For nearly six decades, we’ve been drawn to the uplift of the alpine, the escape from the grind and the charge of a powder day with views that take our breath away at Crystal. We leave our city lives behind and to feel the storms, to ski the pow, to take in the view—to immerse ourselves in a mountain environment that we know we’re lucky to have so close to home. Crystal is a place that hits us right in the heart. It’s a paradise valley at the end of the road with the space to explore and the perspective of a powerful mountain presence.
That feeling of uplift is what draws us all to Crystal, what keeps us coming back year after year. As we all emerge from three spectacular, stormy winters and build the new gateway to our towering peaks, we’ve tapped the creative talents of PNW artist Gretchen Leggitt to create beautiful visual work that captures that sensation of uplift—of what it feels like to emerge from the Boulevard into our paradise valley at the end of the road. It’s an emotion we all share.
For now, while the construction takes shape, it may take some creative thinking to visualize how our new Mountain Commons lodge will welcome us all to Crystal— to feel the mountains, feel the uplift and remember what called us all here in the first place. So join us in a moment of mountain zen.
#FeelDifferentHere #MountainCommons #ElevatedThinking #CrystalVision
Most of us were drawn to Crystal for the skiing, or the snowboarding—for the storms that coat our jagged peaks in deep, deep snowpacks. Yet our mountains hold power in every season, well into the slow trickle of spring. At times, the storms part slowly, revealing sun we haven’t seen in weeks. Or sometimes the switch flips quickly as our deep snowpack softens suddenly to corn.This year, spring has provided us a second season to remember, refusing to call last run, but also a weekly reason to keep connecting with that giant PNW peak and presence rising up to the sky.
Every trip, every journey and the excuse of every last run at Crystal takes us away from our lives in the Sound into a feeling of uplift to the alpine. Our Mountain Commons lodge emerged from a vision of a new gateway this uplift, to that feeling we all get when we rise from the forest to the alpine. To celebrate that ethic we commissioned new artwork from talented PNW muralist Gretchen Leggitt that captures that emotional feel of arriving in our paradise valley, a place we can all truly feel the power of these peaks.
We know it’s a big mindshift to visualize the future when looking at a construction site, so we’ve created both the artwork and a landing page that outlines what the Commons will bring to Crystal. In the meantime, we’re asking you to share in that momentary uplift of why we all view Crystal as a very special place, of a place that makes us feel different—more like who we know we are.
#FeelDifferentHere #MountainCommons #ElevatedThinking #CrystalVision
We all feel different when we make the journey to Crystal. It’s a mountain paradise, just a short drive away from our busy, hectic lives. One of our favorite seasons to feel these peaks at Crystal is in summer, when the intensity of winter fades into uncrowded trails, wide open space and views to the horizon—where the true transformative power of the alpine shines through. It’s an uplift to the mountains and the perspective that place provides.
We all share that appreciation of what we have here, in the Cascades. The refresh we find when we leave our city lives behind, for a day or a weekend, and rise up to our favorite peaks and valleys to hike, to climb or just to sit and take in the display. Most summers are quiet at the headwaters of Silver Creek, but this year we’ve traded the silence for a bold vision for the future as we build The Mountain Commons, our new community gateway to these treasured peaks.
The Commons is not just designed for winter, but to serve as an all-season entrance to a powerful environment we all treasure as both home turf and hallowed ground. As the height of summer is on the horizon, it’s the ideal time to learn more about the thinking behind the Mountain Commons and what it will contribute to our community. Learn more about its vision, its purpose and its essence on our website as you’re dreaming about your next trip here. It’s just one more reason to immerse yourself in the mountains.
#FeelDifferentHere #MountainCommons #ElevatedThinking #CrystalVision
