View Full Version : Tuckermans
northeastsurf
03-01-2009, 06:59 PM
We are looking to climb tuckerman ravine March 28th Sat. I have climbed and skied Tucks a few times a year for over 25 years. But we have never done it so early in the season. I have winter gear, etc, we have done other small winter over nights over the years. What should I expect. Will we be able to ski all the way down to the car, or will some of the Sherburne Trail be closed? Any information, etc would be great, Ronnie Lees.
icelanticskier
03-01-2009, 10:43 PM
We are looking to climb tuckerman ravine March 28th Sat. I have climbed and skied Tucks a few times a year for over 25 years. But we have never done it so early in the season. I have winter gear, etc, we have done other small winter over nights over the years. What should I expect. Will we be able to ski all the way down to the car, or will some of the Sherburne Trail be closed? Any information, etc would be great, Ronnie Lees.
hmm, march 28th huh? let me see. sh*t, where's my crystal ball? the weather should be somewhere between cold and hot, a chance of snow, rain, ice, sun, clouds, wind. avi danger should be somewhere between low and extreme. maybe it'll be worth doing and maybe not. maybe it'll be safe, maybe it won't. in the last 4 weeks i've skied in subzero temps to 50 degrees above sunny spring conditions to windbuff low danger to over the head rising danger face shot pow. will you be able to ski to the car? i saw grass poking through on the sherbie on friday, some rocks too. we could however get feet of snow and be skiing to the car till late april. march 28th?
bring yer powdah skis, a bathing suit, crampons and an avalung.
rog
jumpturn
03-02-2009, 09:29 AM
Should be fine.
The Lisa
03-02-2009, 10:41 PM
AS icelanticskier so archly pointed out, it is too soon to tell. Keep an eye on reports and conditions here and at the tuckerman.org site as the date approaches. I sure hope it is possible to ski to the car!
northeastsurf
03-03-2009, 03:54 AM
What a smart ass. I was not looking for a report. I was simply looking to get a good idea based on experience. I have to plan everything I do so what I was hoping for is to get some basic information from someone who has skied it every March for the past ten years or so and based on their own experience give me an idea on what to expect.
Sorry I was not clear. I understand MT. Washington is very unpredictable. So generally most years is therr a good chance I will be aable to ski down to the car in late March? Or am I cutting it too close to the spring? Thanks.
There's a good chance you can ski to the car in late march....
icelanticskier
03-03-2009, 07:22 AM
What a smart ass.
that's right.:p
rog
that's right.:p
rog
Maybe you could be a bit nicer to the noobs...
Everyone's gotta start somewhere...
that's right.:p
rog
This forum has always been over-the-top polite to new users, especially those seeking information on Tuckerman Ravine. You obviously have a great deal of experience on the rockpile over the years - so please share that knowledge, and as DMC put it, Be nice to the noobs. There here looking for info, not 'tude.
M@
looking for info, not 'tude.
M@
thats why there's TGR
Even if your trip gets delayed for a couple weeks, mid April often has Summit to Pinks skiing and riding. March is practically a lock for cover.
Conditions? That's a horse of a different color! Cover you will most likely have, whether it's a nice sort of surface is a bet.
In order to get your best shot, hold open a pair of weekends and pick the best conditions. A lot of folks do that even though it's tough with a group, given scheduling disconnects, etc.
Better yet go both times and maybe you will be lucky enough to score two w/e packed with super days. Specially in March. The big crowds won't be there, but about a hundred folks will pass through the Ravine daily on March w/e even with barely decent weather.
teledave
03-03-2009, 08:22 AM
This forum has always been over-the-top polite to new users, especially those seeking information on Tuckerman Ravine.
I gotta agree with that, I was kinda surprised that I got no real smartass replies when I asked basically the same question last week.
Now, can anyone tell me if it will be sunny the first weekend in April? :D
Now, can anyone tell me if it will be sunny the first weekend in April? :D
As they say in Kashmir...
"In Shalla"
God willing
Funny, funny :p
Okay, sunny days?
