Crystal Mnt Backcountry -TR

[Alex]

Headed over to Crystal on Sunday am to sample Union Creek and Buillion Basin, knowing there was new snow and it would be cold and clear. The driver had not navigated to Crystal in a while and the navigator was not paying attention, so our early start still only got us there just in time to hook up with a party of 7 others who had left Seattle after us. Left the cars and headed up. Traversed Buillon Basin, where the snow was good and fluffy, to the ridge. There, the snow was crusty and the wind was howling, but I dropped in anyway, hoping it was only the top of the slope that was crust. Crust crust crust. All the way down, in the trees, in the open, crust. Not particularly good skiing. Only one other followed me down, and we broke trail through the crust, wind, and cold all the way back to the summit of Buillon, a long way(!), until we could get the hell out of there and ski some fluff. Skiied 4 more long fluffy runs in Buillon Basin until very late afternoon. Snow was good on southerly and easterly aspects, crust-o-rama everywhere else. Day turned out pretty nice, despite the terrible start.