Dylan Crossman's Blog

Fallen Angels

2012-01-15T19:20:00.005-07:00

It's been a long time since I made an effort to write in my Blog. It was just a few months of traveling and being just a bit too tired at night and too busy when the sun was up to sit at the computer.

Then there was a bomb that hit close to home. There was destruction all around.

My heart was hurting, my friends and family were hurting too.

The blast took something from all of us. Someone that means so much.

I felt like I couldn't just write a few words and put up some photos of the fun times and great travels. It was like I needed a break to think of what this life is all about.

What is it in these competitions and in these sports that make us forget what we are? Human. Flesh, blood, and bone.

Why do we risk our lives to do what we love?

Life could be so simple but we choose passion, risk, and life on the edge for a feeling that's even hard to explain.

It's been almost a year since my last blog post on my personal blog but I have made a few other posts for the Skier Boyz http://www.skierboyz.blogspot.com/ and Mammut http://www.mammutathleteteam.blogspot.com/ I just didn't feel right about making an update until I made peace with the loss of my close friend Ryan Hawks. http://flyinryanhawks.org/

I have lost other close friends to the mountains. I will never forget these guys and the others that have moved on into a new reality. Billy Poole http://billypooleskifoundation.org/
John Nicoletta http://www.aspensnowmassshrines.com/index.php?The-John-Nicoletta-Shrine-Aspen-Mountain

This is a hard thing to say but there has been another bomb that hit home again. The loss of another brother that is part of our family. Adam Lawton. He also was doing what he loved, skiing.

It for me is about a feeling that I get when I'm in the moment of greatness, floating across the earths surface like some kind of space age Jetson's character or like the way Fred Flintstone's car skips along from the kick of his feet. (It, what is It, It is everything, It is the life force that is all around us whether or not you see or feel It)

It is what makes you happy or sad. It is love. It is death. It just is. It is all around us all the time.

We all take chances every day whether you think so or not. I'm not going to go on and on trying to prove any kind of point about that. Some of us just have a passion for the more extreme things in life.

I'm just tired of losing people that I love and I want everyone to remember that we are all just human.

When you see your favorite skier or sports star on the big screen and the super human line they just sent or the amazing catch or basket in the last seconds of the game... think of all the lines, throws, and attempts it took to make it all happen. Follow your heart and the passion that drives your life.

Be careful, think twice, and use your common sense.

Don't get me wrong I take chances too. I premeditate and think about my day and what it might become. I use instinct and gut feelings to try and make a day that keeps my drive for life on the edge safe.

Believe it or not these few short sentences have taken me a few days to write. Not only that, but getting the nerve to put in the password to open this editing page of my blog has taken almost a year. I hope what I say will have some impact on the way you think of life. It is precious and fragile. I want people to reach out and tell someone that they care.

Peace and Love.

Crossman, out.

Much Needed Update

2011-02-09T17:36:00.007-07:00

It's been a good winter. I've been on the road a lot and have had lots of good travels.

Last update was in November when we were getting storm after storm in the north west.

This blog is a little bit of what I've been doing since. Well just my first trip to Idaho. There will be a Canada and a Sawtooth Mountain post soon to come. Next we are on the way to Crested Butte for the next stop on the Freeskiing World Tour.

We spent Christmas with Mckenna's family in Idaho before we headed to our first ski comp in Revelstoke, Canada.

Here's Mckenna and her dad up in east fork of Baker Creek about ten mile back from Idaho's route 75.

We are getting ready to take turns making sled laps in moo moo meadow.

Of course I found some lines that brought us into some trees. Mckenna making some pow fly.

Over looking East Baker Creek.

Who could ask for a better Christmas??

Mckenna and her dad making turns together in moo moo meadow.

For Christmas Chris Mckenna's dad bought us day passes at Sun Valley. Here's some skiing in the burn down to Warm Springs road.

Some of the best snow on the mountain and really open from the fire. I think the burn happened in 2008.

Mck and I getting ready to go out on New Years Eve.

