Panpan is on her spring break from med school this week and we decided to skin up to Tucks for some late winter/early spring backcountry skiing. We had a fairly variable day, encountered a variety of conditions and weather, and ultimately had an awesome day on the mountain.
This was Pan's first time in Tuckerman Ravine, so we were planning to make the trip pretty low-key and we didn't have very high expectations for the weather or the snow conditions. The avalanche conditions on the mountain are variable, it's that time of year when conditions change hour to hour rather than day to day. We ended up climbing the boot pack up the lower portion of Right Gully and doing a scary, tedious traverse across wind scoured ice into the lower section of Sluice and Lip, where we found a few inches of white n' fluffy over a hard crust.
We had plans to meet friends at a Dartmouth Land Grant cabin up north that night, so we decided that once up the Bowl was enough. We found the ski track leading to the Little Headwall to be very treacherous; there are holes with open water and terrain traps present already. We had to take it very slowly and carefully to avoid getting ourselves into trouble. The Little Headwall itself was trivial and the Sherburne was in excellent shape for the rest of the descent.
This was Pan's first time in Tuckerman Ravine, so we were planning to make the trip pretty low-key and we didn't have very high expectations for the weather or the snow conditions. The avalanche conditions on the mountain are variable, it's that time of year when conditions change hour to hour rather than day to day. We ended up climbing the boot pack up the lower portion of Right Gully and doing a scary, tedious traverse across wind scoured ice into the lower section of Sluice and Lip, where we found a few inches of white n' fluffy over a hard crust.
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| I don't think this is the kind of bird they wanted to attract |
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| Skinning up the Tuckerman Ravine trail |
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| The Tuckerman Ravine Trail above Hojos is rough on skinners this year |
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| We eventually admitted defeat and carried our skis for a stretch |
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| The bowl itself still has a few inches of low density powder |
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| Finishing the sketchy traverse over to Sluice/Lip |
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| Panpan shredding the lower section of Lip |
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| All smiles back at the base of the bowl |
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| Admiring her handiwork |
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| You can see our tracks (and others) to the right of Lip, directly under the cliff near the right side of the ravine. |
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| Skiing out to the Little Headwall |
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| Little Headwall |
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| Sherburne trail was in excellent condition |
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| She earned it! |
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| Peaks cabin on the Dartmouth College 2nd Land Grant |
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| Sunset view from the cabin |
