Crystal Lakes Basin is the terrain just west of the Crystal Mountain Ski resort Southback. With its east ridge bordering the Silver King it is withing Mount Rainier National Park. With numerous small cirques it has lines on almost every aspect. As the name suggests the area has two alpine lakes and more then 5 separate peaks to chose from. Wanting to take advantage of a sunny day my friends which are both named Chris and I used the lifts to make our way out there.

Hiking Out Via the Crystal Mountain Southback

After taking Chris Rojas out to the Big Crow Basin the day before we decided to head south. Since all of us had ski resort season passes we took advantage of chair 6 and made our way into the Southback. Once wrapping around the Throne we were making our way past the lower slopes of the Silver King. From our vantage point we had a stunning view of Crystal Peak and the Basin below.

Before long we were standing at an area referred to as the Beach. To the east was Silver Basin and to the West was Crystal Lakes Basin. We were excited about the run in front of us as it is wide open trees. Before long it was time for our first descent of the day.

Snowboarding Down to Crystal Lakes Basin

Chris Kinerk was the first to drop in as he made his way towards 3 Way Peak. Before long it was time to ride fall line to the basin below. Quickly he was gone and making his way to the flats of Crystal Lakes Basin. He was committed and now there was no option to turn around.

After Chris was gone it was my turn to make my way down. Though I was worried the snow would be bad I was happy to find that it was still powder. Loosely following his track I arrived in the basin and we celebrated a great run.

Once our group was in Crystal Lakes Basin we decided it was the perfect place to have a break. By now the area was bustling with activity. We took out our food and enjoyed both the company of each other as well as the birds. They would fly up to our hands in the hope that we would feed them.

Skinning up Crystal Lakes Basin for our Next Run

Our day was pretty much open to whatever looked good. Looking around we noticed a nice line to the south. From what we could see the high point referred to would give us the best snow as well as views. Soon enough we were making our way south up Crystal Lake Basin.

Once on the saddle we were happy with our choice. In every direction there were stunning views of the surrounding terrain. It was a great day in the sun without wind so we decided to hang around for a little bit.

To the west we could barely see Mount Rainier off in the distance. There was numerous good lines into Crystal Lake Basin in between the cornices. The line were short but steep and looked well worth returning for.

Following the ridge the terrain ramped up to Shepard Peak. To the north it dropped off into Crystal Lakes and Mount Rainier National Park. To the south the terrain dropped off to Sheep Lake Basin and the Chinook Pass area.

Time for Our Second Run of the Day into Crystal Lakes Basin

Before long it was time to snowboard into Crystal Lakes Basin. We had spotted a short but steep line down the northeast face. Knowing that our next climb was up 3 Way Peak we made sure to keep our speed up. Before long we were back in the basin and preparing for our final climb.

Time to Exit via Silver Basin

It was starting to get late in the day and it was time to head back to Crystal Mountain. We were a mixed crew of snowshoeing, bootpacking and skinning. Arriving at the steep base of 3 Way Peak we wrapped around the Southern side. We were hoping that it was just past the Southback that the area would have the best snow.

Arriving at the col we had a great view of the resort accessable terrain. From our vantage point we could see the Silver King, the Throne and the top of REX. It was starting to get dark so we made our way down into Silver Basin.

Before long we were riding the final groomer down to the base of Crystal Mountain. It had been a great day riding and taking in the scenery. We were all happy with the route that we had chose and it was great hanging out in Crystal Lakes Basin.

Thank you for reading this trip. If you want to see more ski tours within Crystal Mountain Backcountry check out this link.