Gulf of Slides beta request

[yuckster]

Has anyone been to the GoS lately? How are the conditions?

Never been to the gulf of slides, let alone this early in the season. Is it likely to be worthwhile to head up there (as opposed to SherB) on Monday/Tuesday after the dump? I understand there's some lower angle snowfields up to climber's left, but it sounds like it can also be brushy quite late into the season. Would this be a decent place to take an intermediate skier?

[kfarrar]

Call Pinkham and ask for Michael. He'll give you the scoop.

[yuckster]

Thanks.

Too bad the Chauvin ski conditions page seems to be defunct. :( They always had good reports.

[ptex1.1]

I was told last weekend that there is a lot of brush at the bottoms of the chutes. And no one I spoke with had been in the chutes or on the snowfiels. But that the GOS trail is in great shape. Hope that helps.

[PWDR8S]

Still pretty early and the slide potential after the storm will be high. And yes, the puckerbrush seems excessive this year... I was up there a couple months ago and it was getting dense again. Needs maintenance(sp?)

Talk to Mike

[yuckster]

Still pretty early and the slide potential after the storm will be high

Thanks.

If we did go up I think we'd be avoiding the main chutes and their slide potential, and heading straight for the low-angle south snowfields, so my question is mainly pertaining to whether those snowfields will be worth the effort.

[RR]

Thanks.

If we did go up I think we'd be avoiding the main chutes and their slide potential, and heading straight for the low-angle south snowfields, so my question is mainly pertaining to whether those snowfields will be worth the effort.If it's decent day it's always worth it when the GOST is in. Watch the terrain traps over there, that section does let go now and then.

[boardman]

I personally wouldn't go past the GOS trail after one day after a big dump, assuming it comes. Avy danger is likely to be Considerable+

When I was up there last spring, that haul over to the snowfield just didn't seem worth it - it did indeed look like quite a bushwack. But the hike in to do the GOS trail is definitely worth it! Do it!

[BladeGirl]

Thanks.

Too bad the Chauvin ski conditions page seems to be defunct. :( They always had good reports.

Defunct?! Oh no! I relied on them last season for some good beta. What's up with them?

-BG

[kfarrar]

Defunct?! Oh no! I relied on them last season for some good beta. What's up with them?

-BG

Jay is longer updating the Ski conditions page as I think he moved onto pursue a photography career and isn't doing much guiding.

Mark on the other hand is still guiding and updating his blog which often included shots of Tuckermans and the Hillman climbs. Mark is much more active as a climbing guide than a skiing guide. This is just what I have been able to discern from viewing the site for over 7 years and email exchanges with Mark and Jay, although I don't know either of them personally. I know there are a few here who took an Avalanche course a few years back with Jay or Marc as the instructor.

[yuckster]

Defunct?! Oh no! I relied on them last season for some good beta. What's up with them?

-BG

You mean the season before last. They didn't update it at all last season... much to my disappointment.

[Seeker]

I was one of those who took the class along with RS and boardman. Updating the page took a lot of work--it meant a daily hike into the ravines, which still takes time even when you hike as fast as those guys!

[jshefftz]

Would this be a decent place to take an intermediate skier? No. (Anything above treeline in GoS would be rated double-diamond at any eastern ski area, and even the below-treeline GoS ski trail has some sections that an intermediate skier will find difficult.)

If we did go up I think we'd be avoiding the main chutes and their slide potential, and heading straight for the low-angle south snowfields, so my question is mainly pertaining to whether those snowfields will be worth the effort. The GoS snowfields are also prime avy terrain. And to get there, even if you bushwhack up from the bottom, you still have to first cross the main gully, so you're in the runout zone of a prime slide path.

[boardman]

Jay is longer updating the Ski conditions page as I think he moved onto pursue a photography career and isn't doing much guiding.