We pretty much ate and slept the whole next day in preparation for the long road to Revelstoke Canada the following day.

More to come of the travels Canada.

Great Few Weeks of November

2010-12-02T16:41:00.007-07:00

Wow.

We started off the season with some of the best powder skiing anyone could ever wished for.

Wasatch Smile under there!!

Making the best of Suicide Chute!!

Key Hole just the other day was the deepest of the season.

The tracks where few and far between as Mckenna Plows here way down.

Blower powder for sure.

Making time after a day like this for a beer at the P-dog is a must.

First day of Powder Storm skiing at Alta

2010-11-22T22:43:00.003-07:00

It was a great storm day of skiing at Alta. Plenty of pow for everyone.

Hope we have a season full of days like this one.

Lucky me!! I get to show Mckenna around Alta for her first year having a seasons pass.

Suicide Chute!! Day 2nd back in the Wasatch!!

2010-11-20T12:18:00.011-07:00

Here's a shot of Suicide Chute after we skied it.

Skins on skins off.

This was my first time skiing the chute so had to document it.

A couple of people skied Suicide Chute the day before but booted the whole way. We skinned the apron and started booting at the bottom of the Chute. The booter was windblown but good in many places.

Looking down from about half way up the Chute.

Almost there. We had it pretty easy but still took turns breaking trail. I just let Bret take over and I snapped a few shots.

We had a couple take advantage of the boot we had just set.

They had come up after us but we still did the right thing and waited for them to get to the top before we dropped in.

Bret getting some turns in the rich creamy snow of the pre Thanks Giving skiing.

This shot taken in the morning just before leaving the car at Hellgate parking lot.

Was a great second day back in Utah with more of the skierboyz.

Back In The Wasatch Mountains With The Skier Boyz

2010-11-20T11:04:00.005-07:00

Good morning Wasatch Mountains.

We have a big group of the Skierboyz together for this tour.

The south face starting to warm up as we warm up.

The sun lighting up the small town of Alta.

The Mountains and there beauty over looking the Great Salt Lake.

Who says the Skierboyz take lots of risks? A small snow study after skiing Main Days.

The Buffalo making nice turns in upper Days Fork.

After skiing Upper and Main Days we dropped into the Hallway Couloir and skied out to Big Cottonwood.

http://www.pawprince.com/pawprince/writings/tcg_page/Hallway.html
Heres Brett slashing through the Hallway

I few of us after hitching down Big Cottonwood waiting for the cars to come back around.

The last thing a Freeskier wants to see just before winter.

2010-11-07T09:43:00.004-07:00

Well belive me I've done this before but not on Rosie. Shes been good to me. I was dropping a wood stove off at the bottom of my road to give it away and all of a sudden there is smoke pouring out of the hood. Oh sh**. I got out and I saw oil pouring out of the timming belt cover. I knew it was the main, or camshaft seals.

This is an easy job and the shops charge $425.00 Took me two hours and just under $67.00. The passanger side camshaft seal had dried up and when I opend things up I could see the seal had popped out.

Getting Ready to make the marks on the timming belt and pulleys.

This is still what this Freeskier whats to see. That there is always things that remind you that there is love everywhere in the world.

This was a big silver Maple that I was way up in the tops of. Both sides had what looked like nice live bark but as you can see most of the inside was all rotted.

October 16th My First Tracks of the Season Mad River Glen!!!

2010-11-01T09:52:00.005-06:00

I was a bit blown a way with how much snow was up a the might Mad River.

A thick blanket of 14+ inches. The S 7s put me on top and kept me out of the rocks and roots.

Lars here making some turn on lower Paridise Looks like hes making nice turns little do you know one of those skis is broke in half.

I set a booter and did a couple laps on Cat bowl before metting up with Lars and Wardle to finish the day with Fall Line Dice and Canyon.

Good day had by all.

Even the subi loves the snow as much as me.

Summer Fishing Trip To Alaska and Washington.

2010-10-30T11:26:00.008-06:00

This was the start of my amazing fishing trip this summer.

Just getting the travel started here in this shot.

