort, somewhere deep in the North backcountry. We finished the day off with a run that featured no tracks, no hiking, and no lack of vertical. After the third long pitch we were giddy. We couldn't believe what we were finding this late in the afternoon. It was unreal.