# Gulf of Slides 3-5-09



## awf170 (Mar 6, 2009)




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## Johnskiismore (Mar 6, 2009)

Awesome!!


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## powbmps (Mar 6, 2009)

Johnskiismore said:


> Awesome!!



Seconded!


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## salsgang (Mar 6, 2009)

Johnskiismore said:


> Awesome!!


Thirded!


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## danny p (Mar 6, 2009)

sweet pix!


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## andyzee (Mar 6, 2009)

Good stuff Austin, good stuff!


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## ski_resort_observer (Mar 6, 2009)

Nice! Thanks for sharing such a beautiful day in "real" BC.  Wonder if a bunch of folks will be over at Tucks tomorrow. Looks to be a nice spring type day.


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## Warp Daddy (Mar 6, 2009)

Super shots !!!!


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## marcski (Mar 6, 2009)

I love seeing East Coast backcountry.  I 2nd the "Sweet pics". And 4th the "Awesome".


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## andyzee (Mar 6, 2009)

No bumps?


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## roark (Mar 6, 2009)

Looks like a terrible time was had by all.


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## drjeff (Mar 6, 2009)

andyzee said:


> No SEEDED bumps?




Fixed it for 'ya!  :lol: 

Awesome pics on what I know was just a great day to be outside!


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## TheBEast (Mar 6, 2009)

OH YEAH, getting after it!


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## Greg (Mar 6, 2009)

Great pics, Austin! Glad to see you kept the camera level this time.


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## bigbog (Mar 6, 2009)

*..."10" star rating...*

Terrific stuff man!  Just re-envigorized my GOS stoke...

STeveD


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## kingslug (Mar 6, 2009)

Those pics are worth a lot of words!!!


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Mar 6, 2009)

nice pictures..how long did the skin-up take???


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## from_the_NEK (Mar 6, 2009)

Nice work. Those snow fields look like they have set up really nicely right now. I bet Oakes Gulf would be pretty nice this Saturday as long as the wind stays out of it.


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## Edd (Mar 6, 2009)

I've never seen Wildcat from that perspective.  So cool.


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## awf170 (Mar 6, 2009)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> nice pictures..how long did the skin-up take???



2 hours to the ridge top, but we took a nice relaxed pace up.  Probably could have cut it down to 1.5 if we really pushed it.

You can get to the base of the gullies in one hour if you keep a brisk pace.



from_the_NEK said:


> Nice work. Those snow fields look like they have set up really nicely right now. I bet Oakes Gulf would be pretty nice this Saturday as long as the wind stays out of it.



And guess were I'm heading tomorrow?! As long as the weather is good and the wind isn't ridiculous the plan is:  Up Cog, summit, ski east snowfields, ski oakes, out Monroe.


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## Bumpsis (Mar 6, 2009)

Thanks for sharing! Of course, the pics are are great.
So, I'd like some advice about this type of adventure. I looks like you use some kind of AT binding and you probably skinned up all the way from Pinkham Notch on the GOS ski trail, right?

Would I be breaking any kind of back country rules of the Mt. Washington locals if I snow shoed on that trail with my ski gear on by back? I've been really itching to get out there but AT set up is just not in the budget (tele is not a possiblity either).
I've done Tucks on a couple of occassions but that was just in hiking boots with the rest of the usual spring crowds.


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## JD (Mar 7, 2009)

very sweet.


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## riverc0il (Mar 7, 2009)

Bumpsis said:


> Would I be breaking any kind of back country rules of the Mt. Washington locals if I snow shoed on that trail with my ski gear on by back?


Slow shoes are okay on the GoS trail. That is how a lot of snowboarders get up if they don't have splitters. Keep to the side of the trail and stay out of the skin track. By late April into early May, you can probably bare boot it easily enough.


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## andyzee (Mar 7, 2009)

riverc0il said:


> Slow shoes are okay on the GoS trail. That is how a lot of snowboarders get up if they don't have splitters. Keep to the side of the trail and stay out of the skin track. By late April into early May, you can probably bare boot it easily enough.



Why would you want to stay out of the skin track? Are you saying people skinning have more right to the trail than people on snowshoes?

If it's a matter of not wanting to mess up the skin track, then I believe the proper response would have been: As courtesy please keep out of the skin track.


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## Angus (Mar 7, 2009)

what is the steepness of GOS? Doesn't look to be as steep as tucks from the pictures. is the hike up there equivalent from Pinkham as is tucks - length and effort? thinking this might be a good start for my son.


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## riverc0il (Mar 7, 2009)

andyzee said:


> Why would you want to stay out of the skin track? Are you saying people skinning have more right to the trail than people on snowshoes?
> 
> If it's a matter of not wanting to mess up the skin track, then I believe the proper response would have been: As courtesy please keep out of the skin track.



Seems like you understood what I was getting at. Sorry I did not type my thoughts in "the proper" way. :roll:


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## andyzee (Mar 7, 2009)

riverc0il said:


> Seems like you understood what I was getting at. Sorry I did not type my thoughts in "the proper" way. :roll:




Sorry, but just seemed kind of arrogant. My 2 cents.


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## riverc0il (Mar 8, 2009)

andyzee said:


> Sorry, but just seemed kind of arrogant. My 2 cents.


Same rule applies to skinning. Don't skin in a boot pack. Not arrogance. Common courtesy.


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## andyzee (Mar 8, 2009)

riverc0il said:


> Same rule applies to skinning. Don't skin in a boot pack. Not arrogance. Common courtesy.




Who determines side of the trail to middle of trail? Just a question.


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## from_the_NEK (Mar 8, 2009)

Andy,
Riverc0il has been around too long to bite on your trolling attempts


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## andyzee (Mar 9, 2009)

from_the_NEK said:


> Andy,
> Riverc0il has been around too long to bite on your trolling attempts



Excuse me, it's not a trolling attempt. It's a valid question. What gives folks skinning up preference over people snowshoeing up?

