The combination of snow quality (if not quantity), terrain, grooming, weather, lift price, and lack of crowds make Mission (Mission Ridge) my favourite area in Washington. Crystal is bigger and has some great side country areas, but is crowded, has marginal West Side snow, atrocious grooming and poor terrain and lift management.

I've skied at least two days a season at Mission the last three years in a row. We've always had great snow, some great weather and never a lift line to speak of.

The only things I would change are to replace the old double chairs with high speed quads and address the power problems that crop up almost daily. My wish list includes a chair down the backside and lodging at the base. But this being Washington where the National Forest Service seems to hate skiing, I know these things are never likely to happen in my lifetime.