Tuckerman Ravine - Terry L. Karkos

Terry L. Karkos , Maine writes...

Hi. I'm a learning boarder, intermed. xc skier, and freelance photographer, avid backpacker. I went up to photograph some friends of mine who planned to get in some spring skiing in April a few years back in the bowl. I set up my camera and tripod on Lunch Rock with the crowd and used my 85-300mm lens to photograph the action. Thought you might like to see a couple of my better shots. (My friends meanwhile, hiked up (in skiboots, no crampons) the bowl to the ski field above (from the left side of the headwall) to ski, then the guy skied down (telemark skis--fell twice) and his wife climbed down--too frightened to ski down; her husband went back up to help her down--she climbed down the right side of the headwall; while I was watching him help her down, she slid her skis down and I caught them; I only went up about 1/4 of the way and it don't look steep from Lunch Rock, but when you start climbing up, wow! It gets steep to look back down. I sat on my butt and slid down, which was fun. Anyways, the day I was there, a girl slid off the snowfield above the headwall and was hanging on the edge of the headwall--her skiing companions left her there and the ski patrol had to go up and get her. Glad you posted the Guide; wish more Tuckerman wannabes would read it and become aware of the dangers.

Terry Karkos in Maine
gnomepkr@sometel.com