On Saturday Matt, Debra, and I skinned up to Tuckerman Ravine for some spring skiing and early season camping. The bad weather forecasted for Saturday didn't turn up until the afternoon and we got some high quality turns in both days.
We left Pinkham Notch around 9:30 Saturday morning and started skinning up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail along with half of New Hampshire. The lower part of the trail is dirty, but it's still skinnable from the base. We reached Hermit Lake just after 11:30am and dumped our overnight stuff in one of the lean-to shelters around the lake before heading into Tuckerman Ravine.
The Tuckerman Ravine Trail above Hermit Lake is in typical condition for this time of year. I was able to skin all but a short 50 foot stretch of steep rock steps where I had to remove my skis (I skinned over a couple shorter rock steps before admitting defeat on the long one). We reached the base of the Ravine around 1:30pm, and skied the lower half of Left Gully before getting caught in a thunder snowstorm that forced us to retreat back to Hermit Lake.
Sunday morning was gorgeous, and we ate and packed up camp in order to get another run in Hillman's Highway before heading back down. Conditions up there are fantastic right now, though the Sherburne is melting out fast and the descent back to Hermit Lake from the base of the Ravine requires some boot time to get around open water above the Little Headwall. The Little Headwall itself is still skiable but will likely open up this coming week.
4/19/2015
We awoke to an absolutely gorgeous Ravine
We left Pinkham Notch around 9:30 Saturday morning and started skinning up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail along with half of New Hampshire. The lower part of the trail is dirty, but it's still skinnable from the base. We reached Hermit Lake just after 11:30am and dumped our overnight stuff in one of the lean-to shelters around the lake before heading into Tuckerman Ravine.
The Tuckerman Ravine Trail above Hermit Lake is in typical condition for this time of year. I was able to skin all but a short 50 foot stretch of steep rock steps where I had to remove my skis (I skinned over a couple shorter rock steps before admitting defeat on the long one). We reached the base of the Ravine around 1:30pm, and skied the lower half of Left Gully before getting caught in a thunder snowstorm that forced us to retreat back to Hermit Lake.
Sunday morning was gorgeous, and we ate and packed up camp in order to get another run in Hillman's Highway before heading back down. Conditions up there are fantastic right now, though the Sherburne is melting out fast and the descent back to Hermit Lake from the base of the Ravine requires some boot time to get around open water above the Little Headwall. The Little Headwall itself is still skiable but will likely open up this coming week.
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| Dirty skinning up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail |
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| Fashionista! |
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| Tucks from Hermit Lake |
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| Matt scoping out Hillman's Highway from Hojos. Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Refilling water Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Never take off your skis! Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Matt, all smiles at the base of Tucks Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Debra all smiles as well! |
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| The photographer enjoying her new camera |
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| Starting up Left Gully |
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| Wildcat Ski Area in the background Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Left Gully |
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| The photographer's perch |
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| Myself skiing Left Gully Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Matt really showing us how it's done Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Dat Angulation! Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Debra finishing up Left Gully |
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| Thunder chasing us out of the Ravine |
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| Donning rain gear |
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| Skinning back to Hojos in the thunder snow |
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| The Ravine lost in the storm |
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| Chateau Tuckerman (Lean to #5 at Hermit Lake) |
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| More thunder snow |
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| The master chef at work Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Zip together sleeping bags are the best |
We awoke to an absolutely gorgeous Ravine
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| Tucks from near the lean to |
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| Hillman's Highway above Hojos |
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| Warming up her boyfriend's boots... |
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| ...while he stays in bed |
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| Leaving Hermit Lake for Hillman's Highway with all our gear |
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| Base of Hillman's Highway |
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| Skinning up Hillman's Highway with Mt Washington far above |
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| Myself skinning up Hillman's Highway |
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| Eventually we switched to crampons |
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| Matt at the turn off for the Lower Duchess Snowfields |
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| Matt making Hillman's Highway look easy |
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| Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Me making it look less easy Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Photo: Debra Hasse |
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| Debra crushing Hillman's Highway |
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| What fantastic conditions |
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| Skiing out the Sherburne |
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| Sherburne is getting a bit thin down at the bottom |
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| Perfect top off to the weekend! Burgers at the Black Mtn Burger Co. in Lincoln (great face, Debra =) |
