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Turns All Year Trip Reports
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Topic: TR: Conquering Crystal's Cascade Concrete... (Read 3992 times)
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snoslut
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Friday 11/30 - Left the camera in the car thinking it would be a whiteout all day. John, John and I skinned up to the patrol warming shack where we proceeded to drink some while we waited for a break in the weather. Little wind and 12 degrees said the instruments. Well being the patient person I am, we decided to drop Green Valley vis or no vis. Like always, rocky for first 40ft so it was best to point it. Worked our way towards West Face where the trees provided some perspective and 2ft of blower. On our way up the clouds parted and let there be graybird. Proceeded to take a few more laps, working around the bowl. On the way out we gingerly curved down Iceberg Gulch. Not bad for day one.
Saturday 12/1 - Brought my camera this time.
So glad to see the sun...
Slashing some pow in the trees. Btw where'd the sun go?
Who cares...
Spottieottiedopaliscious...
Powder mines all over the place I tell ya...
This is the last time I stop in the middle of my dream to take pictures...
Our skier contingent...
Tomtom, which way do I go...
Confusing use of time...
Calm before the storm...
Time to move on, too tracked out for my taste...
Sunday 12/2 - It was stupid deep. Breaking trail in knee ---> thigh ---> waist deep snow that was slowing warming = ridiculous. Hour after hour pasted. Progress thwarted by gentle winds averaging 40mph with not so gentle gusts every few minutes between 60-70mph. We stopped 20ft shy of the East Peak summit ridge in some trees. When the perfect set came, I paddled and paddled then sank. After a brief archeological dig, I found my knees, my feet and my board. After catching my breath, I paddled and paddled again. This time I was able to stay afloat for some dreamy, bottomless turns for 1500ft. I couldn't help but notice the settling all around me. 25 degree'ish slopes = wrinkles in the snow. 30 degree'ish = fractures. Plans of doing another lap = flushed.
Cornices on my car...
Where'd your car go?
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« Last Edit: 12/03/07, 09:05 PM by snoslut »
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You will know when Americas in trouble when the Mexicans stop coming...Carlos Mencia
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Randy Beaver
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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.
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The mountain might get 'em, but the law never will
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Robyn
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yeah, sign me up!!!
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"We don't stop playing because we grow older. We grow older because we stop playing."
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stoudema
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Wow! That's the kind of snow we live for! Days like that are what it's all about. Nice pics!
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There is nothing more practical in the end than the preservation of beauty." - Theodore Roosevelt
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Jason_H.
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Dang, i wish I joined. White wasn't so great, but I should have known that.
Thanks for the pics.
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ajjenkin
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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.
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Jason_H.
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I didn't go back there. 
I should have. I imagine it was good. My old man was back there.
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Stugie
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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...
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"The mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals; the houses where I practice my religion." - Anatoli Boukreev
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jenprince
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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.
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Stugie
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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...
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"The mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals; the houses where I practice my religion." - Anatoli Boukreev
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savegondor
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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?
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Tophervw
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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.
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"Animal played the drums better then any other Muppet....How's That for Communism?
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danengel
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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.
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Stugie
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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?
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"The mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals; the houses where I practice my religion." - Anatoli Boukreev
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snoslut
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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. 
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 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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You will know when Americas in trouble when the Mexicans stop coming...Carlos Mencia
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Stugie
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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Right on.
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"The mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals; the houses where I practice my religion." - Anatoli Boukreev
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jcocci
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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.
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jcocci
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I just read that the two hikers were buried in the snow lake area by Alpental. One person did survive. Condolences to their families.
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