Early May is your best time for sunny days...but the Sherbie is usually closed so you will be walking out at least two thirds of the way....more likely, walking the entire way.
Late April is also good for sunny weather and sometimes sees the Sherbie open to the bottom, but that's rare. Usually it will be open to one of the crossovers, where you'll have to switch gear and walk.
Memorial Day is a Wonderful time...for the East Snowfields. Last year it looked like the Auto Road would open for Memorial Day W/E so I called the Memorial Day Slackfest and BBQ. It was a lot of fun and I am sooooo looking forward to grillin' and chillin' like that again!
Remember to test fire your grill!
Will we be able to ski all the way down to the car, or will some of the Sherburne Trail be closed?
Most years it's open all the way at the end of March.
We should really start keeping track of this somewhere so we can answer this question with more authority.
I did a little digging and found this info:
2002: Possibly open until May
2003: Closed around April 24th
2004: Closed April 24th
2005: Closed May 13th
2006: Open Past April 14th
More important would be when they close specific sections.
We could probably pull very specific dates from historical avalanche reporting.
Anyone feel like scouring the reports? Looking for specifically for Sherburn Section closing information?
M@
Harkin Banks
03-03-2009, 08:52 AM
As they say in Kashmir...
"In Shalla"
God willing
"Arabian wind, the needle's eye is thin
Blues for Allah, in sh 'Allah"
"Arabian wind, the needle's eye is thin
Blues for Allah, in sh 'Allah"
Well done...
icelanticskier
03-03-2009, 10:16 AM
I gotta agree with that, I was kinda surprised that I got no real smartass replies when I asked basically the same question last week.
must've missed yer thread. my bad.
rog
must've missed yer thread. my bad.
rog
Why do you got to be "that" guy?
Just wonderin...
icelanticskier
03-03-2009, 11:59 AM
thats why there's TGR
hey! that's my line!:D
rog
teledave
03-03-2009, 12:17 PM
Most years it's open all the way at the end of March.
We should really start keeping track of this somewhere so we can answer this question with more authority.
I did a little digging and found this info:
2002: Possibly open until May
2003: Closed around April 24th
2004: Closed April 24th
2005: Closed May 13th
2006: Open Past April 14th
More important would be when they close specific sections.
We could probably pull very specific dates from historical avalanche reporting.
Anyone feel like scouring the reports? Looking for specifically for Sherburn Section closing information?
M@
It was open halfway last weekend of April 2008.
yuckster
03-03-2009, 12:26 PM
there is a pretty good chance of skiing most of the way down the sherbie (damn this rain we're supposed to get on friday, though.)
avy condition are anyone's guess though.
the last week of march is the first week of calendar spring, and this is right around the time when Tux starts to transition from winter to spring conditions. it could be winter and high avalanche danger and a deserted ravine, or it could be sunny and warm and springlike yet with full cover on all gullies because the melt hasn't begun in earnest yet. IF conditions are good, it could be really good.
What a smart ass. I was not looking for a report. I was simply looking to get a good idea based on experience. I have to plan everything I do so what I was hoping for is to get some basic information from someone who has skied it every March for the past ten years or so and based on their own experience give me an idea on what to expect.
Sorry I was not clear. I understand MT. Washington is very unpredictable. So generally most years is therr a good chance I will be aable to ski down to the car in late March? Or am I cutting it too close to the spring? Thanks.
djming
03-03-2009, 12:38 PM
I typically jot down some notes about each trip up into Tucks (or surrounding area), so I'll do some research as to dates and Sherbie conditions. From quick memory, I can say that each of the last 2 years on the last weekend of March the Sherbie was fully skiable. 2 years ago however it was going fast in March. Then the April Nor-Easter hit that dumped 3-5 feet up there and it was game back on.
Both '07 and '08 the Sherbie was fully and nicely skiing to the car Inferno weekend (3rd weekend of April) with minimal picking around stuff, although the weekend crowds were doing quite a bit of damage by that point.
Last year, that last weekend in March saw ridiculous winds and no visibility on Saturday, then bluebird and calm on Sunday!
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2012, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.