TR: Conquering Crystal's Cascade Concrete...

Good frickin gosh!

You definetely sold your soul for those turns, but I'd say it looks worth it.

WOW.

I now officially reject buying lift tickets and am joining the Church of the Ever Carving Slut. I'll tithe the cost of a lift ticket every Sunday.

yeah, sign me up!!!

Wow!  That's the kind of snow we live for!  Days like that are what it's all about.  Nice pics!

Dang, i wish I joined. White wasn't so great, but I should have known that.

Thanks for the pics.

We were back on the Hogsback on Saturday...gee, I thought it was pretty good?  Were you (Jason h.) back there that day?  If so, you're crew must have been the ones who started down the shoulder of the false summit just as we arrived (late, around 1 pm). Again, if so, thanks for the skin track all the way back up, and all the way in!  We thought conditions were good and stayed back there till dark.  We only saw what may have been your group, and a solo ski area refugee.

I didn't go back there. :(

I should have. I imagine it was good. My old man was back there.

Eric, thanks for writing the TR.  I hope I made the few alpine skiers who still use a BCA Trekker for skinning proud...lol!  Oh, and by the way, my name is STUGIE not John...lol!  You must have been up late writing the TR.  Hope you got some of the pics I sent you.  I'll have a vid soon.  I attached a few more pics from the 1st and 2nd for the hell of it...first one is you rippin' it up.  Second is of our ridiculous slog through the thickest "pow" I have ever encountered, and third, well, it's just a cool shot I thought...

That picture of you guys skinning looks painful.  I suppose that makes the turns all that much better.  Did you check out the Banff FF this year?  There was a great flick about a photographer who captures climbers in struggle. 

On that, I should have been on top of finding riding partners earlier in the week, because I missed connecting with anyone on Saturday, after only a half dedicated attempt.  On Sunday, I was talked into the ski area by Kyle and Tara,  and I was glad for that.  I guess that it is that time of the year, but tracks were somewhat helpful. 

I think snoslut would agree that above being painful, it was ridiculously slow...lol!  On a different more solemn note, it's very unfortunate hearing about the tragedies in that area at the same time...

Two guys are missing up there right now....I take it wasn't you, Stugie and Snoslut...  Did you see a group intending to go snowcamping?

author=Stugie link=topic=8374.msg33506#msg33506 date=1196871345]
  On a different more solemn note, it's very unfortunate hearing about the tragedies in that area at the same time...

has anything been confirmed on the overdue folks?  Is there an area that is suspect?  Cement/Bullion/Silver?  We saw no folks saturday w/ o'night gear in Silver.

I believe the reports are saying three guys on snowboards are missing. They intended to return Sunday evening and have not been heard from. One of the missing guys is the brother of my wifes co-worker. She does not know much else and there is not a lot more info online but I will update if i hear more.

on saturday we slaughtered cement basin, and near the summit of east peak we met a group of telemarkers...they did not follow us into cement basin, and other than the semi defined skin track we followed out and faint tracks from days before, there were no signs of anyone else back there that day.

come sunday, we debated going into bullion, but due to the extremely unstable snow, even the lower tree lines would be risky because of the faces up above that were very likely to slide...that was 7 am.  After deciding on westerly tree lines off east peak, we began our slow skin up.  Just past the halfway mark, I turned back due to gut feelings of the unstable nature of the snow.  Snoslut, myself, and John remained in radio contact constantly until they joined me safely back near the Alpine.

as I ventured down, I suprisingly ran into 5 people and 2 dogs.  The first was on tele gear, said there were more behind him.  The second I thought might of had a snowboard on his back although he was on skis and had a dog, but I ended up skiing past him exchanging a "hello" and that was it.  The last 3 and the dog were actually some people I knew...all on tele gear with Kinnerly running up ahead.  I confirmed that they made it back to Tacoma.

Snoslut, you got anything else?

Yeah I got something to add.  I'm stuffed!  Just got done eating my 2nd plate at our holiday party and going back for 3rds!  I need to build up some more insulation.

Breaking trail on Sunday only looked painful.  What was painful was watching those skiers wiz up the hill behind us and thought what I heard was complaining about the skin track.  Its either too steep or too many switchbacks.  Not sure about that with all the wind in my ear though. ;D 

News update states that rescuers believe to have found a shelter that might have been used by those men.  Location was not stated.  My sources said Bullion Basin area though I have not confirmed that.

I sure hope someone in that group is familiar with the topography of that terrain.  One could only hope that they hunkered down until the precip and wind has calmed before making an attempt to get out.

Positive vibes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Right on.

I did hear something on NPR either yesterday or this AM about a couple of hikers who died in an avalanche in the past coupe of days. News didn't say what area other than the North Cascades and didn't report any other details. Sad to hear.

I just read that the two hikers were buried in the snow lake area by Alpental. One person did survive. Condolences to their families.

Glad I was talked out of Bullion, then:(  I knew better deep down inside the pit of my don't-even-think-about-it-stomach. 

Wow. 

Here is this evening's report:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/342350_missing06.html