Crystal Mountain will remain open until snow melts

Winter might be over, but don't put away the skis or snowboard just yet.

As we head into the final days of May, skiers and snowboarders finally have a Washington destination to carve up some turns during spring and early summer.

More than seven feet of snow has fallen in the past month on Crystal Mountain Resort, and the hills are blanketed with 99 inches at the base and 150 inches on the summit.

"It looks like we'll be skiing into July," said Crystal Mountain spokeswoman Tiana Enger, who says the resort will stay open until the snow melts away.

The season snowfall total is 593 inches, which falls just shy of beating the record of 598 inches recorded during the 1998-99 season.

Crystal is open this Sunday, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Lift tickets are $40 with the Discovery, Rainier Express and Green Valley lifts, plus the Mt. Rainier Gondola open. The area will be open Memorial Day Weekend, and on weekends only from June 4 through July, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Lift tickets are $35 with the Green Valley lift and the Mt. Rainier Gondola open.

Mt. Bachelor Resort in Oregon is hosting the Men's U.S. Ski Team spring training, and the public can view them ripping through the courses.

"Members of the team will be visible to those who want to come up and watch them train," said Andy Goggins, Director of Marketing and Communications at Mt. Bachelor in Oregon.

Check out Ted Ligety, Olympic gold medalist and World Cup ski champion and the rest of the team who've been training at Mt. Bachelor since May 10.

The team has been working on speed training for the super G, giant slalom and slalom World Cup events next winter. Visitors can view them on the Coffee and Canyon runs off the Pine Marten Express lift.

In addition, the U.S. and Canadian National Nordic teams will be training June 10-20.

Mount Bachelor has 136-inch snow base, and 177-inch mid-mountain depth. The area is open 9 a.m.-2 p.m. daily through May 29. Adult lift tickets are $50.

In other related news the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will consider a proposal to expand alpine skiing at Mount Spokane State Park.

Mount Spokane State Park is the largest park in the state system with approximately 14,000 acres.

The Commission has authorized the area to be operated under a concession agreement with a Spokane-area nonprofit organization known as Mount Spokane 2000.

As part of its October 1999 land classification action for Mount Spokane State Park, the Commission had left unclassified an 850-acre portion of the park known as the Potential Alpine Ski Expansion Area (PASEA), covered by the current ski area concession agreement.

In 2006, Mount Spokane 2000 proposed to the Commission to expand alpine skiing into approximately 400 acres of the PASEA.

The group submitted its plan and environmental information in December.

In response, State Parks staff has developed four options, ranging from closing the PASEA to alpine skiing, developing the PASEA for alpine skiing and a status quo option that allows alpine skiing to continue without any new development.

To view the plans and other information, go to www.parks.wa.gov/plans/mtspokane2/.

Outdoor calendar

May 22: South Olympic Peninsula Outdoor Adventure & Recreation Expo at Grays Harbor Fairgrounds in Elma (www.ghcfairgrounds.com); May 26: Halibut fishing opens in Strait of Juan de Fuca at Sekiu (Area 5); June 19: The Jimmy Green Memorial Fly Fishing Show and Casting Expo at Lake Tye in Monroe (www.jimmygreenflyexpo.com).

Notes

• The CCA Sno-King Chapter meeting is 7 p.m. May 26 at the Sammamish Valley Grange Hall, 14654 148th Ave. N.E. in Woodinville. State Fish and Wildlife enforcement officer Hwa Kim is the guest speaker. Details: 206-465-6905.

• The Eastside Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers meeting is 7 p.m. June 15 at the North Bellevue Community Center, 4063 148th Ave. N.E. in Bellevue. Gary Krein owner of All-Star Charters in Everett is the guest speaker. Details: 206-473-1613.

• Washington Sea Grant and Port of Seattle Fishermen's Terminal are sponsoring a Coast Guard-approved First Aid at Sea course 8 a.m.-5 p.m. May 25 at the Fishermen's Terminal in Seattle. Cost is $80. Details: 206-543-1225 or www.wsg.washington.edu/.

• The Orvis Store in Bellevue is offering anglers a chance to learn how to fly fish for free beginning May 22. Get tips on rigging, entomology, knots, and casting in Fly Fishing 101. In Fly Fishing 201, you'll practice what you know by catching and releasing trout (for a nominal fee) in a private lake. Details: 425-452-9138.

• The Northshore Trout Unlimited meeting is the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Senior Center, 18560 1st Ave. N.E. in Shoreline. Details: http://northshoretu.blogspot.com.

• Mount St. Helens climbing permits are on sale. Cost is $22. Permits are required year-round to climb above 4,800 feet. Details: 360-891-5007 or www.mshinstitute.org.

• The Issaquah Alps Trails Club hosts weekly hikes and meets in downtown Issaquah. Details: www.issaquahalps.org.

• The Washington Trails Association offers statewide trip reports and trail conditions. Details: www.wta.org.

• The Seattle Audubon Society offers field trips and classes every month. Details: 206-523-4483 or www.seattleaudubon.org.

• The Western Bass Club meets every third Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Kennydale Hall in Renton. Details: www.westernbassclub.comor www.nickbarrfishing.comQ.

• The new nonprofit Cascade Musky Association is looking for members. Cost is $25 or $35 for a couple/family membership. Details: www.cascademuskyassociation.com or www.wafish.com.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com