the ice cave at the bottom of Tuckerman Ravine's snow pack

[Technetium]

A couple years ago I went up Tuckerman Ravine in late June. There was still a small snow pack at the bottom of the ravine, and at the bottom of the snow pack was a carved-out tunnel big enough to stand in hunched over. I'd like to return to this when the snow pack is a bit bigger (and the ice cave a bit longer). Two questions I have:

1. When should I go? I am thinking that if I go too early, there won't have been enough melting snow to carve the tunnel out enough to enter.

2. How safe is it? I would rather not have several hundred pounds of ice/snow come down on me.

 

[IQuest]

I suspect you are talking about the infamous snow arch. I'm not sure when the best time to go would be. I guess it depends on the snowpack and how much melting there is. To answer your second question, be advised that it is not that safe. People have been burried alive by it in the past.

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

I took this shot of it on July 1st, 2006. Mid to late June seems to be the average time to see it. As IQuest states, it is not a safe structure to climb or to be under. A quick perusal of this page will confirm that several deaths have occurred at that exact spot from collapse, drowning, and slides from above.

http://www.mountwashington.org/about/visitor/surviving.php

KDT

 

[Technetium]

Interesting. It looks quite a bit different than when I saw it. At that time, the snow pack was large enough that someone was actually snowboarding on it still. Kind of silly because it was about a 5 second slide. But the "bridge" above was still a dark cave. I noticed when I looked in that you could see the waterfall entering in the back. Actually, I have the picture from that of me just barely inside the entrance to the cave. The snow above me was still very thick, probably at least as thick as my height.



I was actually looking for an earlier time when the cave is a bit longer. The point of this was that I was trying to get a scene that would look very similar to the glacier caves around Mt Rainier or up in Alaska (for photography purposes), without having to go there.

However that photo you posted suggests there may be a pretty awesome photo opportunity in late June or early July, without needing to go under it at all.

 

[Tom_Murphy]

1917 AMC Guide warns against entering the Snow Arch

 

[sdways01]

Don't forget that not only can pieces fall from above, but parts could break off and tip forward to fall. So just standing at the entrance isn't the safest bet either.

 

[RoySwkr]

Don't forget that not only can pieces fall from above, but parts could break off and tip forward to fall. So just standing at the entrance isn't the safest bet either.

"Not Without Peril" describes such a fatal sideways collapse IIRC

 

[sdways01]

"Not Without Peril" describes such a fatal sideways collapse IIRC

Yes, that is exactly where I read the info/story.

 

[TDawg]

?...At that time, the snow pack was large enough that someone was actually snowboarding on it still. Kind of silly because it was about a 5 second slide...

Silly hiking up to Tuckerman for a 5 second run? Perhaps.

But, not as silly as you standing underneath that thing. Try to keep the odds in your favor, careful out there.

"The mountains spare most fools."

 

[natron]

Kind of silly because it was about a 5 second slide.

wicked silly to snowboard in n.h. in june! even sillier to be in tux in june without skis or snowboard.. silliest playing in the snow cave in tux, u win!

I make a habit of getting june turns in tux, last 5 of 6 years and lots of days in 08'09'10', prolly 10 days in those 3 yrs @least.. tho vert is small, 100 vert to 450 vert. typically left in lower sluice, if you do a bunch of runs the turns and vert add up, couple this with a mtb ride or some trout fishing and you've got a true new england june day, just sayin...

was it me you saw?