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MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK -- Christy Kinney was well equipped for this August backcountry ski trip. Boots and skis. Check. Ski poles. Check. Inflatable raft. Check. Warm clothing. Check. Sunglasses. Check. Cheerleader costume. Check. A costume may seem unusual for a ski trip. But this IS NOT an ordinary ski trip. This is the annual Slush Cup. In the Tatoosh Range -- a group of mountains just south of Mount Rainier -- lies a mountain lake nestled in a rocky basin at the foot of the Pinnacle Glacier. The tarn is frozen much of the year, but by late summer the snow and ice melt, revealing a shallow lake. And that's when it's time for the annual Slush Cup, which got its start in 2003. The idea is simple. Ski down the glacier that drains into the lake and then skim across the now-melted lake. All on snow skis. The goal is to ski or snowboard completely across the lake from the snow to dry land on the opposite side. And while it's a test of skiing skills, the annual gathering is much more than that. It's a reunion and a costume contest. "There's people here that we don't see but about once a year when they happen to get together for this event," says Ron Jarvis, one of the founders of the Slush Cup. This year's Slush Cup included a cheerleader, a chicken, a businessman, a naughty nurse and Santa Claus. While the Slush Cup has turned into a reunion as well as an event for spectators, it's still about skiing. Without the skiing, there would be no costumes, no reunion and no spectators. The difficulty of skimming across the lake varies each year, depending on how much of the lake has melted when the skiers gather. Slush Cup participant Josh Hummel estimated the lake to be 100 feet wide and 100 feet long. This year, skiing across the lake was tough because it had all but melted, making for a longer crossing. In 2008, according to Slush Cup regulars, it was easier because there was more snow and ice, making for a shorter crossing. Ski techniques vary. Slush Cup vet Chris Cass, who made it all the way across, says, "The key to getting across the pond without sinking in the middle is coming in with a lot of speed." He says it's important to "hit the water fast and keep your (ski) tips up so you don't nosedive and sink right in the middle of the pond." But Hummel, also a Slush Cup returnee and one of the top backcountry skiers in the state, sees it differently. "You've got to sort of lean forward and you want to lean back," he said. "It's sort of like water skiing in a way. Once you're actually on the water, everything calms down a little bit -- unless you're falling." Skiers do fall as they try to traverse the lake, forcing a swim to the shore. "That water is cold," says Jim Jarnagin. "I only went in once, I'll just put it that way." Kinney, dressed as a cheerleader, says: "My technique is the same with jumping off cliffs or anything, it's just turning my mind off. I know what I have to do.
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