This story originally appeared in the November 2019 (48.2) issue of POWDER and was republished with permission. It was the neon Rainier sign in the front window that caught my eye. Like a fly on sh*t beer, I was in the doorway of the old two-tone RV without a second thought. A man in a black flat brim kicked off his ski boots in one of the rig’s swiveling bucket chairs and looked up surprised, but not startled. “What do you think of Cleatus?” he asked me. Unsure if I was cramping this guy’s style, I tried to figure out who the heck he was talking about. “The RV,” he continued. “Cleatus—what do you think?” He flashed a smile and put a ski movie on the Costco flat screen in the corner. I couldn’t lie, the setup was pretty ideal: Two bucket seats, a lounge sofa, double bed, full kitchen and a roof at the base of Crystal Mountain? Not a bad play. That afternoon, Cleatus was one of about 60 RVs in B-lot, the de facto stomping ground for overnighters at Crystal. Every weekend (and for the occasional storm cycle) he made the trip just up the road from Enumclaw, and his temporary neighbors poured in from Seattle, Tacoma, and all over western Washington. A powder poacher on wheels.
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You see, beyond the East Coast’s slope-side timeshares and Summit County’s luxury lodge setups, the Northwest ski home is where you park it. Most resorts in the Pacific Northwest are built on land leased from the forest service, restricting the proliferation of permanent lodging to a trickle. The lodging shortage—at Crystal as well as other Northwest resorts—has given rise to one of the most unique communities in skiing, a rolling armada of ski basecamps perched at the edge of some of the country’s deepest lift-serviced snowpacks. Yet B-lot has always been more than just ski access. There’s just something about the shared struggle of quasi-camping in winter that really brings a group of powder hounds together. Drying gear with a space heater and cooking a family meal with a one-burner Coleman stove might not seem like a ski vacation, but it’s part of a much more sacred ritual. Whether it be the post-concert shuffle back from the Snorting Elk, or the prestorm fire pit, B-lot breeds a community that a hotel never could. The Backstroms grew up here, Tyler Ceccanti too. Countless others can trace a lifetime of ski memories back to weekends in the lot. In fact, many never leave. It’s got pull like that.
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I’ve driven the 410 from Enumclaw a hundred times: its tunnel of evergreens, Naches Tavern, that sketchy left up the Crystal Mountain access road, but my ski itch starts once I hit B-lot. Scanning the endless row of campers, I find a familiar neon Rainier sign, and know it’s going to be a good day. Every time I see Cleatus, I know I’m back home. Look for Cleatus.
Courtesy of Ian Coble/POWDER Magazine Upon Arrival: — There are 72 RV slots with power hookups along the right wall of B-lot. — Spots are first-come, first-served (except in December, when you need to reserve a spot in advance). — Average snowfall at Crystal Mountain: 486 inches — Vertical feet: 3,100 To have great stories like this delivered right to your door, in print, subscribe here.
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This story originally appeared in the November 2019 (48.2) issue of POWDER and was republished with permission.
It was the neon Rainier sign in the front window that caught my eye. Like a fly on sh*t beer, I was in the doorway of the old two-tone RV without a second thought. A man in a black flat brim kicked off his ski boots in one of the rig’s swiveling bucket chairs and looked up surprised, but not startled.
“What do you think of Cleatus?” he asked me.
Unsure if I was cramping this guy’s style, I tried to figure out who the heck he was talking about.
“The RV,” he continued. “Cleatus—what do you think?”
He flashed a smile and put a ski movie on the Costco flat screen in the corner. I couldn’t lie, the setup was pretty ideal: Two bucket seats, a lounge sofa, double bed, full kitchen and a roof at the base of Crystal Mountain? Not a bad play.
That afternoon, Cleatus was one of about 60 RVs in B-lot, the de facto stomping ground for overnighters at Crystal. Every weekend (and for the occasional storm cycle) he made the trip just up the road from Enumclaw, and his temporary neighbors poured in from Seattle, Tacoma, and all over western Washington. A powder poacher on wheels.
U.S. Olympic Medalist Gus Kenworthy Will Now Compete for Britain in 2022 Games
Read article
You see, beyond the East Coast’s slope-side timeshares and Summit County’s luxury lodge setups, the Northwest ski home is where you park it. Most resorts in the Pacific Northwest are built on land leased from the forest service, restricting the proliferation of permanent lodging to a trickle. The lodging shortage—at Crystal as well as other Northwest resorts—has given rise to one of the most unique communities in skiing, a rolling armada of ski basecamps perched at the edge of some of the country’s deepest lift-serviced snowpacks.
U.S. Olympic Medalist Gus Kenworthy Will Now Compete for Britain in 2022 Games
Read article
U.S. Olympic Medalist Gus Kenworthy Will Now Compete for Britain in 2022 Games
Yet B-lot has always been more than just ski access. There’s just something about the shared struggle of quasi-camping in winter that really brings a group of powder hounds together. Drying gear with a space heater and cooking a family meal with a one-burner Coleman stove might not seem like a ski vacation, but it’s part of a much more sacred ritual. Whether it be the post-concert shuffle back from the Snorting Elk, or the prestorm fire pit, B-lot breeds a community that a hotel never could.
The Backstroms grew up here, Tyler Ceccanti too. Countless others can trace a lifetime of ski memories back to weekends in the lot. In fact, many never leave. It’s got pull like that.
What to Eat and Drink to Crush Any Winter Sport
Read article
I’ve driven the 410 from Enumclaw a hundred times: its tunnel of evergreens, Naches Tavern, that sketchy left up the Crystal Mountain access road, but my ski itch starts once I hit B-lot. Scanning the endless row of campers, I find a familiar neon Rainier sign, and know it’s going to be a good day.
What to Eat and Drink to Crush Any Winter Sport
Read article
What to Eat and Drink to Crush Any Winter Sport
Every time I see Cleatus, I know I’m back home. Look for Cleatus.
Upon Arrival:
— There are 72 RV slots with power hookups along the right wall of B-lot.
— Spots are first-come, first-served (except in December, when you need to reserve a spot in advance).
— Average snowfall at Crystal Mountain: 486 inches
— Vertical feet: 3,100
To have great stories like this delivered right to your door, in print, subscribe here.
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
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