# Tuckerman Ravine - June 4, 2011



## snowmonster (Jun 6, 2011)

*Date(s) Skied: *June 4, 2011

*Resort or Ski Area: *Tuckerman Ravine, NH

*Conditions: *Temps in the 40s, minimal wind, corn and rotten snow; sunny and bluebird; black fly season in full swing.

*Trip Report: *When I pulled into the parking lot, the first person I saw was rivercoil. I only see him at the beginning of my ski season so seeing him last Saturday probably means I'm nearing the end of the season. He was with madpatski (from T4T) who had driven all the way from Ottawa. Madpadraic was supposed to join me for the ride but an injury prevented that. We got to the floor of the Bowl at around lunch time. Sluice, the lower part of the Headwall and Chute were still skiable. There was a good ribbon of snow on Left Gully but it was separated from the Bowl by a substantial bushwack.

I first hit Sluice then traversed to skiers' left of Center Headwall and hiked up to just beneath a rock then skied down from there. There was a group near the base of Chute doing a snow science course and they were digging a pit. Because of the crevassing on Headwall, I headed back to Sluice and did some laps there. Madpatski told me that there was about 450 feet of vert in Sluice. There was a small shelf just about where the snow was separating from the rocks which made it convenient to put on skis. Conditions were great (compared to the fog and mist from my last trip) but the snow is slowly going away. The snow line was much higher in the Bowl than two weeks ago. All in all, it was a superb and relaxed day at Tux.

This trip became memorable because of the people on the trail and in the Bowl. Aside from the pros like madpatski and riv, there was the Scottish guy hiking in complete kilt and tam, the Montrealers who took a swim in the Cutler River (by choice), the snowblader who bounced all over Sluice, the TGR maggot who skied switch and mooned us and the first-time boarder who called himself Tigger then spent thirty minutes at the top working up the courage to get down since he had never seen anything so steep in his life. But, the prize for most interesting person in the Bowl goes to the girl who cracked bones in her neck in December then managed to ride 40 days this season as soon as her neck brace came off. She had some funny stories and adventures. She kept the hike down entertaining and made us forget about the g*d-d@mn*d black flies! 

The snow is disappearing fast but it's still a great time to be skiing at Tux! Get at it!

Two views of the Bowl -- hikers' right then left:










Top of Sluice looking down:





Top of Sluice looking across the Bowl:





Center Headwall looking at the floor of the Bowl. Notice how high the snow line has crept up:





Rivercoil in top form on Sluice:









Great meeting you, madpatski!





The girl with the neck brace:





Bottom of the Bowl where the snow begins:





Two views of the Tux at dusk (the first may interest the camera-philes among you):


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## BLESS (Jun 6, 2011)

girl with neck brace....HELLO.

good tr.  you are way more ambitious than I.


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## riverc0il (Jun 6, 2011)

Nice skiing with ya, snowmonster! Great afternoon in the bowl, nice shots!

My report with a whole bunch of pics is up over on *TSW*.

Snowmonster spent a lot of time chatting with neck brace girl. I couldn't help but snap this picture while thinking *"Tuckerman Ravine makes snowmonster happy!"*


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## snoseek (Jun 6, 2011)

Oh man I am jealous and already itching to get out and ski. I wanted in but I'm in full 7 day a week work mode to set up for next season. You guys are killing me!

P.S. nice booty shot of neck brace girl. SM working his magic......


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## maineskier69 (Jun 6, 2011)

From the pics, "rotten" describes it well.  Way to go after it guys!
I haven't hit anything that rotten since my college days....


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## riverc0il (Jun 6, 2011)

Wasn't rotten in the slightest. Excellent conditions. Maybe you were just being funny but failed at emoticon use?


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## maineskier69 (Jun 7, 2011)

riverc0il said:


> Wasn't rotten in the slightest. Excellent conditions. Maybe you were just being funny but failed at emoticon use?



I was trying to be funny and my emticon was misused and put up at the top of the post.  
I skied Tux in July one year where there was less snow than that and it was foggy to boot.


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## snowmonster (Jun 7, 2011)

BLESS, I invited neck brace girl to join the forum. Don't be surprised to see her around this neighborhood.

Riv, it's always a pleasure to ski with you, sir. Thanks for the photos! Neck brace girl had so many incredible stories, it was hard not to chat her up.=)

snoseek and ms69, your presence in the Bowl was missed. I can only imagine the shenanigans -- and the wipeouts -- that would ensue. Working my magic indeed....


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## skiadikt (Jun 7, 2011)

you guys probably win the most core award on azone. way to get some ...


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## snowmonster (Jun 7, 2011)

Thanks, skiadikt. Rivercoil and the others get the award for most core. I just skulk around ...

