saxman
05-05-2003, 03:05 PM
North Reading Jim, Diane and I started on the trail at 7:50 a.m. Ho-Jo’s by 10:00. This was Diane’s first substantial hike, and after reaching Ho-Jo’s (a feat she didn’t think she could do), and having developed blisters, she made the decision to hang out there awhile and hike back down, while Jim and I continued in. The day was beautiful. I was surprised at the lack of snow Ho-Jo’s to the ravine. Less this year than what I remember years previous. Upon entering the bowl, rangers Paul and Kevin had the duty and were advising against lunch rocks and the whole right side. For acoustical and safty reasons my “perch” is strategically located 3/4 of the way up lunch rocks under a big huge boulder. I know both Paul and Keving from previous excursions and after further discussion they felt it would be ok for me to go up there so long as I listened for the telltale “CRRRAAAK”. If you have seen a big dump, you know what I mean. Upon inspection it looked as if someone was in “my” spot and without the protection of “my” big boulder, I felt it prudent to heed the advice of the rangers. I found a spot around the same elevation on the left side and set up camp. I won’t do that again, it just wasn’t the same with the sun beating on my neck instead of my Buddha like belly and warming up the instrument in my lap, as is the case on the right side. Sorry I didn’t play as much as I usually do, but I haven’t played much in the past year therefore my lip is out of shape and after awhile you can’t make the notes. Started down about 3:30, met lots of nice people, 2 T4T’s, VTRIDER and BillF.
A couple of notes: The snow cover is good; there are still a few places to ski down through from the top. I don’t know all the names of things so I will leave that up to the skiers to list specifics. A couple of skiers took some lines that I thought were just plain dangerous. Some skied right down the right side OVER the crevasses. If you hear me start playing “If I only had a Brain” from the Wizard of Oz, many times it is not just coincidental…….
I think I am going to have to agree with the post by rocket9 about propelling ones self down the hill on a piece of non directionally controlled vinyl sliding device, and I am deeply torn and sorely vexed to do so. Twelve years of Tuckerman’s trips listening to the calls of “higher, higher”, and the thrill of the roar of the crowd upon seeing the thumbs up. If no one put themselves in harms way, if every one heeded the advice of the rangers, if everyone was “ice smart” and backcountry educated, then Tuckerman’s would just not be the same now would it?
I guess there is not much of a chance of that. While there still exists the college kid who says, “Hey, you ever heard of Tuckerman’s Ravine?, why don’t we drive up there this weekend?”, there will be fresh blood trickling into the ravine. Young, daring, uneducated, and seemingly bulletproof, it takes time and experience to become “safe”. If the bowl were full of middle aged, careful, experienced back woods men (and woman….), then it just wouldn’t be Tucks now would it? I watched a couple of 20-year-old young men take a line over the lip that could have killed them, but they made it, and I watched, and I cheered. If I had my sax in hand at the time, whatever I was playing would have been just for them.
Take care, hope to see you next weekend, I will be there Sat and Sun if the weather co-operates. Be safe, and if you don’t know how, may a veil of protection envelope you, may you make it down in one piece and give a hearty thumbs up to the crowd.
/Saxman
A couple of notes: The snow cover is good; there are still a few places to ski down through from the top. I don’t know all the names of things so I will leave that up to the skiers to list specifics. A couple of skiers took some lines that I thought were just plain dangerous. Some skied right down the right side OVER the crevasses. If you hear me start playing “If I only had a Brain” from the Wizard of Oz, many times it is not just coincidental…….
I think I am going to have to agree with the post by rocket9 about propelling ones self down the hill on a piece of non directionally controlled vinyl sliding device, and I am deeply torn and sorely vexed to do so. Twelve years of Tuckerman’s trips listening to the calls of “higher, higher”, and the thrill of the roar of the crowd upon seeing the thumbs up. If no one put themselves in harms way, if every one heeded the advice of the rangers, if everyone was “ice smart” and backcountry educated, then Tuckerman’s would just not be the same now would it?
I guess there is not much of a chance of that. While there still exists the college kid who says, “Hey, you ever heard of Tuckerman’s Ravine?, why don’t we drive up there this weekend?”, there will be fresh blood trickling into the ravine. Young, daring, uneducated, and seemingly bulletproof, it takes time and experience to become “safe”. If the bowl were full of middle aged, careful, experienced back woods men (and woman….), then it just wouldn’t be Tucks now would it? I watched a couple of 20-year-old young men take a line over the lip that could have killed them, but they made it, and I watched, and I cheered. If I had my sax in hand at the time, whatever I was playing would have been just for them.
Take care, hope to see you next weekend, I will be there Sat and Sun if the weather co-operates. Be safe, and if you don’t know how, may a veil of protection envelope you, may you make it down in one piece and give a hearty thumbs up to the crowd.
/Saxman