East's Most Extreme Backcountry Ski - Tuckerman Ravine
Written: Jan 02 '04 (Updated Dec 07 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Most Snow, Steepest Slopes, Most Extreme Eastern Skiing
Cons: Not for the meek or mild
The Bottom Line: Tuckerman Ravine is in the end, the ultimate backcountry ski destination in the east. If you ski Tuckermans, you’ve done it – you are the skier
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| jps246's Full Review: Tuckerman Ravine |
Want to tackle some of the most challenging backcountry skiing in the eastern US? Tuckerman Ravine is the original and most famous destination for extreme backcountry skiing in the east.
Situated on the shoulder of Mount Washington, the highest summit north of the Carolinas and east of the Mississippi at 6,288 feet, Tuckerman Ravine offers roughly 1,200’ vertical feet of relief if you were to ski from the top of the headwall, whereas most skiers settle for 500 to 800 vertical feet from locations partially up the headwall.
Accessible only by foot from the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Pinkham Notch base camp, you begin your trek at 2032 feet and hike over three miles to the Hermit Lake Shelter at 3,900 feet. The trail up to Tuckerman’s can be traveled on foot or on ski (should you have telemark gear on), this trail cannot be skied down and there is a separate return ski trail from the ravine to Pinkham Notch.
Hermit Lake Shelter is an emergency shelter generally not open to the public and is staffed at busier times should emergencies occur on the slopes (don’t worry, they will). Hermit Lake is located at the base of the “little headwall,” a small and steep drop that separates the lower portion of Tuckermans from the upper section. Lean-tos and tent platforms are available (you need to sign-up for them in Pinkham Notch) for $8 a night and are on a first-come, first-serve basis should you wish to stay in Tuckermans overnight.
The view from Hermit Lake is amazing – as you see the sweeping ridges of Lion’s Head and Boot Spur surrounding Tuckerman Ravine on both sides. The ravine itself reaches up the slope of Mount Washington and quickly reaches treeline just above your location. The views are amazing, but the skiing and climbing are just as good. Make sure you’ve got your camera to capture both.
A short but steep hike from the Hermit Lake shelter will bring you up and over the little headwall and into the main upper portion of the Tuckerman Ravine. The elevation here is roughly 4,500 feet. From this point there are several well-established ski routes on the face of the headwall, but generally, wherever you feel comfortable carving turns, you can climb up, strap those skis on and experience the rush of Tuckerman Ravine.
Snow conditions can vary widely from day to day and even within a single day. The best skiing is in the spring, with skiable snow often lasting well past the spring and into the early summer. Conditions at Tuckermans are available at a multitude of sites, including the National Forest Service’s site and several other private sites. Here’s a quick rundown of sites that offer some information on ski and snow conditions, along with information Tuckerman Ravine in general:
www.tuckerman.org (official NFS site)
timefortuckerman.com
www.skicentral.com/tuckerman.html
www.goski.com/resorts/rusanh/tucker.htm
In addition to changeable conditions, skiers must be aware that avalanches can and do occur in Tuckerman Ravine. Almost every year skiers and climbers are caught in avalanches and either seriously injured or killed. Mount Washington and its ravines have claimed the lives of many people. You should not be skiing in Tuckermans or any other of Mount Washington’s ravines without a basic knowledge of avalanche safety. I won’t go into details, however, the Forest Service on their site does offer avalanche safety information.
http://www.tuckerman.org/
AMC also offers information on safe skiing in Tuckermans:
http://www.outdoors.org/activities/tuckerman/tuckerman-safety.shtml
It is vitally important that you bone up on your avalanche safety before skiing at Tuckermans. Your life honestly depends upon it. Skiing in the ravine increases in the spring mostly due to the increased snowpack, but also because the snow firms up in the spring and the avalanche potential decreases (but does not disappear).
In addition to avalanche safety, skiers at Tuckermans should be experienced enough in backcountry skiing to anticipate potential dangers and hazards and respond to them. You are not at a ski area. While emergency rescue personnel are available at times, you are over 3 miles from the nearest road and help can be a long way off. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and anyone else in your party.
There’s the possibility of open crevasses, ice falling from cliffs and more. Read the safety information posted at both Pinkham Notch and Hermit Lake and understand what this means when you are out skiing.
Weather is also a danger at Tuckermans. It can change very quickly and because of the exposed nature of the upper portions of the ravine, can become deadly in minutes. Mount Washington is home to the strongest measure surface winds and temperatures on the mountain often drop well below zero with windchills approaching 80 to 90 degrees below zero. It might be a little mountain, but geography and climate conspire together to give Mount Washington the title of the home’s worst weather.
Tuckermans is steep! Slopes approach 55 degrees in places (you’d be hard pressed to stand up on that) and just getting to the top can be an adventure. Mountaineering gear including ice axes and crampons are often needed to reach the higher portions of the ravine because of ice and cliff lines. The climb can sometimes take hours.
Still interested?
Tuckerman Ravine is in the end, the ultimate backcountry ski destination in the east. If you ski Tuckermans, you’ve done it – you are the skier.
It gives you the ultimate bragging rights in this portion of the country and for experienced skiers looking for the biggest thrill possible, look no further than this remote ravine in New Hampshire. You will not be disappointed.
And just a thought for you – at one time, earlier in the 20th century, there used to be a race from the summit of Mount Washington to Pinkham Notch and the record time was somewhere around the order of 8 minutes…something like an average speed on 80 miles per hour…
More Outdoor Destinations
White Mountain National Forest (NH) / Catskill Mountains (NY) / Acadia National Park (ME) / Bellayre Mountain (NY) / Hunter Mountain (NY) / Ski Windham (NY) / Burke Mountain (VT) / Catamount (MA) / Jiminy Peak (MA) / Whiteface Mountain/Lake Placid /
Recommended:
Yes
Level of Experience Needed: Expert
Best Time to Visit: April
Best Suited For: Friends
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