Mark on the other hand is still guiding and updating his blog which often included shots of Tuckermans and the Hillman climbs. Mark is much more active as a climbing guide than a skiing guide. This is just what I have been able to discern from viewing the site for over 7 years and email exchanges with Mark and Jay, although I don't know either of them personally. I know there are a few here who took an Avalanche course a few years back with Jay or Marc as the instructor.


Chauvin's been way behind on updating his ice climbing conditions page this season as well. As recently a two days ago, his last post was dated November 29. Conditions were shaping up very well up there last weekend. Black Dike looked way fat from the road, The Flume was in, but the streambed was not frozen and the ice was not fully in everywhere, though climbable. We TR'd from above. Leading probably would have been dicey, as the ice was still fairly wet and running everywhere. I suspect it'll be real good after Sunday's storm and next week's predicted cold temps.

[BladeGirl]

You mean the season before last. They didn't update it at all last season... much to my disappointment.

Yes, sorry.

On the question of an intermediate skier, I would note that skiing the return would also be quite challenging for an intermediate skier. If they can ski narrow trails, with some double fall lines and some bumps, then they should be OK. Once there, they need not climb to the top but can go part way to stay within their comfort range.

[lacman]

Chauvin's been way behind on updating his ice climbing conditions page this season as well. As recently a two days ago, his last post was dated November 29.

I won't be able to do any reports for awhile and it won't be me climbing Welcome to the Machine, Jane and I will be going for a warm weather sport climbing vacation leaving this weekend. We are heading to Tenerife, Canary Islands so I won't have a clue what the ice here will be next week.

He's not being lazy, he's out of town. You're right though, ice is in good in many places, especially considering it's only half way through December!

As for the GOS, the bushwack would be horrible this year, and it crosses avy terrain. Last season those snowfields never really came in at all. The GOST is a difficult intermediate trail, but totally doable. Lot's of double fall lines and it's tighter than the Sherb.

[icelanticskier]

skied sherb twice on tuesday, great soft conditions with better than expected coverage. gos trail looked ok but with large rocks and close to open brooks throughout. above trail chutes and snowfields need a ton more snow to be skiable. the snowfields look like a forest of tall trees, crossing main gully down low is of little danger as is the case during most previous winters with snow barely filling in the runout zone. ravine looked good though with chute and left gully in with limited runout. treeline down for now i'd say unless you take lions head to east snowfields to lap early season pow up there to avoid sketch avi danger of ravine, will be cold though.
rog

[RR]

skied sherb twice on tuesday, great soft conditions with better than expected coverage. gos trail looked ok but with large rocks and close to open brooks throughout. above trail chutes and snowfields need a ton more snow to be skiable. the snowfields look like a forest of tall trees, crossing main gully down low is of little danger as is the case during most previous winters with snow barely filling in the runout zone. ravine looked good though with chute and left gully in with limited runout. treeline down for now i'd say unless you take lions head to east snowfields to lap early season pow up there to avoid sketch avi danger of ravine, will be cold though.
rogWelcome icelanticskier, great beta...Thanks!

Nomads?

[172Recon]

No. (Anything above treeline in GoS would be rated double-diamond at any eastern ski area, and even the below-treeline GoS ski trail has some sections that an intermediate skier will find difficult.)

The GoS snowfields are also prime avy terrain. And to get there, even if you bushwhack up from the bottom, you still have to first cross the main gully, so you're in the runout zone of a prime slide path.

I would agree with that. Even the GOS ski trail has a double fall line on a lot of sections. Besides that, the snow itself can vary depending on where the wind and/or sun hit certain sections, not to mention areas of brush, blowdowns, waterbars, etc. I think an intermediate resort skier would get frustrated. Another concern would be avy gear. I would venture to say that most recreational skiers don't posess the required gear or knowledge of how to use it, even while traveling with someone who does. I would suggest bringing a more inexperienced person later in the year when things stablize a bit. In the interim, I would try them out on a few warm up trails first: Dukes, Sherb, Doublehead, etc.