Crystal Mountain

Crystal Mountain Overview

Like the skiers and boarders today, in the 1800's traces of gold brought prospectors seeking their fortune to Silver Creek, known as the Summit Mining District. By 1949 all that was left of mining's legacy was the colorful names for the landmarks we hike and ride today. Like the miners, skiers were looking for another place to ski and build a ski area after the failure to start one at Mt Rainier. Initial exploration included several ski touring trips to Corral Pass and Silver Creek to assess the terrain, experiencing the first avalanche accident (no one died.) By 1955 a proposal was made and the lifts started spinning in 1962. In 1965 Crystal Mountain received national attention hosting the National Alpine Championships which drew legendary skiers: Jimmie Heuga, Billy Kidd and Jean Claude Killy. Crystal after Killy was like Tatooine in Star Wars; sitting at the outer edge of the ski media galaxy, oppressed by neglectful owners which resulted in a ski area with lifts that often left large amounts of skiers at the bottom of a broken down tower on a powder day. As a result, many locals of Planet Crystal shifted their pow mining beyond the boundary via backcountry touring. At the time, Crystal boasted nearly five miles of boundary with few rules. So skiers came to mine the rich ski terrain and deep snow despite a desolate, almost decrepit lift system. Largely ignored by the ski media and the rest of the country, Crystal gained the notice of the Great Corporate Ski Empires during the 1st Great Corporate Shopping Spree when Boyne bought Crystal with the promise to bring them from Outer Rim of the Ski Galaxy, and they did. New lifts and improved staffing accessed the often-closed North and South back areas. Before long, images of steep, deep untracked pow drew attention to the place. Despite decades of touring and exploring, the sense of finding a run for the first time continues with the tradition of not naming every rock, chute and open face.

Zones Covered