Crystal Mountain

Crystal was amazing. Behind that face, in the clouds, is the ascent to Rainer's peak. Our friend Yan works there and invited us down after a long season of shitty snow in the Seattle area. The mountains had shut down for awhile and had just opened back up after a miracle snow storm. The day was looking great, and of course we let Yan show us all the nooks and crannies. Eventually, we decided to start hiking, we hiked past the guarded patrol gate and just kept going. Ducking under the rope, we hiked the ridge that you see strait ahead on the right. Climbing over cornices and cliffs, we stopped almost at the peak. Looking over an untouched face of perfection, we dropped in and instantly felt euphoria. We rode down and to the left as far as we could go and then dropped into the woods where we eventully had to hike out. It felt so good it must have been illegal! It was! What we didn't know as we hiked to a trail was that ski patrol was waiting for us at the bottom. Sky and I got a slap on the wrist and our tickets cut. Yan on the other hand was not about to let the patroller have a power trip. He fought with him that he had hiked in from the PCT. He was even going to the extent of offering to be escorted to his tent sight to prove his case. The patroller radioed another to hike out to the PCT and prove Yan wrong so he can take him to jail. Meanwhile I'm worried that we're going to have to bail Yan out later. Our last run down to the base after getting kicked off was liberating, I took my time and enjoyed as much as I could knowing I couldn't go up again. Back at the cars, Yan met up with us; telling us he convinced the female patroller that it wasn't necessary to hike to his site. She was either lazy or believed him and let him go. We celebrated with some beers and took Yan's dogs for a hike. Looking at that face and imagining the lines we took, I'd say it was all worth it!
www.skicrystal.com