Crystal Mountainbiking || Up Crystal and Down Northway

[@seattlevkk]

Great to see this. I've skied here and want to get out to ride this area. You asked what you missed. If you are an intermediate rider maybe the opposite direction is more apropo? Trailforks shows the main trail as black and the way you went up as blue.

[@vincehaag3895]

Heads up! I rode this last week, a few weeks after you did. The last left at the top of Northway was now been decommissioned. They have opened a new trail to the right that traverses the east side of the ridge instead of the west. It reconnects in about a 1/4 mile or less. It’s a great new section with about the same exposure, but a much wider and stable bench cut tread.

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

Good to know. Thanks for the info!

[@xfoxgames]

You made so many comments I can relate to, even the SKI BOWL ONE... Im like... is he talking about ski bowl... OMG HE IS LOL!

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

I love ranting about that place. 😁

[@TimMaddux]

Holy crap that IS Rye! He used to dial in my brakes soooo well on my old Nomad down here in Corvallis AND leave me behind on descents while wearing a tank top and skate rat shoes and no pads. Also I’m not sure what’s more VOTR video canonical… “people-shaped animals” or the call-back to the SkiBowl rant.

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

Rye and his friend Adam decided to meet me up there at the last minute. It was a very serendipitous set of circumstances.

[@rcranes2227]

The call back to the SkiBowl rant had me laughing. I didn't know it was possible to physically taste disdain from watching a KZbin video, but apparently the feelings surrounding weddings and SkiBowl run deep.

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

@@rcranes2227 I know I’m not the only one who feels these feelings.

[@noahthenomad]

Im going to be passing through here on my bike tour across the country. I grew up in buckley and would visit this area occasionally as a kid. tysm for this video to help me get an understanding of the trail.

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

You’re welcome! And thanks for the kind feedback! I hope your bike tour goes swimmingly!

[@yaddamaster]

Rode this the past Saturday (Sept 25th). We elected to do it counterclockwise but because the lifts were not running we didn't encounter many hikers. Actually there were more hikers on Northway than the Crystal Creek side. If the lifts were running you definitely would not want to do it via Northway. Also, I think ascending via Crystal Creek is probably a bit more gradual of an ascent. Going up Northway was tough. I agree the main allure here is just being able to bike where you normally ski - found a few bowls on the Northway side I want to check out this winter.

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

Oooh, I like the strategy of just riding when the lifts are closed.

[@ourlockedgroove]

Nice! I'd like to to this one!

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

Get out there and get it before the snow flies!

[@ig6y]

Nice review! I like to buy ice cream and a can of coke at the tourist shop at the top. There is also a drinking fountain to refill your water at the restrooms. Finally, riding out and back on Northway is another option. You'd want to continue down to Lake Elizabeth (for the views and a swim) before turning around so a bit more climbing but not as much pushing overall.

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

I might have to look into this Lake Elizabeth option, and thanks for the info about there being a drinking fountain at the top!

[@alejandromartincermeno8393]

Only to add that most hikers gets very impressed and surprised when they see a biker on the way up. Some of them even comment that you are kind of super man or something. It was a nice interaction and a morale boost but I couldn't help to feel sorry because if I was the hiker, I would hike the mountain up and then maybe using the lift to go down, not the way around. Anyway, great video! Have you done the Sun mountain trail? It's close by and the downhill is similar to the Northway in Crystal.

[@ronmatthews2170]

Way long ago, you could ride the lift up.

[@MTBradley]

Hopefully that kid isn't still there when you come to ride this. 😂

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

I mean, maybe he lives there. Probably not…..

[@ChrisJones-qw7bn]

Started working a Winter at Crystal as a Lifty. Was fine until my roomate and only ride to work decided to bitch out and Quit after a week because he didnt feel comfortable driving there. Even after I Offered to do the driving having considerably more WINTER driving experience. Dude was a flake. Meh...they didnt like me much anyway because I had been a Lifty at Park City and Snowbird the years prior. And I called them out on a safety issue regarding sit-skier loading practices. Or was it on the tour of the place during orientation when at the main lodge area I asked where the rest of the resort was...(giggle) Then called it "CUTE"=P

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

This is a beautiful illustration of why ski resorts have trouble keeping staff around. 🙂

[@ChrisJones-qw7bn]

@@VoiceOverTrailReviews I mean I didnt intend to come off snobbish or anything. I only pointed out that its considerable safe to stop the lift for 30 seconds to load and secure instead of running it slow like they were. If a mishap occured and something broke or failed and they fell out of the chair....gonna be shut down a LOT longer than 30 seconds. They asked me where I was a lifty and had seen more sit skiers than them and I told them Snowbird. All KINDS of rigs out there for Para Skiers. Damage was done at that point....oh well. Its a nice resort....a bit high on themselves.....but what resort isnt?

[@taim9736]

That trail looks a little too tame for my taste. It looks a little spicier in the opposite direction, but the hikers ruin it. I would definitely not want to be that jerk.

[@VoiceOverTrailReviews]

Oh, it’s still a plenty challenging descent. But most of the novelty really is riding through the ski resort.