Crystal Mountain Sets Out $100 Million Capital Plan
Crystal Mountain has set out a $100 million capital plan, they say:
For nearly six decades, we’ve been drawn to the uplift of the alpine, the escape from the grind and the charge of a powder day with views that take our breath away. We’ve found community on chairlifts, in parking lots and around fire pits. We’ve truly realized what a valuable resource the mountain is for all of us. Throughout the years, the team at Crystal has stayed true to being a place focused on access and providing the premier ski and snowboard experience in the Pacific Northwest.
As we reflect on our past—which started in 1962 with two double chairlifts, a T-bar and seven rope tows—we’re excited to reveal our plans for the future. Over the next five years, we plan to invest $100 million in infrastructure and service advancements, starting this summer with a redevelopment of the base area. This groundbreaking will kick off the biggest capital investment ever made at Crystal Mountain, with a focus on more access and more space for everyone.
MOUNTAIN COMMONS
Dedicated to the spirit of our community, Crystal’s new Mountain Commons will center a redevelopment of the mountain’s base area facilities beginning this April. Headlined by the construction of a new 25,000 sq ft lodge, and surrounded by new outdoor space to eat, gather, and enjoy the mountains, the Mountain Commons will be the first step in Crystal’s expansion plans.
The open-concept space will optimize the arrival experience from grabbing tickets to a cup of coffee in the morning, as well as offering increased capacity for everything from restrooms to retail. The $26 million project will also provide visitors with new dining choices making it easier to find seats at lunchtime, offer expansive beach-front outdoor seating to take in the up-valley views and create a welcoming gathering space for everyone. As part of this redevelopment, the existing Cascade Lodge will welcome an expanded Brand X rental and demo shop and an enlarged Crystal Kids facility, providing more space, better flow, and faster access to the lifts.
This project will kick off the biggest capital investment ever made at Crystal Mountain, with a focus on more access and more space. The Mountain Commons lodge will open for the 2023/2024 season. To prepare, you will see some changes in the base area starting this March —in a zone we’re calling The Chute—including temporary structures for retail and ticketing. Up the stairs in Après Alley, we’ve already launched of our new pop-up food concept containers which will give new flavor to spring and provide a wider variety of food options in the base area during construction.
Watch for live construction cams and regular updates starting this April.
MORE SERVICES & ACTIVITIES
The Mountain Commons is only the first step in more than $100 million in investments coming to Crystal over the next five years. This summer we’ll also be adding several hundred more parking spaces and constructing an aerial adventure course to let our guests engage with the mountain in new and exciting ways. We’re currently finalizing our plans to upgrade lifts and expand terrain in time for the 2023-2024 season.
MOUNTAIN-TOP LODGE
Quick on the heels of the Mountain Commons, we’ll embark on an equally exciting facility upgrade when we replace the Summit House with a new 14,000-square-foot lodge with two floors of elevated dining and retail space.
This newly imagined building will seat 350 indoor guests, and up to 560 guests when the clouds lift and Mt. Rainier is out.
HOTEL
The second phase of the base area redevelopment will host a new 100-room hotel with picturesque views and upscale comforts. The hotel will feature meeting and conference space to host large groups and corporate events, along with commercial space for dining and retail.
The timeline for the hotel hasn’t been finalized so we'll share those updates with you down the road.
TRANSPORTATION PLAN
Now, let’s talk about what’s working. The introduction of paid parking, free shuttle service from Enumclaw and weekend parking reservations has dramatically reduced congestion and improved travel times on Highway 410. Even on our historically busiest days, the drive is an entirely different experience than winters of the past and you can be confident we’ll have a space for you when you arrive. Similar to what we’ve seen with National Parks, State Campgrounds or skiing in the Cottonwood Canyons of Utah — the transportation plan is here to stay.
LOOKING AHEAD
We’re all aware that the past few winters have brought more of us to the mountains. We’ve adapted quickly to the dramatic rise in visitation in creative ways, balancing the exceptional skiing experience that defines Crystal with innovative solutions to the persistent challenges we’ve faced. We’ve created our own free transit system, incentivized carpooling, developed a paid-parking plan for peak days and limited access on the Ikon Base Pass to five days at Crystal this season. Through it all, we’ve asked our community to be patient, to be fluid, and to adapt on the fly as we worked out solutions.
These programs have combined to significantly improve how our guests arrive at the mountain, but we’ve still got more work to do. We also know that delivering our plan for expansion and improvements will take some time to fully execute. So, after listening closely to the feedback, it’s time to make a bigger change for next year.
WITH GRATITUDE
We appreciate your feedback and support, but most importantly your ongoing love for Crystal. While there are many exciting changes on the horizon over the next five years, our mountain community will continue to play a valuable role in helping us learn, improve, and find new ways to offer the best mountain experience possible. We couldn’t be more excited to bring this vision to life and share the journey with you – our valued guests. Whether it is on a hiking trail surrounded by wildflowers, or dropping into your favorite powder run, we look forward to seeing you out on the mountain.
