May 3, 2005, Patricia Bowl, Rock Creek area
5/3/05
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After our bushwack trip near McGee and Basin Mt and the unconslidated snow, we decided to drive to a high trailhead. The Rock Creek road is plowed to the Pack Station at around 10,000'. I love driving to Camp Muir and putting on the skins. :) Rock Creek Lake was still frozen and there were 2 melted holes about 20 feet in diameter. It was humurous to see a couple of fishermen standing on the edge of the frozen holes on the lake side, not from shore and casting their lines into the melted hole. I thought these guys were crazy and they probably looked at us skinning up a frozen slope and thought we were crazy. There were about 6 other skiers skinning towards the base of Pointless Peak. It's about a 3000' bootpack to the top of the "Y Gullies" for a fun ski back to the car. Bryan, Carol, Joe and Paul decided Mt. Starr and its 3-4000' gullies would be less crowded and headed there.
Jill and I traversed north around Pointless Peak and entered Patricia Bowl. The large amphitheater has north,east and south facing terrain. As we skinned a north couloir, we could see that we had the entire bowl to ourselves. The first run towards the aqua pockets of Patricia Lake was a creamy surface and it was a bit of heaven. We traveled past the granite walls and headed west towards the high fingers of snow at the end of the bowl. I remember years ago looking into the bowl during a brief visit while we were staying at Rock Creek Lodge on a ski tour. I had wanted to ski this line and now it was easily accessible. The skinning through the trees and rocks was pleasant and made the climb pass quickly. Our descent was the Sierra corn we had dreamed about. Two inches of cream on a firm surface. At the base of the bowl, Jill quickly responded that we need to "do it again". OK. She pointed at a steeper line further along the bowl and I provided the uptrack. At the bottom of the bowl, she was still giggling and started reskinning for another run, OK. Our fourth run was as good as the previous three - perfect Sierra corn. We pointed the skis towards Patricia Lake and skirted the edge and traversed around the base of Pointless Peak. As we were descending the final 200 vertical, the snow became unconsolidated mush. Patricia Bowl provided a perfect spring day in the Sierras. Zap
Jill and I traversed north around Pointless Peak and entered Patricia Bowl. The large amphitheater has north,east and south facing terrain. As we skinned a north couloir, we could see that we had the entire bowl to ourselves. The first run towards the aqua pockets of Patricia Lake was a creamy surface and it was a bit of heaven. We traveled past the granite walls and headed west towards the high fingers of snow at the end of the bowl. I remember years ago looking into the bowl during a brief visit while we were staying at Rock Creek Lodge on a ski tour. I had wanted to ski this line and now it was easily accessible. The skinning through the trees and rocks was pleasant and made the climb pass quickly. Our descent was the Sierra corn we had dreamed about. Two inches of cream on a firm surface. At the base of the bowl, Jill quickly responded that we need to "do it again". OK. She pointed at a steeper line further along the bowl and I provided the uptrack. At the bottom of the bowl, she was still giggling and started reskinning for another run, OK. Our fourth run was as good as the previous three - perfect Sierra corn. We pointed the skis towards Patricia Lake and skirted the edge and traversed around the base of Pointless Peak. As we were descending the final 200 vertical, the snow became unconsolidated mush. Patricia Bowl provided a perfect spring day in the Sierras. Zap
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