What made you go to Tucks in the first place?

[BladeGirl]

Heres something I've been wondering about: what drove you to make your first trip to Tucks and what did you do to prepare for it? For myself, it seemed to be a rite of passage in New England. Several co-workers and neighbors had talked about it over the years but I found it difficult to get a good idea of what I would be facing (before the TFT website was up). I tried to cajole them into taking me with them, so I'd have an experienced person along, but they always managed to go last minute and then come back raving about what a great time they'd had.

Finally, one coworker came back with pictures of her hike so I could get an idea of what it all looked like. I brought the photos home to my hubby and convinced him to join me the following weekend. He was just coming for the hike, he said, and I'd better be prepared to carry my own pack of equipment. I packed too much food and too little water, but otherwise layered appropriately. Had a GREAT day and have been a junky ever since.

-BG

[pepperdawg]

For me -It was simple - Only East Coast snow in June!!!! Had to scratch the itch one year....Ha Ha Ha :snowflakes: :snowflakes: not :sun:

[Castlerock]

Tucks mythical status and years growing up skiing Wildcat, looking over at the bowl. Oh yes and the challenge. I always heard If you think you an ski (or ride, even though boards were a figment of JBC's imagination then), go to Tucks. It is the best evaluator of skill I know of. When you ski over the headwall you are truly a skier. If you do it with aplomb, you are a good skier. Everything else at all the lift served areas didn't mean squat.

Read any ski mag, and every year there is a Tucks article. Ski enough days at any ski area and eventually the subject comes up.

I was 17 and a senior in high school. I convinced another skier friend to come with. It was everything I thought it would be and more.

[Mumster]

While mourning the closing of local areas, I made a post on our home messageboard for places to ski. Someone provided a link to this website.
I like to organize, so, in preparation, I
1. Took a test run up our home mountain with back pack and skis, etc to be sure I could do the hiking component.
2. Asked many questions which were answered by :ma: :skilas: :skistooge: and :skicdave: , as well as some other T4T folks....about 40 pretrip posts - hotels, equipment, conditions, parking....
3. Predetermined realistic goals (our off piste experience is limited)
4. Checked :rocks: :debris: warnings and :raining: outlook

[elwood]

Ever since I moved to Vermont I have heard about Tucks. I have done some backcountry out in Colorado, and had epic days. The whole experience of being in the wilderness and earning turns has always been enticing for me. I love climbing mountains, and it is so much better to be able to slide down them (who wants to walk, anyway?). Being some of the best and the steepest terrain in the East, there was no way I could resist going to Tucks! I am amazed it took me as long as it did to get there.

[DMC]

I really cant recall...
It was so long ago.. I must've read about it..
Our first trip up we made it as far as Hojos... Never skied.. It was too cold and too icey..

[Skilasnow]

To find out what all the buzz was about

[Jolly J]

Bunch of guys on my ski patrol called me on June 20th, 1997 and asked if I wanted to go skiing. 4 hours later I was driving to New Hampshire for the first time for summer turns.

[boarder25]

I boarded Tuck's the first time because I heard it was the most challenging place to ski/ride in the east.Having only 3 years of snowboarding under my belt I climbed up the headwall and nearly killed myself coming down.I waited another 2 years before attempting it again.I am now on my 8th season snowboarding and I ride Tuck's 2 to 3 times a winter.The best thing about Tuck's is when you start your decent down the headwall all of your other problems in life simply vanish.

[M@]

I can't remember why I went the first time. I grew up knowing about it but never really got a good explination. Then one year I guess someone told me what it was about, and Suzy and I went. I've been going every year since.

M@

[RR]

The day I schussed Nose Dive and ran Goat with no stops I was told...."that's nice. How would you do at Tuckerman Ravine?"

It was Dec. '67, I had no clue what TR was or where it might have been. But it was clear I wasn't gonna be accounted "a skier" until I had that experience. I did not have the grace of Stein Errickson, the power of Billy Kidd, or the panache of Jean Claude...but come heaven or high water....I would be "a skier".

A month and a half later the opportunity came, I had done no research and the mother of all eggbeaters resulted.

I still don't have what my heros did...but I guess I'm on the way to being a skier.

[Castlerock]

boarder25:
The best thing about Tuck's is when you start your decent down the headwall all of your other problems in life simply vanish. The focus that Boarder25 calls out is one of the addictive parts of Tucks. You can't think about anything else when you are making the crux of the climb up Left gully to get onto the buttress between left gully and the chute, or while navigating your way into center headwall. That is where my rush comes from.....

[DMC]

My biggest "rush" is a someone said the "rollover" I believe..

Where your at the top of the headwall and everything is nice and flat and mellow... Then the world just starts to drops out from beneath you.. WOW.... Tough to describe...

[Castlerock]

Do you mean this DMC?
Castlerock:
and then a perfect 55+ degree, Oh my God, this is amazing, line in the center of the bowl with the slope falling away every turn. The blind entrance, and rollover combined with the steepness of the center headwall ,makes that the most intimidating run for me. And in this case to hit it with perfect snow makes it my favorite.
That is the Thrill!

