Johnny_Long_Ski
04-26-2004, 10:47 AM
I made my 2nd trip to Tuckerman yesterday, and my first trip with skis. My frist trip was just over a month ago, and we sledded the Shurburne down. This I was packing much more adrenaline, as I brought my skis and it would be my first time into the bowl with them.
We stayed at my Family's condo at Sunday River on Saturday night. We got up early on Sunday morning, and got to the parking lot in Pinkham Notch just after 8:30 AM.
We got our packs together, took the mandatory group picture, and headed for the trailhead. http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632beginning_group_jpg-med.JPG
I threw my pack on the scale, and it weighed in at an even 50 lbs. I figured that wasn't so bad considering i had my size 13 boots, 184cm Rossi Pow Airs, 4 beers, 4 waters, 2 sandwhiches, an extra layer, pretzels, 2 pears, an extra pair of socks, and a few other odds 'n ends. I had it all contained in my new Dakine Poacher, which is an extremely comfortable pack for a large person. The skis are held together and suspended from the rear diagonally, which never seemed to get in the way. Also, I was extremely happy that my size 13 Technicas fit inside.
We made several stops on the way up to Hermit Lake shelter. Here, my girlfriend and I stop to enjoy a sip of water. I also shedded my layer of pants because it was beautiful, and I was working up a good sweat.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632water_break_jpg-med.JPG
We then made it up to the Hermit Lake shelter, and stopped for a quick snack before heading up to the bowl.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632hermit_shelter_deck_jpg-med.JPG
The ranger we spoke to at the shelter noted that everything to the right side of the bowl would be extremely risky because of melting/falling ice. The ranger noted that center headwall and sluice were extremely prone to icefall and crevases. Apparently a snowboarded dropped into an 8' crevass on Saturday morning, and it took him an hour to get out of it.
The crevass is viewable from a distance in the below pic. This is my buddy Jeff. The crevass is the small dark spot below the icefall to the right, and above the crop of rocks that have begun to poke their heads through.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632bruhm_in_bowl_jpg-med.JPG
Here it is from another angle. Note the crevass right at the ridge line of the wet slab avalanche from about a month ago.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632headwall_icefall_jpg-med.JPG
We headed over to the rocks opposite the lunch rocks because of the apparent ice fall danger, which there was still a good amount of folks hanging at the lunch rocks. Here's the group minus me.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632lunch_time_jpg-med.JPG
After a sandwhich and a snack, My girlfriend, My buddy, & I headed up the Chute, and I left my camera at the rocks with my buddy. (what a mistake that was!) Upon climbing the chute, my heart started pounding. That's one hell of an adrenaline rush. I was hooked from there on in. That's one hell of a steep incline. Here's a pic of us the three of us coming up to hour glass of the chute from a distance.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632the_up_the_chute_jpg-med.JPG
The snow was better than I could have imagined. It was soft corn, the kind of hero snow that everyone wishes for on a bluebird spring day. The only thing that made it difficult for us was that each time a skier/rider came down through the chute, I was burried nearly up to my waist with the snow that trailed them.
We climbed just above the hour glass of the chute, and attempted to strapped the skis on. Damn, its difficult to put your skis on in corn with a 40 degree + slope! We got our skis on, and my girlfriend without any notice headed down the steep. She made a few turns through and got a few cheers. I followed her, and my buddy followed me. We were all sold on the ravine. This place is a amazing. There's nothing like the feeling of heading down, and making that first jump turn and nailing it. You feel like you're on the complete top of the the world, with nothing below you other than rocks! It takes a climb up the steeps to really appreciate how steep the ravine walls are. One mis-queue, and you end up sliding a couple hundred yards onto a pile of rocks!
Anyways, we finished our turns down, made it over to the rocks, had a few cold sauces, and decided to head back down to the notch because one of the group members had to get back early (doh!) :doh:
We took our last group picture, and called it a day.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632group_in_bowl_jpg-med.JPG
Overall, an amazing experience. I layed in bed last night, and all I could think about was when I could another trip into my schedule. Tuckerman is truely an addictive substance, right up there with cold :beer: , and beautiful women.
