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Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
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778
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Mt. Sputnik, NV
There was mention in another thread to start up a separate patchskiing thread. @Philpug also mentioned writing an article on patchskiing. I hope to start on that soon. For now with it being May I may begin.
Instead of posting a separate TR for every patchskiing day, I'm going to put them in one thread. I hope that others will add to this. I also hope to provide views, creamed corn and soft-serve snow images, along with some dog stoke.
I'll post a few highlights from each day.
To see more just click on the link for http://patchskiing.com

Bald Mountain, Pinenut Range, May 6, 2017

For years, on many occasions after a snow storm, I would look up at the mountains we can see from the deck of our house and see a nice looking snow patch form on Bald Mountain in the southern part of the Pinenut Range. Often this snow patch would disappear after a few days. However, this winter I noticed that the snow up there had staying power. It was time to ski it. Since there were afternoon thunderstorms predicted, a quick morning mission was in order. This meant driving part way up the road to 7,200 ft. and "storming the castle" to the top of the snow just below the 9,228 ft. peak of Bald Mountain.

Here is a self-timer photo from my second run.
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Makisha in the foreground with the snow patches below Bald Mountain in the background.
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Penny at the top of the last snow patch.
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Makisha watches Stev ski down the last snow patch.
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The storm kicked in while I was taking my boots off. Even though we were soaked by the time we got back to the truck, this was well worth it.
 
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Stev

Stev

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Monitor Pass Dusk Patrol, May 8, 2017

My wife called me when I was driving home from work with the news that Monitor Pass had just opened. After arriving at home we gathered the dogs and our gear for a dusk patrol recon mission.

Penny and Makisha.
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Penny watching Stev slarving the slurpee.
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Looking back at tracks.
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A successful recon mission with results that make a return trip worthwhile.
 
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Stev

Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
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Mt. Sputnik, NV
Lovely, @Stev . What's your typical gear in these? Thanks much!

I hope that my reply includes the proper amount of detail to answer your question. Feel free to request more (or less.)
Skis - Lately I have been using Dynastar Cham 107s. On Monday I used my old PM Gear Lhasa Pows since they have Marker Barons for skinning up. (In the summer I am usually making a "dry" approach and switching over to ski gear at the top of a patch.)
Boots - Dalbello Krypton Pros (I have tried some AT boots, but they felt too soft.)
Poles - Old beat up poles or some LEKI poles that adjust the length.
Pack - DaKine Heli Pro

Summer ski clothing - Long mountain bike shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt in order to keep cool, but still have full skin coverage on my arms and legs. Sometimes I'll add a Hawaiian shirt for steez.
 
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Stev

Stev

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Monitor Pass Dusk Patrol, May 12, 2017

Since the skiing was so good to start the week on Monday, we made a return trip to end the week on Friday.

Penny joins Stev for the bootpack up for the first run.
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Stev skiing up in the clouds.
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Stev hiking up for more after his first run.
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Penny enjoying the snow.
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Stev shadow skiing.
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Makisha joins Stev.
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Stev skiing back to the Tacomama on Hwy. 89.
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There is still a lot of good snow to be skied up around Monitor Pass.
 
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Stev

Stev

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Monitor Pass, Leviathan Peak, May 14, 2017

This would be our third time up here in seven days. With a storm forecast for the afternoon, we had a wide variety of conditions. We started with a few snow flurries followed by moving clouds and even some sunshine. We did a combination of snowshoeing, dry hiking, and bootpacking.

A panoramic view on the approach up.
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Penny below the Leviathan Peak Lookout.
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Stev slarving corn snow.
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Looking back at tracks.
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It was well worth the return trip. We also finished before the storm rolled in.
 
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Stev

Stev

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Monitor Pass, Leviathan Peak, May 21, 2017

We returned to our "local" ski spot, Monitor Pass. It is only half an hour away from our home and the snow conditions are holding up pretty well. We would ski on the north ridge of Leviathan Peak.

Stev on his first run.
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Penny looks up at my wife and Makisha.
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Makisha striking a protective pose in front of a cairn.
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Stev takes a second run.
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On the third run Makisha "trots" toward Stev.
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We headed down to Walker for an apre ski snack. Penny watches Stev and Makisha enter the garden at Walker Burger.
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Monitor Pass delivered creamed corn goodness again.
 
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Stev

Stev

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Lundy Canyon, May 27, 2017

Lundy Canyon is an area that I have looked at for years and had hiked around in the summer, but had yet to ski. Rather than ski the "low hanging fruit" near the shore of Lundy Lake, my wife encouraged me to head further up the canyon for more of an adventure.

On the approach Stev looks across the pond at waterfalls and beyond.
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Pre-run selfie with a pond, Lundy Lake and Mono Lake in the background.
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Stev on his first run.
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Stev climbing over rocks on the way to more snow.
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Stev starts on a boulders and branches giant slalom run.
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Penny and Makisha join.
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Stev looking across Lundy Lake and pointing out Lundy Canyon along with Penny and Makisha.
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It was great to finally ski Lundy Canyon. There are so many great lines to ski back there. A return trip seems certain.
 
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Stev

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^
Thanks for posting these. It looks like I'd feel right at home there. Mt. Washington has moved up on my to-do list.
 