Getting a ride to Boston with the Chickering-Ayers boys

Via New Yorks JFK airport for Lars to depart for South America.

My first pic in Alaska at the docks in Whittier AK

This is the bay we woke up in on first morning on the water.

My first Sun rise in wild Alaska fishing.

Some other fishing boats looking for a good set.

Looking around at the wounder of my new adventure after a small set and a few fishies.

A few pounds of fish but a small set after a few weeks of the crew hitting to salmon run just right.

Mckenna and I looking for jumpers.

All the amazing stuff you want to see was all around but hard to capture with my point and shoot.

This awsome hot spring that was a first time stop for the whole crew.

This is just one shot that I really loved and thought showed the magic of what is all around us.
More to come soon of this summers adventures.

peace.

Crested Butte And Kebler Pass

2010-02-25T15:28:00.007-07:00

The nice town of Crested Butte

Here's some of the Green Mountain Freeride team getting some down time.

Ryan Hawks making some of our last turns in Crested Butte

Not sure if you can tell but this is the inside of the Green Mountain Freeride van.

Another day in Paradise.

Lars trying a new gap. It did go and it was smooth.

Some of our buddys that know the sled access.

Nice day for the team.

Ryan and Silas looking Happy

Our own little junk show.

Long Summer of Work

2010-01-10T11:17:00.003-07:00

Life as I know it.

Where's Waldo? Pruning for a Green Mountain View.

These's are beautiful Surgar Maples.

Got to love that Sun.

Summer is a time for getting after it in a different way for me.

This is what I have to do to be able to ski all winter.

D0n't get me wroung, I love trees. They are here for many reasons.

This Tree was dead. It's right next to the house and this is Vermont

so for some reason the power lines are hooked to it.

It needs to come down safely.

Heres me getting set to taking some weight off this big Silver Maple.

Working with the crane can be fun but gets in the way most of the time.

Just a little prospective for you. This is only about 80'

Here's some work I did with Brian Mohr early last season .

Mad River Glen. So deep it made it into Skiing Mag.

Alyeska, Alaska. Last stop on FWT. Valdez. Thompson Pass

2009-04-25T14:48:00.010-06:00

http://store.mobilerider.com/flash/player/index.php?vendor_id=104&video_id=17188

More comps

2009-03-31T15:29:00.006-06:00

This is Taos. Not much snow when we got there. I'm on the hike to the qualifier.
Behind me in this photo.

This is a better photo of the area the qualifier venue. This is also where the first day was going to be but with a few more cliffs being in. The night after the qualifier day it started to snow and we had a weather day.

I didn't get any more good photos of the last day venue.

I had a great line planned for the finals but as I was making a hard turn to get over to the last cliffs I wanted to hit and dug a tip under some soft snow and fell.

This is back in Alta after the Taos adventure. I showed Julien Lopez and his filmer Tomas around.

Here we are getting ready to ski Wolverine Cirque.

Here's looking up at Silver Fox, day one of the Snowbird comp.

Brit and I chilling watching the comp

Well the third comp of the year and I took a fall at the bottom of Silver Fox after all the hard stuff was over.

I was so bummed out after winning last year then not even making the finals.

Back on the road again. Brit, Fireball, and I. Cali bound. Kirkwood or bust.

A pit stop to make some grub and check out the view.

You got to love Lake Tahoe.

Here's the Fireball getting setup at Kirkwood.

Day one of the Comp.

Brit havin fun skiing Cali with me.

Well it was about time I didn't fall in Freeski World Tour this year.

I finished 7th but wasn't skiing like myself. Might have been the nerves after all the falls in the past comps.

Much Needed Update

2009-03-31T13:26:00.007-06:00

After ISPO I was invited to go Skiing with Loda and some of his friends.

This is at their home mountain, Dutchstien.

The ladders used here brought you over to the more extreme train.

After Climbing the ladders you walked through a tunnel on the side of the cliff.

The snow pack was very low and only the very north facing snow was soft till the sun made the corn skiing good in the afternoon.

