On a frosty pre-dawn Sunday, the thrill of an anticipated mountain conquest took a deadly turn, as the dancing hiking queen lost her footing on a slick icy patch, plunging the quiet Mt. Baldy into a saga of loss and tragedy.
A peak just forty-five minutes from the bustling heart of downtown Los Angeles, the lady, fifty-six-year-old Crystal Paula Gonzalez, was not just an enthusiastic hiker, but also a cherished mother of four from Covina, California.
The last recording of her life captures Crystal’s vibrant spirit, illuminating her face with a headlamp as she gears up for the pre-dawn ascent, enthusiastically announcing, “It’s go time.”
The joy of Crystal’s endeavor, however, took a fatal twist on the icy trails of Mt. Baldy. Losing her footing on a slick patch, she plummeted seven hundred feet into a ravine. Although fellow hikers rushed to her aid and a rescue helicopter promptly arrived at the scene, their efforts were in vain. Crystal succumbed to her injuries right there on the mountainside.
Crystal’s untimely demise marks the second fatal incident on Mt. Baldy within a fortnight. The final video of her life portrays an animated mother of four, buzzing with anticipation for the imminent hike.
Known as “the dancing hiking queen,” Crystal regularly updated her family and her large online following with lively snippets of her hiking journeys.
The last moments of her life were captured in this very video, her headlamp piercing the pre-dawn darkness and the crunching sound of ice underfoot. Shortly after recording this, the unfortunate incident transpired, leading to her tumble into the so-called Baldy Bowl.
As soon as the accident occurred, an emergency alert was sent out via a Garmin device to the California Office of Emergency Services, which promptly notified the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. They quickly dispatched a helicopter for her rescue, locating Crystal on an icy, steep slope amidst a group of fellow hikers striving to assist her. Despite the swift efforts of the medical personnel, Crystal’s life couldn’t be saved, and she passed away before she could be airlifted to a hospital.
Only four days before this unfortunate event, Crystal had posted a video on social media, cautioning other hikers about the treacherous conditions on Mt. Baldy, and exclaiming, “This stuff is dangerous! Beware hikers.”
In the wake of this tragedy, Crystal’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to handle funeral expenses and other related costs. The page serves as a heartfelt tribute to the brave mother, citing her memorable “fearless hikes and daily dose of inspiration.”
Her daughter, Jasmine Rosado, penned an emotional note: “More importantly, she was an amazing mother of four, a sister, and a friend to everyone she met. She is the personification of strength, love, and beauty. She was a beacon of light to everyone who knew her and was always ready to lend a helping hand.”
Crystal’s unfortunate demise echoes another tragic loss on Mt. Baldy. Just two weeks earlier, 43-year-old Jarret Choi from Los Angeles met a similar fate on the treacherous Ice House Canyon trail. Search efforts were hindered by severe weather, and he was found two days after his tragic fall. The back-to-back fatalities underscore the perils that lurk amidst the enticing beauty of Mt. Baldy.
WATCH the video below for more details:
Source: AWM
