Backcountry Ski/Snowboard - Crystal Mountain Backcountry

Met in lower plaza area to facilitate folks visting the Guest Services ticket booth to sign ski area waivers and obtain Crystal's "Backcounty Card"  which are now  dusty pink (two weeks ago the card issued was blue,  the one I have from last year is yellow) .    We geared up just east of the plaza and skinned up Discovery Meadow and then the left edge of the Quicksilver run.   Ski Patrollers , checked in with us on the way to see the "Backcountry Cards" tied to the right side of backpacks.  After topping out Quicksilver, we followed the Silver Basin return trail briefly before cutting left to Hen Sken lake, where we conducted a beacon search practice.   One team member also performed heel blister first aid.    We then proceeded  upward to the bench @ 6200 ft below Threeway peak.     We skied through the trees back down to the basin @ 5700 ft and had a lunch break.     Skinned back up to 6200ft and this time skied N to interect the Silver Basin return track @ 5880 ft.     Two team members indicated that they couldn't do another skin up.   One due to heel blister issues and the other due to equipment issues on their splitboard.    So we left them with one of the radios and the six of us skinned up to the hummock @ 6240 for a little extra skiing.   After rejoining the two @ 5880 we skied out the Silver Basin return track and the QuickSilver run.  Sadly due to COVID, we were not able to do an after trip review in the Snorting Elk.