This was a great day of skiing.

Just being in a new part of the world is good enough but to be able to ski it is even better.

I want to thank the Y Dream Production crew for loaning me the ski gear.

After this day of skiing I went with Loda, Martin, and their house mates to Salzburg for dinner and some night club fun.

Crested Butte

Here we are for the first few nights. We had to move every night after.

This is the Dead End chutes the area I skied on the first day of the Crested Butte Freeski comp.

I finished day one in First place.

Lars, Silas, and I making dinner in the Fireball.

This is day two. I was the last person to go in the finals.

I kicked of a ski on a rock near the top but was able to find my ski

and finish my run.

After my fall I was pushed back from 1st to 13th missing the super finals.

This is the results of my ski kicking off and tagging a rock to the side.

I will soon update more from my winter.

There is 3 other comps I have been in and many other days skiing.

Germany and Austria

2009-02-07T12:38:00.005-07:00

This is the reason I went to Germany
To do a presentation on the Crossman Couloir
at ISPO

Some after hours fun on a slack line flipping out.

Some skiing after all. The snow was not very good this year.

This is the hike to get to some of the goods at the ski area we went to.
You had to hike up these ladders then go through a tunnel in the rock.
Pretty cool, keeps the beaters out.

That about all I've got to say about that now.

Powderwhores www.powderwhore.com

2009-01-31T01:22:00.004-07:00

Here I am with some of the the Powderwhores.

Getting out and after some Powder.

www.powderwhore.com
Thanks guys hope to get some more work done with you guys.

Back in Salt Lake

2009-01-31T01:09:00.008-07:00

This is the coulior we skied today.

Might be the first time it was ever skied, but we will never know.

It's the one lookers left in this picture.The start of Neffs Canyon.

This was are crew today. Left to right.

Bret, Stephen, Emilie, and Me.

The dogs are around.

http://www.utahoutdooractivities.com/neffs.htmlThis is a better angle of the coulior.

If you look close you can see a red line marking what we skied.Getting close to the top.

Glad to be out of that city air.

Dropping in the coulior form the Top. There was and easier way in but not as fun as this one.

Once we made our way in it opened up for a little bit.

The snow was a bit funky. Some kind of wind slab.

A little powder on the right side.Working my way down to a safe place to wait."I'm safe, rip it Bret""Stephen put that camera away and lets get the rest of this thing done."

Back From Canada

2009-01-30T23:59:00.002-07:00

Here's the crew I went up to Red with.

We are getting ready to ski in Montana.

This is the first stop of the three mountains today.

You might not be able to tell but this is the back of our friends truck.This is the W.M. Lodge. My Photos and words can't explain it.

I took this picture waiting for the lift to open.This is a good friend and I after a few runs making the best of a great day. My Camera didn't have much battery life for this long day of skiing.

So I just have to tell you quickly how this great day went.

After skiing the Y.S. Club we worked our way over to ridge line to the next resort.

A few good runs and it was down the valley a bit to the next basin.

A little bump skiing and back up to finish at the Bigsky base area.

Any real ????? about our day call me.

802 -272-3767

Red Mountain Canadian Open Finals

2009-01-22T11:41:00.004-07:00

View of Rossland B.C. Canada.

This is shot early morning getting ready to inspect the qualifier.

The Clouds you see are what the locals call the Rossland Sea.

The Valley when in Rossland is always dark and damp.

As soon as we got a few chair lifts up the sky would open.

This is the best shot I got of the qualifier.

The Clouds would drift up and down slowly through out the day.

It was a bit mystic.

Points from the Qualifier where going to be part of you score for over all points so I knew I was going to have to give it my best.

I had my run well planned in my head after pre skiing the slope at inspection.

By the time I was up for my run about 70 athletes had skied before me and the snow was even thinner and the bumps way bigger.

I was not able to ski my planned run the way I wanted. With quick changes thought out the run I was able lock down a smooth solid run to get me 11th tied with one of my buddy's I drove up with.Mt Robbert's.

A 20 minute hike from Red Mountains inbound skiing.

