How Crystal Mountain Resort handles its busiest days, distributes crowds

SEATTLE — In January 2020, ski resort overcrowding reached a fever pitch in Western Washington when Crystal Mountain Resort experienced successive weekends during which its parking lot filled up and cars were turned away. I was caught in one of them, and the experience was so scarring I had written off trekking up to Crystal on the weekend.

But a lot has changed in five years.

This winter is Crystal’s first season back to unlimited access on the Ikon Pass, a multiresort season pass introduced by Alterra Mountain Company in 2018 that has led to seismic shifts in the ski industry. Crystal joined the Ikon Pass when Alterra bought the Pierce County resort in 2018, but dialed back access to alleviate overcrowding. Alterra is also bankrolling a $100 million capital investment plan for the resort, the first tangible outcome of which opened this season with a new lodge.

After two less-busy seasons, here’s how Crystal is handling its return to the Ikon fray.

Peak demand

As a Seattleite, the cheapest, most hassle-free way to play in the snow at Crystal is to go on a weekday. If you don’t have that flexibility and want to get your taste of the white stuff on a weekend or holiday, it’ll take some planning, patience and a willingness to pay up.

Three years after the resort introduced a parking reservation system, I was pleasantly surprised by how painless my trip was on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s even amid a “juicy” multiday winter storm (the National Weather Service’s description, not mine).

Eight days in advance, I made a $10 reservation to guarantee a parking spot for arrival before noon. (The Summit at Snoqualmie charges Ikon pass holders and day ticket buyers $5 for daily parking permits. On peak days Stevens Pass charges $20 for noncarpool reservations in the parking lots closest to the front and only guarantees spots until 10 a.m.)

Wrangling two young kids, I left Seattle at 8:30 a.m. just as lifts began spinning — previously an unthinkably late departure. (For those craving untracked powder turns and pondering what time they should leave in the morning: There is no such thing as too early.)

But with a reservation in hand, I arrived around 10:15 a.m. and nabbed a carpool spot in C Lot, relatively close to the resort base area. (Crystal’s free bus service from Enumclaw is also a reliable weekend option, though the latest departure is 9 a.m. Reservations are required and do sell out.)

While disgustingly unsanitary conditions in a parking lot Sani-Can were an unpleasant welcome, the resort’s shuttle came promptly to whisk my family and a gaggle of other skiers and riders up to the base area.

That day, Crystal’s more than 3,000 spots did not reach capacity — though parking reservations had sold out two days prior. From Thursday through the weekend, the daily online mountain report includes the percentage of remaining reservations. Last-minute cancellations mean reservations can free up the morning of. Resort spokesperson Linnea Hansen said no one with a reservation has been turned away this season.

Lodge life

Crystal’s new Mountain Commons Lodge is a 25,000-square-foot building, the first completion of planned new construction that might also see a slopeside hotel and larger summit lodge.

The new addition is eye-catching, with interior Douglas fir beams sourced locally from Greenwater and milled in Buckley. Designed by ski lodge architects Bull Stockwell Allen, the lodge has considerable curb appeal and improves Crystal’s base area experience, but it has some structural kinks that are especially noticeable on the busiest days.

When I first arrived and needed to fiddle with my kids’ gear, the covered outdoor seating adjacent to the Brew 62 coffee bar (coffee from $3.50) provided helpful cover from the falling snow. It was almost too warm under the heat lamps, but I can’t say the same for the other mountain-facing seating. On that side, the heat lamp effect is imperceptible under the higher ceiling. Snow blew onto the seats closest to the perimeter during a blustery storm — and overall, it feels like Crystal crammed too many tables and chairs into the available space, making it hard to navigate with ski gear.

We spent most of our lodge time outside intentionally, but nabbing an indoor table during the lunch rush looked harder than straightlining a mogul run. While full tables at lunchtime are hardly unique to Crystal, it seems the resort underestimated peak demand when commissioning the new lodge and would have benefited from a larger dining area. However, the spotless bathrooms, including two generously sized family restrooms, are top notch.

When tummies began rumbling, I squeezed past the Bootpack Bar (beers on tap $10) and headed for the Mountain Commons Food Hall. The name is a misnomer. Food hall conjures a variety of vendors, like a ramen booth next to a taco stand, but the stations offering burgers, chicken tenders, sandwiches and soup were standard ski area cafeteria fare. I settled on a cup of minestrone ($8), a slice of veggie pizza ($6) and a basket of French fries ($5). Everything was satisfying to a family of hungry skiers, but nothing to write home about.

For a more memorable meal, head across the main path to the older Cascade Lodge, where Rafters Smokehouse serves up halibut, shrimp pasta and gourmet burgers (entrees $21-$34). Downstairs from Rafters, I haven’t tried the new Cascade Biergarten (Bavarian-themed items $8-$14).

Finally, it’s worth noting that the base area is ADA-accessible. There are accessible parking spaces in the front of A Lot, the closest to the mountain, and a ramp from the curb up to the lower entrance of Mountain Commons Lodge and Cascade Lodge, both of which have elevators.

Mountain time

Crystal sells Washington’s most expensive single-day lift ticket at $199. I’m not convinced there is a lift-serviced powder day in any mountain range worth two Benjamins. The industry’s season pass stranglehold driving up day ticket prices seems likely to deter casual visitors from trying out skiing and snowboarding, and that’s a shame.

But the math is simple: Ski seven weekend days and you’re better off buying an Ikon Pass, which started at $1,249 for this season. (Those went off sale in December to encourage early buyers, so mark your calendar for April when pass renewals start for next season. The pass is also valid at Northwest ski destinations like Mt. Bachelor, Ore.; Big Sky, Mont.; and Sun Valley, Idaho.)

My lazy Sunday morning didn’t put me in any position to assess weekend powder day mountain operations — by the time I was allotted my kid-free ride break, there were no lift lines to speak of but also few untracked runs left. I give ski patrol high marks drawn from an overall impression of years of midweek powder days. Crystal consistently opens lifts on weekends by 8:30 a.m. (the earliest in the Northwest) and typically manages to safely open its avalanche-prone terrain even on deep snow days.

From what I’ve gathered speaking to pass holders this season, Crystal is handling the Ikon swell reasonably well. After the morning bottleneck at opening, the mountain is distributing crowds without onerous lift lines. That said, the holiday period is also a time when many Seattle-area skiers travel and the real test comes on a nonholiday weekend when locals have pent up powder fever after the workweek.

“Lift lines will always vary based on snow conditions, time of day and time of year,” Hansen wrote via email.

Missed the Ikon boat but still chomping at the bit this season? Crystal’s 3-Day Anytime Pass remains on sale ($329), which effectively means committing to three visits is cheaper than two peak day tickets. (Note: That pass is not valid on Presidents Day.)

Beginner-only lift tickets range from $65-$69 and scenic gondola rides from $45-$54 (buy online in advance for lower prices). For the latter, check the weather forecast and the resort’s summit webcam before you commit. If it’s snowing hard, you’re unlikely to have much of a view beyond your mittens — though you may enjoy the snow globe vibe.

While sledding is expressly prohibited at Crystal (as is the case at Summit), I saw several snow tourists taking photos and throwing a few snowballs. The resort also marks out a network of snowshoe trails that provide an alternative way to experience the wintry landscape away from the madding crowd. The trails can get steep quickly, but even a quick jaunt on the snow is a welcome break from the inevitable windshield wipers and raindrops that await down the mountain.