--M.
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- Apr 23, 2005
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The Tuckerman Ravine Trail was hard-packed, solid snow & ice. The surface was pretty well chewed up by the tractor and was a non-issue for passability. Great overhead clearance for ski- & board-carriers. I skinned; my buddy bare-booted. One other guy skinned; all other observed travellers walked. No snowshoes needed here.
The Ravine itself and HoJo's had a pretty good snow/rain/wind debate going, and the reports were for solid ice almost everywhere, increasingly covered with a fresh layer of wet snow. The avalanche reports were therefore in the "LOW" category across the board, but travel of any type above Hermit Lake would become a matter of significant skill & determination.
The Lion Head winter route was getting some traffic, and those going up were using ice axes & crampons. On the convex sections, a slip would definitely result in either an artful self-arrest, or a long ride.
We got to HoJo's in a couple hours of easy passage (1850' gain). There were perhaps a couple dozen people arriving, getting their plans together, waiting for friends and checking out the local conditions. My buddy and I ate some lunch & decided to scout around a little. We had crampons, but I didn't put mine on, as I planned on going no higher than would be safe without them. That meant about a third of the way up the Little Headwall, where it became unsafe to go further without assistance. We met a couple of guys coming down who said they had gone about half-way up the bowl before calling it. They weren't too worried about avalanche, but weren't willing to risk a fall. They wore crampons & carried axes (and a big dslr).
We retreated and headed for Hillman's Highway. I skinned up, planning to go as high as I dared, and then see what could be skied. There were about a half-dozen others with the same idea. One wore snowshoes, my buddy had crampons, everyone else bare-booted with their boards. It was solid ice everywhere, with pockets of blown snow. The consensus was to go for the top of the "Christmas Tree" formation, but it became evident that it may be possible to get up, but would be a different matter coming back down. The bare-booters could go no higher than the base of the "Tree," my skins were no longer holding the surface, and the snowshoer was having little slides.
My buddy retreated with his crampons to get his board, and everyone decided that this was to be the day's high point. The boarders all made their runs, a couple hundred yards back towards HoJo's, and headed off down the Sherburne to call it a day. They all had some degree of mojo, finding the gullies and making the best of it.
I waited for my friend, while a second group of boarders came and progressed through the same discussion, this time in French. The subtitles read "This LZ's still pretty hot, sir, maybe we should surf someplace else!" I stripped my skins (which were making edging impossible) and we descended. Awkwardly.
The Sherburne Trail was reported to be slick over the top half, but with the new snow and moderating temperature, we found it to be in great shape (relative to the rest of the place). We should have taken a longer break, because I had tired out a little and what could have been a great run was instead much more defensive and less assertive than I would have liked. No "Dessert First!" here. I wonder if hiking up the TRT (instead of skinning) would have made a difference. We made it back to PNVC in 20 or 30 minutes to a growing rain. The top of the mountain would shift from snow to rain thereafter.
As we made the run-out behind Joe Dodge Lodge, we met a guy starting up on foot, said he was headed to the top. Crampons, ice ax, a waxing storm, mid-afternoon, solo, on Mount Washington. I silently named him Elwood and wished him well.
This was definitely a learning day. Many would have called the factors 'unpleasant,' but we had a great time anyway. "Wait 'til Sunday" was the mantra of all in attendance, but we had to make what lemonade we could, and really learned a lot. I've been up that trail several times, even at this time of year, but this was my first ski on it, and it sure felt like a representative slice. If the calendar allowed, I would definitely return with a new education, but I am pledged not to spend gimme's until next month's California trip.
We hiked Tecumseh yesterday, amid widely changing conditions, returning to the cars with a newly-minted sun. Another fun weekend in the Whites!
The Ravine itself and HoJo's had a pretty good snow/rain/wind debate going, and the reports were for solid ice almost everywhere, increasingly covered with a fresh layer of wet snow. The avalanche reports were therefore in the "LOW" category across the board, but travel of any type above Hermit Lake would become a matter of significant skill & determination.
The Lion Head winter route was getting some traffic, and those going up were using ice axes & crampons. On the convex sections, a slip would definitely result in either an artful self-arrest, or a long ride.
We got to HoJo's in a couple hours of easy passage (1850' gain). There were perhaps a couple dozen people arriving, getting their plans together, waiting for friends and checking out the local conditions. My buddy and I ate some lunch & decided to scout around a little. We had crampons, but I didn't put mine on, as I planned on going no higher than would be safe without them. That meant about a third of the way up the Little Headwall, where it became unsafe to go further without assistance. We met a couple of guys coming down who said they had gone about half-way up the bowl before calling it. They weren't too worried about avalanche, but weren't willing to risk a fall. They wore crampons & carried axes (and a big dslr).
We retreated and headed for Hillman's Highway. I skinned up, planning to go as high as I dared, and then see what could be skied. There were about a half-dozen others with the same idea. One wore snowshoes, my buddy had crampons, everyone else bare-booted with their boards. It was solid ice everywhere, with pockets of blown snow. The consensus was to go for the top of the "Christmas Tree" formation, but it became evident that it may be possible to get up, but would be a different matter coming back down. The bare-booters could go no higher than the base of the "Tree," my skins were no longer holding the surface, and the snowshoer was having little slides.
My buddy retreated with his crampons to get his board, and everyone decided that this was to be the day's high point. The boarders all made their runs, a couple hundred yards back towards HoJo's, and headed off down the Sherburne to call it a day. They all had some degree of mojo, finding the gullies and making the best of it.
I waited for my friend, while a second group of boarders came and progressed through the same discussion, this time in French. The subtitles read "This LZ's still pretty hot, sir, maybe we should surf someplace else!" I stripped my skins (which were making edging impossible) and we descended. Awkwardly.
The Sherburne Trail was reported to be slick over the top half, but with the new snow and moderating temperature, we found it to be in great shape (relative to the rest of the place). We should have taken a longer break, because I had tired out a little and what could have been a great run was instead much more defensive and less assertive than I would have liked. No "Dessert First!" here. I wonder if hiking up the TRT (instead of skinning) would have made a difference. We made it back to PNVC in 20 or 30 minutes to a growing rain. The top of the mountain would shift from snow to rain thereafter.
As we made the run-out behind Joe Dodge Lodge, we met a guy starting up on foot, said he was headed to the top. Crampons, ice ax, a waxing storm, mid-afternoon, solo, on Mount Washington. I silently named him Elwood and wished him well.
This was definitely a learning day. Many would have called the factors 'unpleasant,' but we had a great time anyway. "Wait 'til Sunday" was the mantra of all in attendance, but we had to make what lemonade we could, and really learned a lot. I've been up that trail several times, even at this time of year, but this was my first ski on it, and it sure felt like a representative slice. If the calendar allowed, I would definitely return with a new education, but I am pledged not to spend gimme's until next month's California trip.
We hiked Tecumseh yesterday, amid widely changing conditions, returning to the cars with a newly-minted sun. Another fun weekend in the Whites!
