Feb 15, 2009, MRNP GYS

So do you have any idea what this "snare line" was?

Sounds like a classic day for you guys, although I don't think I've ever seen the Mad_Dog yardsale. ronj, yardsale, yes, I've seen that once or twice. An arm's length from the fury is recommended when it happens... ;)

author=JibberD link=topic=12374.msg51702#msg51702 date=1235066826]
So do you have any idea what this "snare line" was?

Yep it was a buried "semi" breakable crust layer.

We tele-folks bust the variable crust one leg at a time, ya know?  Sit back a bit and ease the front ski into the choss. 
I probably would've biffed like the other geezers, but I would have been in good company.

author=telemack link=topic=12374.msg51736#msg51736 date=1235105171">
We tele-folks bust the variable crust one leg at a time, ya know? Sit back a bit and ease the front ski into the choss.
I probably would've biffed like the other geezers, but I would have been in good company.

Jeanette should had more consideration for her backcountry brothers and sisters and warned you all of the extreme hazard we encountered, and informed you of how close we actually came to certain doom.

The fact is we encountered the little known but highly notorious "Phantom Crust". The rare but extremely dangerous, in fact rarely survivable, Phantom Crust is a heavy yet semisoft, wind packed layer, usually 3 to 5 inches in thickness on a much softer underlayment of a foot or more and dusted on the top with an inch or so of cold smoke. You can't really feel it as your skis sink insidiously down through this deadly, smooth and silky layer.  Once your skis are under the dreaded Phantom Crust, your speed and confidence both continue to unwittingly and foolishly increase until the drag on your boots it is similar to that of a ball and chain being dragged through a pig sty.
Once you inevitably fall into this certain trap (no pun intended), this tragically unforgiving anomaly of Ullr's wrath, violent thrusts all skiers, young and old alike, head first into the white abyss. The only possible escape is the zorro/kick turn descent, which is the only thing that saved Darryl from the extreme shame, inconvenience and possible demise that the Phantom Crust imparts in it's victims.

Here's shots of the skiing that led us to drop our guard and fall into the trap of the Phantom Crust:





Unfortunately I have no GYS shots as it took me too long to get my head out of the snow.
A couple more shots HERE.

That's the way to use that "golden geezer card".

Would you go so far as to say it was "Geezer crust"?

Maddog - very exciting TR, and RonJ - brilliant imagery, reminiscent of the assault of North Face Dege.
Im glad you all survived to share your story! ;D

Thanks, Blitz,
Jerry ran the creative on the legendary Dege North Face Assault. I was mainly a roady in that expedition. Nonetheless I'm honored to have this trip incident description compared to Jerry's handiwork.  ;)