December 7, 2005, Bullion Basin

Art and I arrived at the Crystal base area to a cold wind in the parking lot.  The temperature was in the low 20's but with the wind it felt bitter cold.  Checked in with the Patrol office and things sounded quite stable.  Once we ascended out of the base area and up the hill into the trees, the wind was no longer a factor.  We followed the freeway into the Basin and made our first descent on a westerly aspect.  The surface had a very light sun crust that was NOT felt while skiing the settled shin deep powder.  Things have settled since the last storm cycle.  

We continued further into the Basin and made 2 more runs through steep treed lined alleys with a northwesterly aspect.  These slopes were again shin deep powder that became windpacked as we reached the open part of the Basin floor.  It appeared that most of the open slopes were wind affected.  We followed the freeway out of the Basin back to the ski area.  Periodically, we were temped to ski the lower terrain through the trees but the stumps, brush and rocks reminded us that it's still "early season conditions down low."  Also on Sunday a ski friend suffered a compond fracture of his lower leg while skiing a tree line at Crystal.  Plus last Friday Jill took a fall over a rockband at Baker and suffered a compression fracture of her left shoulder. Hopefully only a one month layover for Jill.  That powder fever seems to affect good judgement at times. :)

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