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OK, I'll play. A week ago, I skied Chocolate Mountain, just east of Mt. Rose. I look at it from my living room and it has been taunting me all season and was starting to look like time was running out. It took a 3-mile snowless approach hike and the exit featured a 1-hr bushwhack through aspen and willow. The top 1000' was fine corn and the bottom 1000' deteriorated to slush by the time I got to the avy debris near the bottom. Good times.

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Stev

Stev

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Monitor Pass, May 30, 2017

A nice thing about patchskiing is that you aren't limited to the normal operating hours of a ski resort. Being able to take your dogs with you is an added bonus. When Penny and Makisha gave me the lets go out look, I loaded up the car and we left the house at 7:15 PM. 30 minutes later we were up at Monitor Pass and all set for some sunset skiing.

Penny and Makisha want skiing to start.
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I started my first run at around 8:00 PM.
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Another self-timer photo from another run. Stev further down.
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I completed four runs in an hour. Three were done prior to sunset and my last run was finished about ten minutes after the sun went down.
 
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Stev

Stev

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Monitor Pass, June 2, 2017

Makisha and Penny wanted to head up to the snow. I agreed, so we headed back up to Monitor Pass and skied the North Ridge of Leviathan Peak.

Penny and Makisha at the top of Leviathan Peak with the Sweetwater Mountains in the background.
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Penny and Makisha are ready to start skiing.
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Further down on the first run.
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Another self-timer photo. Stev on the second run.
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Makisha and Penny were right. There was still plenty of creamed corn snow goodness to be enjoyed.
 
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Stev

Stev

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Mount Rose Highway Part One, Sky Tavern, June 3, 2017

Spence and I decided to explore some area around Mount Rose Highway that we had not skied before. Part one would be a partial car shuttle to ski a couple of runs at Sky Tavern.

Spence and Stev pretending that there is lift access.
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Spence starts down our first run with Little Washoe Lake in the background.
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Stev skiing his first run ever at Sky Tavern.
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Spence further down.
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Spence spraying corn snow high above Reno.
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It was fun to finally ski Sky Tavern.
Part Two, Tahoe Meadows coming up next.
 
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Stev

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Mount Rose Highway Part Two, Tahoe Meadows, June 3, 2017

After skiing Sky Tavern for the first time ever in the morning with just enough cloud cover to keep the snow in good shape, we decided to explore the other side of the pass from Tahoe Meadows.

Spence skiing with Washoe Lake in the background.
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Spence further down with Chickadee Ridge in the background.
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Stev
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Stev

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Monitor Pass, June 4, 2017

Since the North Ridge of Leviathan Peak skied so well two days ago, I returned with my wife as well as our dogs Makisha and Penny.

Stev and Penny angling and angulating.
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Stev skiing with the Leviathan Peak Fire Lookout in the background.
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Stev continues.
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Makisha pursues.
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Makisha joins Stev on the bootpack up for another run.
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Nearly a foot of snow melted off in the past two days, but the skiing was still great.
 
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Stev

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Donner Summit, June 5, 2017

Spence's description:
"Yesterday (6/5), Stev and I found some decent snow and some cool chutes starting from the Donner Summit Trails parking lot on the southside of Hwy 80 (Boreal exit). We hiked in (in hiking boots as the snow was firm) and skied several lines somewhere to the Northeast of the Boreal and Donner Ski Ranch boundaries, overlooking Donner Lake and Hwy 80. Lottsa sun-cups on the east facing slopes, but all the stuff in the trees/shade was nice. There are a few lakes back there (still trying to figure out which lake we ended up skiing above). They are still frozen. Skied--well at least skated, traversed, and were on snow--all the way back to the vehicles."

Spence starts our first run with a mini cornice drop.
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Stev on our first run with Donner Lake in the background. Northstar Ski Resort is in the distant background.
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Stev further down on our first run.
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Spence on the giant tree well giant slalom course.
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Stev slarves around the tree branches and trunks.
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Stev skis toward a frozen over Azalea Lake.
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Spence finds an interesting opening above Azalea Lake.
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Spence finds a fun path on our return run.
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Stev skiing out on the return run.
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Castle Peak, our next destination, can be seen in the background.
 
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Stev

Stev

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Castle Peak and Andesite Peak, June 7, 2017

Two days earlier, while skiing Donner Summit, we noticed that Castle Peak had impressive snow coverage on its south facing slopes. This area would be our destination. We opted for a "dry" approach since the road/trail in was pretty well established and the snow was somewhat firm. Dry really isn't accurate. We each brought two extra pairs of socks to change into since our feet were cold and wet by the time we got to the ridge and were met by knock-you-on-your-ass winds. Good skiing with creamed corn snow made it all worthwhile.

Stev starts skiing below Castle Peak with Andesite Peak in the background.
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Spence skiing below Castle Peak with Andesite Peak in the background.
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Stev skiing further down.
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Next, we did a traverse/hike combo up toward Andesite Peak.

Spence skiing Andesite Peak.
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Stev slarving some late afternoon soft-serve snow on Andesite Peak.
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nemesis256

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Spence on the giant tree well giant slalom course.
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Stev slarves around the tree branches and trunks.
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Stev skis toward a frozen over Azalea Lake.
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Spence finds an interesting opening above Azalea Lake.
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Spence finds a fun path on our return run.
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Stev skiing out on the return run.
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Castle Peak, our next destination, can be seen in the background.

Those trees look like tons of fun!

I went back to the snow patch on Mt Washington on June 10th. It didn't shrink much, but now it's not, so it will be gone soon.

You guys still have tons of snow, how long will it last?
 

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