And, yes, rivercoil: Tuckerman Ravine makes snowmonster happy!=)


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## thetrailboss (Jun 7, 2011)

riverc0il said:


> Snowmonster spent a lot of time chatting with neck brace girl. I couldn't help but snap this picture while thinking *"Tuckerman Ravine makes snowmonster happy!"*


 
The man always has his hands full.....


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## snowmonster (Jun 7, 2011)

^ It was only a matter of time before you trotted out that old warhorse.


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## thetrailboss (Jun 7, 2011)

snowmonster said:


> ^ It was only a matter of time before you trotted out that old warhorse.


 
Only for you.


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## snowmonster (Jun 8, 2011)

Whatever makes you happy, my friend. Question is: when are you earning your turns? As it stands, both Tigger and neck brace girl have a leg up on you.


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## thetrailboss (Jun 8, 2011)

snowmonster said:


> Whatever makes you happy, my friend. Question is: when are you earning your turns? As it stands, both Tigger and neck brace girl have a leg up on you.


 
Some of us may not be done lift served season!


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## snowmonster (Jun 8, 2011)

^ That would actually include me. Never say never especially with the 'Bird spinning lifts. There's also Blackcomb glacier. It would be cool to show up there in a Bruins jersey! However, there is merit in earning turns. Old-Time skiing just like Brooks Dodge, Jackrabbit Johansson, Irving Langmuir and all the others who have gone before us.


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## SkiFanE (Jun 8, 2011)

maineskier69 said:


> I was trying to be funny and my emticon was misused and put up at the top of the post.
> I skied Tux in July one year where there was less snow than that and it was foggy to boot.



Fail.  When will you learn NEVER to misuse an emticon.  There is a special place in hell for people like you :evil:

:beer:    <--- the perfect emticon


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## Nick (Jun 9, 2011)

Hahahaha. 

How did she get the neckbrace? 

Looks nice, did you guys stay overnight?


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## snowmonster (Jun 9, 2011)

^ It's a long -- but entertaining -- story but, basically, she fell and smacked her helmeted head on some ice. She cracked a bone in her neck thus the neck brace. As soon as that came off, she rattled off 40 ski days. Pretty impressive dedication. I told her to post on AZ so let's see if she comes around here.

Riv and I just did a daytrip. On the trail by 930 and off it by 7. Pulled out of the parking lot by 8 and in Boston by 11. Typical daytrip to Tux.


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## MadPatSki (Jun 16, 2011)

After years of trying not to joins any other ski forums, I gave in and registered on AZ. Especially after I've been getting traffic to my blog from here in another thread.



snowmonster said:


> ^ It's a long -- but entertaining -- story but, basically, she fell and smacked her helmeted head on some ice. She cracked a bone in her neck thus the neck brace. As soon as that came off, she rattled off 40 ski days. Pretty impressive dedication. I told her to post on AZ so let's see if she comes around here.



As for the hardcore boader chick, I detailed her story a bit more in my piece on *Ski Mad World.* I also have different pictures from Riverc0il and Snowmonster.

Nice skiing and chatting with you snowmonster. Ski you in July? :razz:


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## snowmonster (Jun 17, 2011)

Welcome to the forum, madpatski! It was a pleasure skiing Tux with you and I look forward to more adventures.

Excellent TR. I think you captured the spirit of the day pretty well. I agree. It was the characters on the trail that made it special.

July? To summarize Riv, we ski it because it's there!


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## Nick (Jun 17, 2011)

MadPatSki said:


> After years of trying not to joins any other ski forums, I gave in and registered on AZ. Especially after I've been getting traffic to my blog from here in another thread.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Welcome! Nice to have you on board! (literally... I guess!):wink:


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## MadPatSki (Jun 17, 2011)

Nick said:


> Welcome! Nice to have you on board! (literally... I guess!):wink:



Thanks Nick.

Another ski forum where I'm registered.  It's funny how over time traffic fluctuates from one place to the next. I've read a few things on AlpineZone over the years, but if I would read everything on every forum, I would never leave the computer, so I tried to stay away. :wink:

Funny, I recognize many names here. Some might know me as simply Patrick (on FTO, ZS, SJ and Epic) or MadPatSki (on TGR, T4T, Harvey Road and Skipass). I guess it all started back in the rec.skiing days back twenty years ago. I've always wanted to share my stuff, but changing dynamic (and friends that don't bother with reading ski forums) lead me to start my own blog. I do it mainly for myself, as a skiing diary, but I have so little secrets.


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## riverc0il (Jun 17, 2011)

No Tuckerman this weekend.  This rainy weather is beginning to cramp my style. Very few road biking miles this past month either.


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