Jill Irwin
Ski or Ride the Pacific Northwest's Premier Mountain
Local skiers and riders in the Pacific Northwest enjoy some of North America's premier ski terrain in relative secret. Crystal Mountain is a "skier's mountain," full of double black diamond chutes and faces, avalanche-controlled backcountry, and jaw-dropping views of surrounding volcanoes.
About 80 miles southeast of Seattle at the edge of Mt. Rainier National Park, Crystal breeds excellent skiers and snowboarders on its surprisingly vast terrain, with over 3,000 feet of vertical from top to bottom. While we don't boast the driest snow like Utah, we usually get lots of it. Insider's tip:
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