This is where the second and third day of the comp was held.

The second day was a bit harder. We had to hike to inspect the Slope, we had to hike to get out to get back to the base lodge. The run was long and had many options for air, speed, turns, and tricks.

I started my run with huge spraffy right of the top (a spraffy for those who don't know is a mix between a daffy and a spread eagle tweaked to the max) After landing I had a great amount of speed going. I ripped a few hard turns and cut left to some fresh snow working a fresh spine of snow and rock. Jumping back into the main chute. A hard right turn into the trees that bring you to0 the snagle tooth cliff. I stomped a double drop into the most open part of the run and picked up some speed for unnatural 360 (witch is spinning the 360 clockwise. For me normal is counter clockwise) Landing and a few more turn to the finish for day 2.

I move up a few spot to 7th place.

On the final day more of Mt Robbert's was opened for the comp.

It gave us more cliffs to hit on the top and a couple smaller air lower down and one big cliff band with lots of options.

The start I choose was a fast entry of the top to an air out of some trees. I stomped a big spraffy and had to slow it down to get to the next air. I sent a natural 360 ans stuck it clean. A few power turns to slow down for and air over some small trees. A hard right back to the snagle tooth. This time skiing it right off the top to a small transition that smoothed the impact.

A few turns and the biggest air of the day for me and yes no ones landed on my pillow of snow. Skiing away with ease but a lot of speed. Another unnatural 360, another smaller spraffy.

Now setting up for the last air. A blind roll over cliff drop. Wheres this take off??

Oh right here. Yes!!!! a few turns to shut it down and a little log jib and it's over.

But as I went to stop fell over loosing control for a second.

I lost a few points on that but Finished 3rd YEAAAAAA!!!

I also was nominated for the Ill' Eagle witch is the Canadian equivalent of the sickbird!!!!

Packed up for the ride back to Salt Lake.

After a quick stop in Montana to ski 3 resorts in the same day.

To Be Continued.

The First Comp of the Year is Over!!!

2009-01-17T17:40:00.004-07:00

Just sitting at the Hostel in Rossland. The day went good.

I went into today in 7th and moved up some but not sure yet.

But let you know soon.

I'll load some pics when back to SLC

Red Mountain Canadian Open Freeskiing

2009-01-15T09:34:00.003-07:00

Just got done my inspection run for the first day of the Canadian Open.

Going to chill a bit then go ski around to stay warm.

In Canada... eh

2009-01-13T21:26:00.005-07:00

Here we are in Rossland B.C. We just had Dinner and a few Beers
This is the Hostel we are staying at. This is Scott he get the big bed cause he's been here before.
Daryn is Facebooking five girls at the same time.

He has the bottom bunk.

Chuck gets the top.

He just havin a few beers till bed.

In Utah

2009-01-11T10:49:00.004-07:00

I have arrived in Utah and have been skiing Alta, it feels like I never left! It won't be long and I will be hitting the road again for the start of the freeskiing tour and a trip over the pond to Europe.

Couloir of the Month

2008-12-31T19:41:00.003-07:00

Crossman Couloir. Coulior of the Month Backcountry Magazine.
Volume 14 Issuue 46 December 2008

New Years

2008-12-30T18:18:00.002-07:00

Hope that a new year brings a return of pow like this for all.

This is what I've waited years for.

2008-12-22T20:56:00.003-07:00

Early this morning at the park and ride in Montpelier. Looks like Alta???

It's been deep!!! This is a shot of me that Brian Mohr posted on his web site.
This was a couple of days ago and it's snowed yesterday and all last night.

It's been Dumping

2008-12-21T21:32:00.006-07:00

The walk ways at Wardle's tonigh.
The snows getting hard to get over the banks.

Back at the Lewis House the snow has also really added up.

It's been looking a lot like Alta these past couple days.

It's was a great morning of skiing at Mad River. But the winds started to blow around 1:00 and first shut down the single and soon after the double chair as well.
I packed up and headed to Wardle's to check on him and his knee. He blew his ACL yesterday skiing with Silas, Lars, and I in Octo's garnden. Or it might of been more three cliffs area.
But anyways we send him our love.

