# Eastern Snowfields - May 23, 2010



## snowmonster (May 25, 2010)

*Date(s) Skied: *May 23, 2010

*Resort or Ski Area: *Eastern Snowfields, Mt. Washington

*Conditions: *Sunny bluebird day in the 70's, minimal wind and almost no clouds, corn snow 

*Trip Report: *

With the Auto Road open, trailboss and I decided to go the slacker route. The original plan was to go to the Great Gulf but, when we got to the "parking lot" at the 7.5 mile mark, there seemed to be a lot of activity on the other side of the road. We had never skied the Eastern Snowfields, so we decided to do that. After leaving the parking lot and cresting a pile of rocks, the snow was right there in less than 50 yards.

The skiable snow was about 400 to 500 feet -- enough room to make a variety of turns -- and quite wide. Other than huge rocks sticking out near the bottom, coverage was pretty good. The pitch was mellow compared to other parts of Mt. Washington but TB and I agreed that the slope and the features of the snowfields reminded us of White Nitro Extension at Sugarloaf. Most skiers went down straight in the middle. However, the best snow was found on skier's right and left. 

We planned on doing just a few runs here and head over to the GG but the conditions were just about perfect so we hung around until about 5:00 and put in about 8 or 9 runs. There was a group of folks (who we later learned were from T4T) with coolers, tents and grills. I think the most number of folks at the snowfields at any one time was about 30 to 50 (I'm lousy at crowd estimates though) but it didn't feel crowded at all. By late afternoon, there was just us, the folks with the coolers, 5 really drunk guys and a young observatory intern. Lots of good skiing left but get it while it lasts. Conditions in Tux itself and the places around Mt. Washington look more mid-June like then late May. 

TB has way better photos but I'll start this off with some of mine.

From the highest point of the snowfield: the main huge patch is on the area that bends to the right






Huge rocks on skiers' left of the snowfield: cut right for more skiing





Looking up from 4/5s of the way up:





Trailboss carving up White Nitro, I mean, the Eastern Snowfields





The bootpack late on this bluebird day:





Party time!


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## Johnskiismore (May 25, 2010)

Very nice, I think you just helped me decide what to do on my day off tomorrow!


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## snowmonster (May 25, 2010)

Go for it! If I could take a day off tomorrow, I'd go too.


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## snoseek (May 25, 2010)

The weather looks damn near perfect. The snow looks damn near perfect corn.

Come September most on here would kill to ski a nice little patch like that. Way to keep the Jones in check.


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## snowmonster (May 26, 2010)

Weather and conditions were perfect last Sunday. Considering that the conditions around Washington when we were there 2 weeks before were downright dangerous, I'd say we earned this!


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## Angus (May 27, 2010)

just looking at T4T and the mod had posted a ravine cam picture from today, the lack of snow is amazing. I've been up in the ravine the last two memorial day weekends and able to ski from the top of left gully and/or near top of hillmans both years - yikes!


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## snowmonster (May 28, 2010)

Yikes indeed! I'm optimistic though that there'll be shorter but skiable lines there in the first week of June. Who's with me?


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