Grill Your Skis This Memorial Day

05.27.2011

Memorial Day Weekend 2011 approaches. Time to schedule that barbecue, perhaps a trip to the Folklife Festival or a few days in the garden. But 2011 is no ordinary year, so why not throw a wrinkle into the routine…and go skiing. That’s right, Crystal Mountain will welcome skiers and snowboarders all weekend long. And this isn’t just a late spring novelty run, Crystal has four chairs operating to service the new snow that has fallen almost every night this month.
The mountain plans to stay open on weekends as long as there is snow to shred, though this is the last weekend that Rainier Express will be open. Think of the bragging rights at next weekend’s brunch (when Western Washington weather is supposed to improve dramatically) when you state you skied on Crystal’s 600th inch of snow in 2011. That’s right, Crystal has received 50 feet of snow this winter, crazy especially when we consider most of it only started falling in February.
And this isn’t slushy spring skiing either. Washington’s cool temps means that mountain temperatures remain in the low to mid 30’s, perfect for skiing in late May. Did I just write “skiing in late May?” Man, that’s fun to say. So save the steaks for the real summer, the snow and slopes are calling.