I'll be up again in a few weeks, I just hope that the snow holds!
signing off,
Johnny Long Skis...
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632skiable_routes_left_2_jpg-med.JPG
We stayed at my Family's condo at Sunday River on Saturday night. We got up early on Sunday morning, and got to the parking lot in Pinkham Notch just after 8:30 AM.
We got our packs together, took the mandatory group picture, and headed for the trailhead. http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632beginning_group_jpg-med.JPG
I threw my pack on the scale, and it weighed in at an even 50 lbs. I figured that wasn't so bad considering i had my size 13 boots, 184cm Rossi Pow Airs, 4 beers, 4 waters, 2 sandwhiches, an extra layer, pretzels, 2 pears, an extra pair of socks, and a few other odds 'n ends. I had it all contained in my new Dakine Poacher, which is an extremely comfortable pack for a large person. The skis are held together and suspended from the rear diagonally, which never seemed to get in the way. Also, I was extremely happy that my size 13 Technicas fit inside.
We made several stops on the way up to Hermit Lake shelter. Here, my girlfriend and I stop to enjoy a sip of water. I also shedded my layer of pants because it was beautiful, and I was working up a good sweat.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632water_break_jpg-med.JPG
We then made it up to the Hermit Lake shelter, and stopped for a quick snack before heading up to the bowl.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632hermit_shelter_deck_jpg-med.JPG
The ranger we spoke to at the shelter noted that everything to the right side of the bowl would be extremely risky because of melting/falling ice. The ranger noted that center headwall and sluice were extremely prone to icefall and crevases. Apparently a snowboarded dropped into an 8' crevass on Saturday morning, and it took him an hour to get out of it.
The crevass is viewable from a distance in the below pic. This is my buddy Jeff. The crevass is the small dark spot below the icefall to the right, and above the crop of rocks that have begun to poke their heads through.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632bruhm_in_bowl_jpg-med.JPG
Here it is from another angle. Note the crevass right at the ridge line of the wet slab avalanche from about a month ago.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632headwall_icefall_jpg-med.JPG
We headed over to the rocks opposite the lunch rocks because of the apparent ice fall danger, which there was still a good amount of folks hanging at the lunch rocks. Here's the group minus me.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632lunch_time_jpg-med.JPG
After a sandwhich and a snack, My girlfriend, My buddy, & I headed up the Chute, and I left my camera at the rocks with my buddy. (what a mistake that was!) Upon climbing the chute, my heart started pounding. That's one hell of an adrenaline rush. I was hooked from there on in. That's one hell of a steep incline. Here's a pic of us the three of us coming up to hour glass of the chute from a distance.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632the_up_the_chute_jpg-med.JPG
The snow was better than I could have imagined. It was soft corn, the kind of hero snow that everyone wishes for on a bluebird spring day. The only thing that made it difficult for us was that each time a skier/rider came down through the chute, I was burried nearly up to my waist with the snow that trailed them.
We climbed just above the hour glass of the chute, and attempted to strapped the skis on. Damn, its difficult to put your skis on in corn with a 40 degree + slope! We got our skis on, and my girlfriend without any notice headed down the steep. She made a few turns through and got a few cheers. I followed her, and my buddy followed me. We were all sold on the ravine. This place is a amazing. There's nothing like the feeling of heading down, and making that first jump turn and nailing it. You feel like you're on the complete top of the the world, with nothing below you other than rocks! It takes a climb up the steeps to really appreciate how steep the ravine walls are. One mis-queue, and you end up sliding a couple hundred yards onto a pile of rocks!
Anyways, we finished our turns down, made it over to the rocks, had a few cold sauces, and decided to head back down to the notch because one of the group members had to get back early (doh!) :doh:
We took our last group picture, and called it a day.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632group_in_bowl_jpg-med.JPG
Overall, an amazing experience. I layed in bed last night, and all I could think about was when I could another trip into my schedule. Tuckerman is truely an addictive substance, right up there with cold :beer: , and beautiful women.
I'll be up again in a few weeks, I just hope that the snow holds!
signing off,
Johnny Long Skis...
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/1632skiable_routes_left_2_jpg-med.JPG