COMMUNITY LETTER ABOUT THE 20-21 SEASON
In all of my time in the ski industry, I never imagined writing a pre-season message to our community like this one.
Since we suspended winter operations in March, we’ve all faced challenges that we never could have anticipated. As a society, it’s seemed like we’re struggling with forces beyond our control. We’ve
learned on the fly and in the fray, coming together as neighbors, dealing with trying times and, for many in our community, finding peace in the mountains and the outdoors.
Thinking about ski season feels secondary to what we’re fighting through daily. Yet we all know the power of a storm, the joy of a turn, the uplift of staring up at Mt. Rainier. For our community, it’s what drives
us, defines us and bonds us together. It brings us to a better place. It heals us. And it is in this spirit that we have been working tirelessly to plan another PNW winter of skiing and snowboarding, with a targeted opening around Thanksgiving.
The first thing I’ll say is the obvious, that this winter will look different at our mountain. We’re all seeking more of the normal, more like before—and making turns up here will deliver that stability underfoot. Yet we all have a greater responsibility right now to each other so we’re asking our community to pull together with patience and flexibility—so we can all ski and ride safely this winter.
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
It’s going to be different at Crystal this winter—but with more than 3,000 acres of terrain and plenty of space to spread out, we’ll all have plenty of room on our mountain. We remain committed to providing fun and memorable mountain experiences for our community and won’t let mitigating the risks to COVID-19 stand in our way of doing so.
We want to be clear though, that we’re calling upon the community to be flexible, to be calm, to be respectful and, above all else, to be kind. With all the work and all of the adjustments we’ve made—both big and small—I’m confident we will deliver the experience worthy of our extraordinary terrain and beauty. I also have great faith in our community to do the same.
As a reminder, your pre-season homework is to plan ahead and review our “In the Know Guidebook.” It’s even more important than waxing your skis, finding your boots or watching that same snowboard movie one more time. Think of it as your ticket to powder days this winter. Our guidelines might change as conditions shift and we’ll keep you updated all winter long.
I know we’re all dreaming of that first turn this season. And, it won’t be long before the snow stacks up and we’re all skiing and riding together again. It’s the release, the reset and the recharge we all need right now. And, as skiers and snowboarders, we can all feel it in the air.
See you all soon, at Crystal.
THE B-LOT FORECAST
At Crystal, we have great respect and love for the culture of B Lot. For years, we’ve worked to back, grow and preserve this community, one that is interwoven into the cultural fiber of our mountain. It’s not just an RV lot, it’s an iconic zone that adds to our mountain in so many ways.
Yet since the onset of the COVID pandemic last March, we’ve worked incredibly hard to understand how to safely and effectively operate our mountain in the new age we are all faced with. It’s a storm we’re all working hard to weather, for the safety of our guests and our employees. We operated safely all summer and we will proudly do the same this winter. One small sacrifice is that we’ve needed to approach everything from a different mindset—and this season that will also include B Lot and our loyal RV guests.
After much deliberation and discussion, we’ve decided to shift to an online RV reservations system for B Lot this winter. We’ve picked a solution that will be easy, convenient and flexible. Like most of our modern world, it will be digital and mobile. But above all else we’re making this move so that each transaction will be contactless and completed prior to arrival—the direction we’ve headed with all of our
products and services.
