Crystal Mountain

Snow lovers, you already adore Crystal Mountain. Incredible scenery, including views of Mount Rainier, 3100 feet of vertical, 2600 acres of terrain, the ability to ski right to your lodging, plenty of food and drink options and just 76 miles from Seattle. What's not to love?

For non-skiers and boarders, it's a beautiful place to visit, but foot traffic isn't allowed (just for the ride or to get to the Summit House Restaurant for a meal) as the chairlifts have to be slowed down. During summertime, the Summit House is only open Friday and Saturday for dinner and Sunday for brunch. Winds can preclude running the lift at higher altitudes. But these discouraging words will hopefully be a thing of the past by December 2010.

The Mount Rainier Gondola, part of a ten-year master development plan that started in 2007, is on its way; construction started in late April. The current market and espresso stand will be replaced by the gondola starting point. The gondola will travel up Exterminator and over Green Valley to the summit, a vertical rise of 2456 feet. There will be 18 candy apple red cars, each holding eight passengers (with skis and boards on the outside) to begin with and ultimately 36 as demand builds. The trip will take a little over nine minutes, half the time of the current two-chairlift system. Even better, it can stay open in stronger winds. This means skiers/boarders can get to the top earlier in the season, even when the Rainier Express chair is shut down. It also means that Crystal Mountain can become a year-round destination. The gondola won't have to be slowed for non-skiers/boarders during the ski season and it will be able to operate all summer long. No more weekends only—they're looking at an every-day summer season. All of this expands their pull as a great close-in destination.

Summit House Restaurant is a destination unto itself. Sitting at 6872 feet, it is Washington's highest restaurant. The views are amazing of the Cascade Range and six volcanoes. It's truly one of the best views of Mount Rainier (photo at right by Jason Anglin). Originally, Summit House was open during ski season only and provided grab-and-go food options. Three years ago, they moved it in a much more delicious direction: it now has a chef/sommelier, Aaron Willis, and offers a local, mostly organic, gourmet menu. Sitting at a table nursing a lovely Washington wine and savoring Asian braised short ribs from Painted Hills Beef or Mt. Townsend Mac ‘n Cheese with Trailhead and New Moon Jack is one of Washington's true pleasures. With the advent of the gondola, Summit House will be able to offer breakfast, lunch and dinner year-round.

More casual international eats can be found at Campbell Basin Lodge near the top of Forest Queen chairlift. This upscale food court offers tacos, pasta, burgers, bratwurst and more. At the base of the mountain, the BullWheel Pub & Grill offers full service, a full bar and pub grub. Even more casual is the cafeteria-style Cascade Grill.

Crystal Mountain was started by a group of Tacoma skiers who presented their plan to the Forest Service in 1955. It opened for business the winter of 1962 and grew over the years. In 1988, it was the first in Washington to put in a high-speed, detachable quad chairlift. After several years of little snow, there was no money for improvements. In 1997, Boyne USA, a family-owned corporation, bought the business and has already spent over $15 million on improvements. The gondola will cost another $5.5 million.

Another family-owned business runs Crystal Mountain Hotels, offering three lodging options just below the entrance to Crystal Mountain: The Quicksilver Lodge, The Village Inn, and The Alpine Inn. Quicksilver has more of a motel feel to it and loft rooms are great for families. All rooms have TV, refrigerator, coffee maker and free WiFi. The Village Inn offers bright rooms just feet away from the lifts. The Alpine Inn rooms are simple and comfortable and feel like a blast from the past—like an old-time (60s) ski resort. No TV—you'll be too tired after a day on the slopes or hiking the mountains!

Photo above: The Alpine Inn

The Alpine Inn has several food options. For a nice dinner with a woodsy view, The Alpine Inn Restaurant (photo at right) takes you away to a Bavarian place while serving up Northwest and international dishes. A breakfast buffet includes hot and cold items. The Snorting Elk Deli offers pizza slices, soup, sandwiches, espresso and beer. The Snorting Elk Cellar funnels the deli food and whole pizzas to guests gathered around the roaring fireplace or sitting at the bar talking over the day's adventures. Wooden booths overlook the trees. Beer, wine, cocktails—they have it all.

For the summer of 2010, you'll need to check websites for details (as you always should for lodging availability and restaurant open days/times). From the 2011 ski season on, Crystal Mountain will be an ideal spot to visit no matter the season. Getting close to nature is getting a lot easier.

Crystal Mountain 33914 Crystal Mountain Blvd Crystal Mountain, WA 98022 360-663-2265 phone 888-SKI-6199 snow phone www.skicrystal.com Crystal Mountain Hotels Crystal Mountain, WA 98022 888-754-6400 www.crystalhotels.com Photo by Jeff Caven

Connnie Adams/June 2010