04.11.09 Jim breakable death-crust H3ll!

Best turns ever! ::)
I'm a bit surprised my camera survived the jolting-jumpturn-gymnastic ride down the trap-crusted slopes:

http://picasaweb.google.com/chriscass1/JimHillMountainTrapCrustAdventureViaLanhamCreekApril112009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJSKx8Tn14na4AE#

Yeah, it was pretty ugly.

Nice side slipping with you guys, let's do it again sometime!

I was riding the lifts at Stevens and my daughter and I ventured into the trees once early in the day.  It ended with a double ejection faceplant into the crust by my 5 year old and me thinking I was pretty glad not be in the BC.  It did turn to something the consistancy of three day old oatmeal by around 2:00 pm and that made is almost skiable if you didn't want to turn.  But, as the saying goes, a bad day skiing beats a good day doing anything else.

author=cascadesfreak link=topic=13002.msg54187#msg54187 date=1239603768]
Best turns ever! ::)
I'm a bit surprised my camera survived the jolting-jumpturn-gymnastic ride down the trap-crusted slopes:

Funny how even the most evil crust still looks sweet when you're not trying to hop in & out of it.    ;)

author=kam link=topic=13002.msg54185#msg54185 date=1239602330] Surprisingly, we had all the mouth-watering breakable to ourselves.  I for sure thought everybody would be out considering the ideal weather and snow conditions.

We must have been right behind your party - saw you in the parking lot - but we decided to take a more 'interesting' approach up to the saddle. We surmised that someone in your party must have been up there before as every time we left your skin track (which was often) we found a more interesting route up. That theme continued on the descent when we got cliffed out by going straight down the main drainage where your tracks veered left. As the summit was completely socked in - and we were so anxious to ski the goods - we decided to stop a couple hundred feet below the actual summit.

As for the skiing, I'll have to agree. It was the best survival skiing I've done in quite some time. A fine day in the hills. Although you did forget to mention the supportive crust up high with a with a dusting of fresh just to make things inconsistent, then the great death crust that finally ended in heavy, sticky mashed potato skiing. So much good, variable skiing to be had. Finally some ski-bush-whacking just to make it an 'all-arounder'. I've probably got some pictures somewhere to make some folks jealous. Let me see what I can find.

Hmm, breakable crust hours of flying and driving from home, or creamed corn half an hour out the back door?  It is not only about the skiing, instead the companionship of misery.  What's better than skiing with friends in breakable crust?  Skiing with friends who have their own stone grinder and ski factory, Patagonia Outlet, and dream weather!  Thanks.