Dead End Gully

[DMC]

http://www.tuckerman.org/photos/tucks/A%2002-27-2005%20DEAD%20END%20GULLY%20FRACTURE.JPG

Is this what I've been calling "The Empress" for the last 10 years??

[RR]

Looks like it to me....and it looks like a pretty big slide will fill in the lower headwall real soon

[DMC]

Looks like it to me....and it looks like a pretty big slide will fill in the lower headwall real soon

I've actually only seen that as a cliff....
Would be cool if it filled in...

[Rider.Steve]

Different from "Duchess"?

[DMC]

Dutchess is the shot that goes all the way down into the lower snowfields to the right of Hillman Highway..
Empress is to the right (looking up)

[RR]

The Dutchess is a btich up high and in two places....plus she is a skinny bony sort of thing....

The Empress is seductively giving ---then wham it's air time!

[DMC]

The Dutchess is a btich up high and in two places....plus she is a skinny bony sort of thing....

And she usually has a BIG crevasse at the bottom... Which is a beowtch to get around...

[el-bagr]

http://www.tuckerman.org/photos/02-03tuck/1-18-2003-Hillman's.jpg

Empress is the diamond/oval on the right side of the far wall. From the center, left to right, it's Hillman's, Duchess, Empress. Viewed in summer, it's a bit hard to visualize the line.

http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/530/209hillman_s1-med.JPG

[RR]

here's a look:
from Chauvin (http://www.chauvinguides.com/hillman's.htm)

[DMC]

I love that shot...

I have tons of PIX of that area on my webserver...
Which is down right now.... And the guy who owns and maintains it is on a "hut to hut" trip in BC.... So I guess I wont be posting them this week...
:rolleyes:

[M@]

Powderhound.org - I miss it. I was going to see if your interactive tuckerman map had Empress.

BTW: Your site comes up #3 on a google for PowderHound - but for some reason it didn't hit an actual page, so there's no cache.

M@

[Affix Snow]

Is this Dead End Gully/Empress on the Left?

Cool pic too.....this is today.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/19043-3-05-med.jpg

[Castlerock]

I think so. And Rep to ElBag for the amazing summer photo of the Boot Spur side of things.

[P-HUG]

Nice Recon shots e-bagr

[radair]

Photo of Duchess in phat conditions (skier in middle of funnel, another up and right of him):

http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/2454aDuchess-med.JPG

and the first turn off the top (don't blow it!):

http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/2454aDuchess-Scott-med.JPG

[Affix Snow]

still didnt work!

Welcome to the site!

[Castlerock]

I'd love to see the pics!

[radair]

OK, they should be up now. Tempermental little beast we have here.

[bvibert]

Pics working now, and they are sweet! Thanks for posting...

[DMC]

Great shots....
What years and when was that?

[Castlerock]

Whoa!

That looks like March two years ago, no?

[Freebird]

Empress- looks tempting. I was eyeing what I thought might be a way out of the bottom of that thing... sort of have to traverse around some rocks (cliffs) and then there appears to be a chute that empties out into the lower snowfields. It'd probably be better to explore UP this out with snowshoes and climbing gear first (just in case we get stuck). Hey, sounds like a fun adventure, anyone wanna go!? :eek: (ha ha)

[Freebird]

http://www.tuckerman.org/photos/01-02tuck/1-27-2002-Hillmans.jpg

This picture doesn't show it as well as eyeing it from the base of hillmans, but it's the best I could find so far... Anyway, at the bottom of the Empress, it seems you could do either: Traverse across around and then underneath some of those boulders (back and forth a couple of times) which will spit you out on the lower snowfields, or 2: just traverse to skier's right and come out at the bottom of the Duchess. Some tree hugging might be necessary. :D I'll keep working to see if I can find better pictures.

If not, if you go 1/3 of the way back up the Empress- definite traverse to skiers right over to the duchess.

[DMC]

then there appears to be a chute that empties out into the lower snowfields.

I've done that little chute before...
It was pretty steep and dumps you right into the Lower Snowfields...

[Freebird]

That's what I want to hear! So... question/answer to the question then... who's in and when do we want to do it? :skicool:

[DMC]

I've done the lower Dutchess before but coming in from Hillmans...
Not a bad run but as noted the lower part - entrance into into the lower snowfields gets crevassed....

[Freebird]

Two years ago, Djangoski and I did the duchess, and we hiked right up the thing. We had to hook left due to the snow conditions and headed right towards where you'd enter in from hillmans, 2/3 of the way up the duchess. From there we traversed below the rocks and then went up the remaining open pitch to the top. There was one spot just near the top that was nearing 50 degrees, or even more. If I remember correctly, Djangoski said that most of it was similar to the top of Left Gully (pitch wise) with a few places, steeper... That's second hand, so I might have the pitch comparisons askew... :p He'd have to verify... He has a TR from both of us on his webpage actually. Or at least he had, let me see if I can find it.

Here's my report:
http://20.4.2003.tuckermans.03.djangobliss.com/viewreview.html?revid=18
and his:
http://2003.4.20.tuckermans.03.djangobliss.com/viewreview.html?revid=19

I hope he doesn't mind me posting those links here, but he has his webpage listed under his username info...

I'm glad to see interest out there other than the ravine proper. :happyhiker:

[radair]

Great shots....
What years and when was that?

Those were taken in April 2001 - plenty of snow! That day was the first time in 20 years that I used alpine skis, and I haven't used 'em since. I was really glad to have them that day, though!