Home > Trip Reports > November 8, 2009, Crystal powder

November 8, 2009, Crystal powder

11/8/09
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
8397
17
Posted by Malachai Constant on 11/8/09 11:16am
A lot was nearly full Ski Patrol practicing rescues on bunny lift. Good skin track a couple of feet of powder where no body skied or packed. pictures and report Beautiful day sun and fresh powder.
A ton of people working for thier turns .Ran into Snoslut and friends
destroying the perfect powder on north slopes of greenvalley. Also Eric from Oly. and a couple friends sharing our slope. Feet blistered,skis beat from the rocks and  and just flat worn out from the first day skiing.
Skied out iceberg gulch with Phil saying" Robie keep your speed up and you won't hit the rocks!"

author=Robie link=topic=14385.msg60214#msg60214 date=1257738593]
A ton of people working for thier turns .Ran into Snoslut and friends
destroying the perfect powder on north slopes of greenvalley. Also Eric from Oly. and a couple friends sharing our slope. Feet blistered,skis beat from the rocks and  and just flat worn out from the first day skiing.
Skied out iceberg gulch with Phil saying" Robie keep your speed up and you won't hit the rocks!"


I was standing at the top of Iceberg when a bearded guy skied up and said " I think I've lost my group."
"who are you with?" I asked.
"Robie!" he replied
I know Robie but I don't know where he is" I retorted.
AHH Damn, I've lost him" He said.
A few moments later the heart warming sounds of group reconnection drifted up from the West face. I was happy for him!

yes, we were happy also! Too bad we missed each other in the orgy.

author=Robie link=topic=14385.msg60217#msg60217 date=1257739836]
yes, we were happy also! Too bad we missed each other in the orgy.


Next time.
I was skiing with Pam but not Chugach, my husky. He left us early on the skin track up and did a lap with Jason Hummel and Amar. We next saw him at the top of Iceberg but he went off to ski Exterminator with  the Keith Rollings group. I saw him next at the bottom of Forrest Queen but then he skied down with another group. I finally reconnected with him at the base where he was playing with a cute Labrador.
Damn dog spent the whole day again roaming around the mountain skiing with different groups.

Sounds like Chugah has very good taste in ski partners. Chris I don't think I'd let this get out. Let's just keep it between you and me. ;)

author=Malachai Constant link=topic=14385.msg60211#msg60211 date=1257736562">
A lot was nearly full Ski Patrol practicing rescues on bunny lift. Good skin track a couple of feet of powder where no body skied or packed. Pictures and report Beautiful day sun and fresh powder.

Saw your posting and photos on NW Hikers and realized that you were the couple I met while heading up as well, we stopped and chatted a bit more at the top of Tinkerbell - I commented on the nice Dynafit bindings.  Nice meeting you!

Robie, you were there, too? Sorry to have missed you.

Brad (Moscawulff), Matt, Mark and I all took a tour in the magic bus (aka the sleek black volvo wagon with a car top carrier) headed to Crystal at the oh so late hour of 6:15 from Tacoma to make it in time for sunbreaks at Campbell Basin Lodge and early morning lunch about 10:30. Unfortunately for Matt, he was having significant trouble with his new boot and binding set up--don't ask me, it's AT stuff and I don't know nothing about those fixed heels, except the trouble instigated a series of "suggestive" comments easily applied to an awkward sex scene, later followed by a rash of expletives leading to complete break down and frustration...

After first lunch, a little more fiddling with bindings, and sorting out early season "what did I forget to bring?" We finally relieved ourselves of the skins and pointed ourselves downhill...

Pointed is key here. Matt, Mark and I had a very difficult time getting down at first as the snow just globbed up on our skis and we had to literally push our way downhill. At one point, I actually turned around and started skiing back up hill with just as much purchase as if I had had my skins on. (I did check Robie, and I hadn't forgotten to remove them... ;)) By Rolling Knolls, we were very happily turning (and wallowing at times) in some very light, deep powder. I had more than one spectacular tip dive that sent me faceforward sprawling and struggling to get up right... while I would certainly like to ski with more finesse, what a fine day to return to deep freshies! (I can't wait to use my new fatter boards when this stuff gets a little more base! :D)

Second lunch (we are hobbits, you see) was had at the base of REX where we soon encountered Josh and Amar, countless unnamed and a few dogs, including a humongous mastiff. (But no Chugach.)

Matt returned to base camp to nurse his battered feet. Brad, Mark and I headed up towards Green Valley with a slight detour by Mark and I, where we happened upon Scotty and his wife. (BTW Scotty, hate to admit it, but the cat track was the better choice... But not at all sorry to say, sticking with partners was the best choice without question.)

Green Valley was spectacular. I only wish we had been there earlier, but it was sweet nonetheless with a few leftovers for us. By then, my legs were shot. (Nothing like early season to remind you what a lazy bum you've been all summer!) Wanting to hit up the slopes down to Green Valley chair, and too wasted to climb back out of that hole, we took a miserable, bumpy, chunky trip down a never ending Kelly's Gap road back to base camp, where we picked up Matt, loaded back up and headed home with only a short detour for nachos (finally!) at the Naches... primo day. See ya, Wednesday. ;)

And finally, pictures that say it all. Nice shots, Brad...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=124942&id=549743112&l=d79b1630c8

Hey Robie I saw you guys breaking trail up the skiers left side of Green Valley as we were dropping in. Nice turns guys.

Here is my version of the same day

Who is going to own up to being the group of ~seven punchng a tips to tails follow my leader skin track straight up slope towards Box Car?

I thought that was really smart! Way to go guys!


WE did skin up the return road from base to  greenvalley. I pretty sure we owe that to Eric and his friends from olympia. And my posted picture was thiers and our tracks together,

...you picked a good day to go.  I headed up today as an intro into the ways of the split-board.  Excellent exercise, however the temps turned the snow into wet cement- not so good for turns, and too early to point it just yet.  Oh well, beats work.  Whatever that is...

No really I am interested.


Holy cow, the weather looks like it was awesome there.

We didn't have to bust through that much...cat track was about a day or two old, and after convening at the Naches for some good times, that snoslut had done the dirty work the previous day. 


Kyle skinning up the cat track.

Nonetheless, there were refills and plenty left for some good laps on Green Valley.  Lots of friends and familiar faces and good snow.  Still smiling.


Kyle busting some track down Green Valley.

Thank you Ullr!! We built him an alter early this fall. Maybe Paganism is the way to go?


author=Robie link=topic=14385.msg60219#msg60219 date=1257741695]
Sounds like Chugah has very good taste in ski partners. Chris I don't think I'd let this get out. Let's just keep it between you and me. ;)


It gets worse Robie.
Joedabaker just told me he saw Chugach following the President of K2 Skis down Exterminator as well.
Amar, Hummel, Rollings and now the K2 President.
My dog's turned into some slutty ski groupie! :-[
I obviously don't have the charisma or ski star power to make him want to ski with me.
I'm going to put Micheal Jackson's " Man in the Mirror" on continuous play on my ipod and do some introspection. :'(

author=Teleskichica link=topic=14385.msg60223#msg60223 date=1257743898]
Robie, you were there, too? Sorry to have missed you.


Hey Holly, we thought we saw your car right next to us in the parking lot but then we decided it couldn't be---it was too new to belong to anyone who'd hang out with us ;). Hope to see you out there sometime soon.

Jeff! Were you wearing your traditional neon? How could I have missed you? Give me a shout sooner than later, I'd love to ski with you and Robie again...
And as for my car, it is all of 11 years young. :) Haha.


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november-8-2009-crystal-powder
Malachai Constant
2009-11-08 19:16:02