The Vitals
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Directions
- Either use Heavenly's lift systen to get to the backcountry access
gate above Gate A, or hike to Monument Peak from Skyline
trail. Without access to Heavenly lifts skin up from Stagecoach Lodge.
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5,000'
vertical drop
Great terrain |
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Requires a lot of snow
at low elevation.
Long shuttle
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Locals Tips
It's typically very easy to
hitch back up to the top of Kingsbury.
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Recommended Gear
Avalanche Gear
Backcountry Pack
Avalanche
Forecast
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1/05/05-It's not every year we get a
chance to ski from Monument to
Gardnerville but it looks like this year we'll be able to do it for the
rest of the year. The base is excellent even down to the valley floor.
The jeep road out may have coverage all year. While at the time of this
trip access is not legal if your on a Heavenly ticket, it's still a
fairly easy hike in to 5,000 feet of untracked freshies. The quickest
entrance is from Stagecoach lodge. Head straight up the hill to Milky
Way Bowl and up to the peak. The actual gate, if ever allowed, should
be right above Gate A for Killebrew Canyon. You can enter the area from
anywhere along the boundary line for either Killebrew or Mott Canyon,
although if you're on a Heavenly ticket you must use the gates when
access is allowed. Sadly, I have no action pictures for this tour since
I ended up doing it alone. While entering the backcountry alone is not
recommended, it can be extremely peaceful and rewarding. At the very
least make sure people know where you are going. This
tour describes the route when using Heavenly's lifts meant you were
breaking the law by crossing the boundary line. That's no longer the
case.
Once you're into the run you want to keep heading
left as you head down. Starting from the peak you would ski down until
you are below Boundary Glades of Killebrew Canyon. Once your past you
head left and reach another face. You'll ski this for a little bit and
head left again. This will place you under the Promised Land of Mott
Canyon. Now pick a line and stick with it until it starts to flatten
out. You want to make sure you cross the creek before you get too far
down or you'll have to climb out of the gully. None of the above is
written in stone. You can hang way out to the skiers right if you like,
you'll just have to traverse farther back left at the end.
Another option is Porcupine Ridge which is down from Monument Peak to
Monument Pass and then up the opposite ridgeline. This will put you
farther to the right at the bottom which won't be a problem as long as
there is enough coverage. Remember, it's called sidecountry but once
you're out the gate you are in uncontrolled backcountry terrain.
Porcupine especially has complcated terrain prone to slide that can be
difficult to manage.
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