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Pats Peak 1/5/16

dlague

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Nov 7, 2012
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Location
CS, Colorado
Pats Peak

Conditions: Thin PP over firm

Trip Report:

Well this day of skiing was not planned at all. Being the bad parents we are, we forgot to enroll our son into the School Ski Program. So I scrambled, calling the school and Pats to get it done. Unfortunately, his gear was in my truck which meant I had to leave work early. My wife suggested that we ski for the hell of it, so while buying his ski program pass, I also bought a parent pack with five transferable lift tickets for $30 each. Yes it was a cold afternoon into night but that has never stopped us before and it is not like it was sub zero.

Not a whole lot was open from the summit - Duster, Breeze and Twister (closed for racing) and on the Valley side Turbulence Park (no developed into a park yet) and Whisper which we opted not to go on. Technically rather boring but the saving grace was the firmness which made it very fast - a racer's dream. While it was firm it was very edgeable and you could feel your skis just cut into the trail.

We went down Breeze one time, otherwise we lapped Vortex double and Duster. I think last night was the fasted I have ever skied down Squall Line. I generally hate that run out. We also lapped Turbulence Triple and Turbulence Park. The fun on this trail were the whales that we there to catch air on. The park has not been designed yet but the could have some features by the weekend. We finished off with a run down Twister between race training and beer league racing. Overall we had fun with it - kind of booted around. The tough thing about my son's ski program is that it is on the same night as Gunstock's 2 fer night. So we will do a couple afternoon/nights at Pats and after the 5 weeks are done, return to Gunstock on Tuesday nights.

So they were making snow everywhere. Every closed trail had snow guns going that we could see with the exception of Hurricane and Vortex. I expect they will have lots more open this weekend.

Downdraft
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FIS
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Hurricane
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From Turbulence Chair
IMG_0683.jpg
 

dlague

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Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
8,792
Points
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Location
CS, Colorado
BTW that place is a well oiled machine! They had school programs going starting at noon into the night. That had 5 ski teams practicing. They had beer league racing. And to that all of the patrons like ourselves. On and on and on!


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thetrailboss

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Jun 4, 2004
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NEK by Birth
BTW that place is a well oiled machine! They had school programs going starting at noon into the night. That had 5 ski teams practicing. They had beer league racing. And to that all of the patrons like ourselves. On and on and on!


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Very good operation


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xwhaler

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Nov 26, 2007
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Location
Seacoast NH
Pats Peak is a very well run operation. I feel that place just prints $.....for a family owned operation they really have done a tremendous job with the place for what it is.
I'm always struck by the # of employees they have working there...sometimes it seems there are more employees than those actually skiing---everyone very friendly.

Good spot to go for either fast laps (off the Vortex) or when the snow is good. I take my son to the free magic carpet learning area sometimes followed by lunch in the Sled Pub.
 

dlague

Active member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
8,792
Points
36
Location
CS, Colorado
Pats Peak is a very well run operation. I feel that place just prints $.....for a family owned operation they really have done a tremendous job with the place for what it is.
I'm always struck by the # of employees they have working there...sometimes it seems there are more employees than those actually skiing---everyone very friendly.

Good spot to go for either fast laps (off the Vortex) or when the snow is good. I take my son to the free magic carpet learning area sometimes followed by lunch in the Sled Pub.

Sled Pub's food is decently priced and pretty good.
 
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