Home > Trip Reports > March 30, 2013, Tuckermans Ravine

March 30, 2013, Tuckermans Ravine

3/30/13
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Posted by David_Britton on 3/31/13 10:25am
Back on a trip to visit family and friends, the stars aligned for a nostalgic trip up to the rare alpine environs of Northern New England. The terrain and the snow conditions did not disappoint... Tuckermans was steep, deep, cold and windy.

At 9 am on Sunday morning March 30th, the temperature was in the mid 20's at Pinkham notch (elevation approx 2,000 feet), there was 1-2 feet of consolidated snow on the ground, and hordes of people gathering for the trek up the trail to the ravine.

I choose to skin up the Sherburne trail (the descent) as that was nice and smooth, and empty, a stark contrast to the gong show heading up the hiking trail. It took just over an hour to get to the shelter. Once above the shelter at the treeline, weather changed dramatically...winds were gusting and snow was swirling. The SE aspects were warming wind slab...not feeling especially stable, the NE (aka left gully) were settled deep cold windblown pow, with a much more stable feel.

I booted to 4,800 feet, perhaps 2/3 way to the lip on both aspects, and had nice runs out. There wasn't a track over the center rollovers, and I could see why. Steep, deep, slabby snow.

The whole ravine was much more grandiose than I remembered it and certainly earned my admiration and respect. If anyone is east, and has the time for a trip, now is primo!

Note, first photo is of the west side of the Presidential range, with the prominent feature off the summit of Mt. Washington being the rarely skied Ammonoosuc ravine; much more famous Tuckermans in the second and third photos is on the east side.
Very nice...Love to do that someday!
Your report is more inspiration.

Great to read your report and photos.  I skied the bowl in the slush days and a fun day with the masses.  ;)

That's my ole stomping grounds. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! Did you see anyone attempting the headwall?

Doesn't look like there's much snow on the ground at Bretton Woods?

Right on, man.  Good nostalgia for all us expats.

More fun for the expats:  http://skinsanity.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/prost/  ski traverse of the Presidentials.

author=David_Britton link=topic=28122.msg118227#msg118227 date=1364779526][...]the rarely skied Ammonoosuc ravine[...]

Only by the standards of Tuckerman [ahem, no apostrophe or "s"] Ravine (or perhaps Muir on a nice day, or the SW Chutes immediately after the road opens all the way, etc).

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David_Britton
2013-03-31 17:25:26