Thread: TR: Mt. Lola, 7/11/12

On Wednesday dookey67 and I went on a recon mission to Mt. Lola.
Dookey really knows the area well and we were hopeful about finding some snow for a July corn harvest.

After some semi-long distance visual recon we cautiously drove over the Jan Michael Vincent Danger Bridge and parked as close as reasonably possible to begin our hike in.

On the way dookey has reason to sing "You Really Got Me" to the mud:


We headed for the backside patches first and were surprised to see a tele-skier hiking up over near the top of the patches we were about to ski.

The upper patch looked to be about as long as my living room...



...I managed to milk the mini-patch for 7 turns...

Fortunately the next patch was significantly longer.
Looking down over Lhasa Pow tips at the next patch:


Dookey:




After skiing the backside we headed over to the frontside ridge for a few more runs.
Dookey:


Vets:


We were happy to find that some portions of the ridge skied bigger than they looked from a distance.
Dookey finds a plentiful corn harvest here:



Dookey's knowledge and navigation skills allowed us to ski another patch on the way back to our ride.
Dookey starts off the top in hope of snow below...

...fortunately he finds it...

...next, will we find our ride?


We did, but we were held up by a herd of cows on our way out...



...eventually they let us pass...
Good thing. We didn't want anything to hold up more skiing the next day. (Dunderberg TR to follow soon.)

I believe I was looking at those patches from Sierra Valley today and that the road to Independence Lake was across that valley below (above dookey's head in this shot).

The attached photo is a view of Independence Lake from the far upper Mt. Lola ridge.
I think that the road you mention might be Jackson Meadows road. Dookey would know for sure.

"I can't understand why she skis like a women but talks like a man.

Oh my Lola"

Way to get after it, transvestite skiing or otherwise

those patches are the leftovers from the huge windlips and cornices that form all along those ridges... its a really fun area to snowmobile and build jumps... windlips that form parallel to the fall line like that are so fun to ski, windspines I guess!

good to see you guys still havent stopped, Im doing summer this year for a change

Vets and Dooks - Want to try Lola again this weekend? Got the ski itch. It's been 2+ weeks...

Originally Posted by gone2alpine

Vets and Dooks - Want to try Lola again this weekend? Got the ski itch. It's been 2+ weeks...

Gone2alpine, I could see the possibility depending on the timing. Please give me a call or send a text. I just got a new phone and still need to update the contacts. 2+ weeks is a long time to go between ski days.

Vets ya changed your shirt!!! Dookie I'm digging the lid.

BT

Originally Posted by Vets

Gone2alpine, I could see the possibility depending on the timing. Please give me a call or send a text. I just got a new phone and still need to update the contacts. 2+ weeks is a long time to go between ski days.

I sent a text. It said Sunday or Monday.

I like the summer turns.

Vets neglected to mention that the OST (Official Soundtrack) for the jaunt was Big K.R.I.T - Live From The Underground (I always subject Vets to rap when we converge for a patch skiing session).

http://bigkrit.com/music/

(I highly recommend his album ReturnOf4eva, which you can cop for free via the above link. Kid is making some seriously dense and immersive rap music and he's crafting actual albums, releases that flow from start to finish with a strong sense of aural cohesion that is a rarity within the rap genre these days).

Strong work gents - love the summer patches. I've been much too lazy this summer.

Just what I needed today Patch stoke to get me through this drydocked weekend.
Please keep it coming until the next snowfall...

Originally Posted by splat

I believe I was looking at those patches from Sierra Valley today and that the road to Independence Lake was across that valley below (above dookey's head in this shot).

King Splat: actually this picture is taken on the backside of Mt. Lola ridge, facing Perazzo Meadows. The upper left hand section of the frame of the picture, if it was explanded, would show the Sierra Buttes in the distance. Independence lake is behind me (as in uphill and way out of the frame).

In this picture, below, which was taken on the frontside of Mt. Lola Ridge, you can actually see Independence Lake to the right of me in the far background (upper left hand corner of the picture). And if the picture was expanded you'd be able to see Northstar in the far distance behind the highest peak in the background (the peak that is more or less in line with my helmet in the upper right hand corner of the picture). The patch on this ridge is the one you can see from Hwy 89 as you are headed North toward Sierraville (there is an open section of 89 around where Henness Pass Road comes in that allows for a full-view of Lola Ridge and these patches).

An interesting thing is that those patches are probably leftovers from the 2010-11 winter. They were still fat late last August, and we know last winter didn't help a whole lot.

Originally Posted by huckasoreass

An interesting thing is that those patches are probably leftovers from the 2010-11 winter. They were still fat late last August, and we know last winter didn't help a whole lot.

You are probably correct. The frontside ridge of Mt. Lola still had longer runs last October than we found this July.
However, getting a long run on the backside of Mt. Lola this year was a pleasant surprise. I would guess that some storm had some interesting wind redistribution to make it happen.