In the 7D eyes.

Fallen Angels

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

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

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

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!!

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

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.