[DMC]

Word!!!

I try to describe it to people - they look at me like I'm nuts...

It's just an incredible feeling to have the world drop out from underneath you... One second your looking at snow the next your looking right at the lunchrocks...

[DRPHIDDLEPHOS]

my uncle took me for the first time in 1987. it was 60 degrees at the bottom and 10 by the time we reached the top!!! i was nine years old and scared out of my mind!!!! the wind was rippin so hard and i was so unprepaired for the conditions that i vowed to never go again. it was too steep, too cold and no fun. i went back the year after, the year after that, and the year after that!!! this year was my 11th trip, and after the time we had this season i will probably make two if not 3 trips a year from here on out!!
lifes a garden, dig it! :lips:

[PontiMax]

For me, ever since high school my buds and I have talked about it. We would go to Mad River and hear all about it (I used to ski back in the days). Now 27 I finally made it this past easter, but with only one friend out of all who wondered about from the days of yore. We tried to organize another trip this season but it has proved unfruitful. If it wasn't for this site and its members I would have gone in there this year with my head up my arse for sure. I love this site. Here we are talking about Tucks and as I look outside my window here in Philly it is 80 and sunny. It is amazing the affect this place has on people. My friends constantly hear Rob and I talk of our trip this year. I need winter. There are only 2 times when I truly like summer. Either I am at the seashore or swimming with my dog.

PontiMax

Blaine do you know what this is.....This is pure snow! It's everywhere! Have you any idea of what the street value of this mountain is?

[Castlerock]

Yesss!!!! DMC, That is the feeling! It only comes at Tucks (as opposed to the lift served). Even long straight steep stuff doesn't have it, (for instance Airplane in Great Gulf, Hillman's). It is basically Center headwall, Chute, the Lip etc. It is that "fallway, when it is going to stop, Holy Shxt, I'm in the air a long time between turns. The sluff is sliding, stay centered, turn, turn some more, keep it going, get to the bottom adrenaline going everywhere" feeling that keeps us coming back.

[BillF]

To answer the question of why do we ski at Tucks. The answer is multiple. If it was just the skiing alone, I wouldn't be half as addicted.
Yes DMC you identified it, having the feeling of the earth pitch into mere weightlessness... add in some sunshine and the Saxman, and it is an experience like no other. Victoria day May '94 (I think) that I made my first trip with a couple of friends, 60 degrees, lots of snow coverage, no wind, no clouds, Mr Saxman was there, circus atmosphere... First run at 10am at the top of the chute, just as the snow was softened to perfection...orgasmic! Can I say that? :D It was the perfection of that first trip that got me totally hooked. I work out more and increase my late winter running mileage, solely in prep for my annual Tuckermans trip. Two years ago I skied Tucks in the rain because it was the weekend I picked. But despite the discomfort and poor conditions, I was a different person at work the next week, and I was unlike all others because of my experience. My plans are to ski Tuckermans into my 70s because I hear skiing is free! Bill

[skicdave]

Lots of great questions posed lately!

Anyways if memory serves me right, I heard about Tucks from a guy I met going up a chairlift at Waterville back in 1987/88.

Next thing I know, I'm heading down to Tucks the week before my birthday which would make it around the 3rd week of April in 1987/88, for my first trip to Tuckerman Ravine with my friend Dave and his girlfriend Pattie. We didn't know much about the place at that time. We arrived at HoJo's and after consulting the avalanche board and the volunteer ski patrol, we headed up Hillmans. It was really socked in and we couldn't see more than 10 or 15ft in front of us. The climb up seemed to go on forever, at least 1 1/2 hours, just this staircase up into the clouds and knee deep snow, us climbing blindingly and gasping for air every 3 or 4 footsteps.

The most amazing part of that day was when we got to the very top of Hillmans (I was quite intimidated by that last steep pitch!), I skuttled up quickly, then turned to look back and the clouds parted to reveal the Boot Spur Ridge and valley below.

I walked across the plateau above Hillmans and gandered into the ravine and remember seeing a line of skiers heading up to the right of the Lip through the cloud. I was hooked!

I made the 6 hour journey again the following week for my May 1st weekend birthday. Fresh power filled the sky all day!

I've been back once or twice most years since, either skiing or just to hike/video/take photos....

THE END

[HeyBC]

Was in college in Keene, NH for 2 years and a friend (Paul Emberowitz if you are out there contact me) always talked about it. For my senior year at UNH (1981), I had to go out in style, so we made the trip. Once in the ravine, I just realized how massive this whole thing is (bigger than life). It is huge. Well, my car never climbed Mount Washington, but I have earned my turns. Looking forward to doing it April 2004...

[<enzo>]

First time was in 1964 at 10 years old. First run was over the Lip - took 45 minutes of talking to myself to do the first turn!

Too damned old now, and live too far away!