Pow day

2008-12-20T20:53:00.003-07:00

Herer's a photo no ones seen.

I haven't gotten any pics from today yet but it was a great day.

Blower over the head powder.

I'll post some photos on as Brian sends me some.

Eastern Skiing

2008-12-19T18:10:00.002-07:00

A little ealy season skiing at my Home Mountain.

This is the newest chair at Mad River. Only mountain with a new single chair and a quad urinal.

This is the new snow when we got back from the mountain today. Tomorrow is going to be east coast epic.

East Coast Quickies

2008-12-18T20:42:00.007-07:00

Today after working on packing the truck and Fireball, Britt and I went for a short skin. Up Paine Mountain. It's a small peak between Berlin and Northfeild. It was a 4x4 road good for a burn when I was in high school. Now It's turned into a park with winter and summer trails.

At the top of our skin getting ready for some low angle fun.

R.B. Cameron, a friend and coworker, and I, as I say good by to him. He's a real tree expert. He's had his own tree company for longer then I've been breathing. We had a good summer and I've learned a lot.

Thats about all I've got to say about that. (For now)

Road Ready???

2008-12-17T09:56:00.008-07:00

Photo of the day at Mad River Glen Opening day, by Brian Mohr

Heres this winters set up. It's been to cold and wet to put the Sponsor Logos on but it's starting to look good on the inside.

The fireball now has a 12" sub, JBL, Infinity, and Sony 10 disc changer.
This will rock me to sleep on the cold lonely nights

I'll be leaving soon as the roads get cleaned up and the storms pass.

I'm hoping Twitch-E can wait for me to show up at the DPH to tune his skis. And Bring out a wood stove I have for him.

The Fireball. I was not able to find the real vin # so the Vermont DMV gave me a new vin.

I looked up the modle # on the net and it looks to be a mid 50s camper.

Top of the line in it's time.

More space then I really need. It has for beds a three burner stove and a small oven.

It's been a fun fixer uper.

We are still getting pow here in Vermont. Hope to ski again at Mad River Glen.

2008-12-16T20:47:00.003-07:00

Hey all out there. My good friend Harley that I do Tree work for set up this Blog for me.

I will be able to up date my friends, family, and hopefull fans.

HA HA.

Not sure how this works yet but a few good day playing around and i'll see if it works out.

Anyways I'm still in Vermont and have been skiing at Mad River Glen. Helping with the patrol.

I was going to leave VT monday but there has been some change of plans.

I'll let you know when I'm leaving.

The Fireball is road ready and I'll post some pic soon.

2008-12-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is a trip I took to Austria with some other Telemark Athletes last year for a Tele Fest and a Tele Cross. (JT Robinson, Zack Houston, Jon Gurry, and Photographer Steve Lloyd). We made our way from Salt Lake City to Austria and this Coulior was one of the runs I skied on my first day.

It was a first descent. The guys we skied with have grown up in this town (Lothar Hofer-guide for this years trip, and Martin Sochor) They have their own Video Production called Y Dream.

They are the guys that pointed out the Coulior and told me it had never been skied.

When they pointed out the shot I immediatly wanted to ski it. The rest of the crew didn't want to get into it so we skied some other faces and as the day's end was nearing I told everyone I wanted to ski that Coulior. I asked around who wanted to be my side kick, but no one wanted to, I talked JT into it and we put our skins on and started up. We got to the top Zack, Martin, and Steve where ready to shoot it.

I skied it first. It was steep and got really narrow at one point (about 170 cm). JT went next and made it to the bottom and we traversed around the backside of the moutain and back to the base area.

When we returned, Lothar and Martin aked me what I wanted to name it.

I asked them why. They told me they have been looking at it for years and it had never been skied. It is now know as Crossman Coulior.

It is off the back side of Loser Mountain Pronounced [lo:zer] its in Ausseerland Austria.

Part of the Totes Gebirge Range