How can you say that is a trolling attempt as opposed to a valid question. Believe me it is truly intended as a serious question. Do you have an answer?


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## andyzee (Mar 9, 2009)

riverc0il said:


> Same rule applies to skinning. Don't skin in a boot pack. Not arrogance. Common courtesy.



I've never been up the Gulf of Slides so before speaking I was bit ignorant to it's purpose. After doing some research, I see that it is a ski trail. That said, not being a "troll" here, serious question. Shouldn't folks skinning or snowshoeing up both stay to the side to avoid skiers?


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## riverc0il (Mar 9, 2009)

andyzee said:


> Shouldn't folks skinning or snowshoeing up both stay to the side to avoid skiers?


Correct, best to stay to the side of BC ski trails to avoid skiers going down and also to preserve the snow if it is powdery. Skinners get no preference (nor did I ever say they did, you were reading a little too much into my post). On the up track, it works out best for EVERYONE if a parallel set of skin and boot tracks go up and are kept separate. Just basic etiquette. Although, by the time most folks on this forum plan to get up there (i.e. after lifts stop spinning), there isn't much snow left on the GOS Ski Trail, so the point may be moot.


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## andyzee (Mar 9, 2009)

riverc0il said:


> Correct, best to stay to the side of BC ski trails to avoid skiers going down and also to preserve the snow if it is powdery. Skinners get no preference (nor did I ever say they did, you were reading a little too much into my post). On the up track, it works out best for EVERYONE if a parallel set of skin and boot tracks go up and are kept separate. Just basic etiquette. Although, by the time most folks on this forum plan to get up there (i.e. after lifts stop spinning), there isn't much snow left on the GOS Ski Trail, so the point may be moot.



Thank you.


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## from_the_NEK (Mar 9, 2009)

andyzee said:


> Excuse me, it's not a trolling attempt. It's a valid question. What gives folks skinning up preference over people snowshoeing up?
> 
> How can you say that is a trolling attempt as opposed to a valid question. Believe me it is truly intended as a serious question. Do you have an answer?





> Sorry, but just seemed kind of arrogant. My 2 cents.



Sorry, calling Riverc0il's post arrogant seems like an attempt at a troll. My 2 Cents 

Seems like when regular back country skiers provide straight forward advice around here, they  are often forced to defend the advice they are giving as if they are trying to keep the back country to themselves. IMHO, Riverc0il has enough "BC cred" around here with TONS of great advice given to those who ask, that he shouldn't need to explain in painful detail about why hikers should "Stay out of the skin track".


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## andyzee (Mar 9, 2009)

from_the_NEK said:


> Sorry, calling Riverc0il's post arrogant seems like an attempt at a troll. My 2 Cents
> 
> Seems like when regular back country skiers provide straight forward advice around here, they  are often forced to defend the advice they are giving as if they are trying to keep the back country to themselves. IMHO, Riverc0il has enough "BC cred" around here with TONS of great advice given to those who ask, that he shouldn't need to explain in painful detail about why hikers should "Stay out of the skin track".



We're talking public land with public access. Unless there are specific rules posted, someone with RivercOil's "BC cred" telling me to stay out of a skin track means nothing. Now if he want to elaborate and educate then it may amount to something. 

from_the_NEK, you seem like a cool dude, so I won't push it any further.


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## Angus (Mar 9, 2009)

Angus said:


> what is the steepness of GOS? Doesn't look to be as steep as tucks from the pictures. is the hike up there equivalent from Pinkham as is tucks - length and effort? thinking this might be a good start for my son.



good, now that we have backcountry etiquette issues resolved...any input into the GOS versus Tucks?


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## snowmonster (Mar 9, 2009)

That TR needs no words. I am so stoked for GOS!

Hey Andy. Just to chime in to a settled debate: let's just say that hiking (postholing) or snowshoeing in the ski track makes it difficult for those skinning after. Anyway, let's say we bag Tux and go for GOS instead this year?


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## andyzee (Mar 9, 2009)

snowmonster said:


> That TR needs no words. I am so stoked for GOS!
> 
> Hey Andy. Just to chime in to a settled debate: let's just say that hiking (postholing) or snowshoeing in the ski track makes it difficult for those skinning after. Anyway, let's say we bag Tux and go for GOS instead this year?



No denying, just saying, it would be better to educate rather than dictate where you have no right to dictate. Which I'm sorry, but that's the way I took it.


GOS would be nice, but I'm going up some friends that never experienced Tux. Maybe I could work on getting two weekends up there.


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## snowmonster (Mar 9, 2009)

Cool. Count me in for Tux too.


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## andyzee (Mar 9, 2009)

snowmonster said:


> Cool. Count me in for Tux too.



First or second weekend in April.


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## cbcbd (Mar 9, 2009)

Nice work, dude. The GOS looks very filled... veeery filled. You guys are having a killer season up there.



Angus said:


> what is the steepness of GOS? Doesn't look to be as steep as tucks from the pictures. is the hike up there equivalent from Pinkham as is tucks - length and effort? thinking this might be a good start for my son.


GOS tops at about 35-40. It's not as steep as Tux. Takes a little less time to get to the base and you can skin the whole way in.  Most runouts are snow or trees.


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## riverc0il (Mar 9, 2009)

No one here is "dictating" anything. Someone asked for advice, and I gave some advice. A simple "what do you mean by stay out of the skin track?" would have sufficed if you wanted further education.

In reference to the post by Angus...

To follow up on cbcbd, not only to the gullies top out at the mellow pitches of Tuckerman, but they feel significantly mellower both on the ski down and hike up. There is no party scene, but as posts like this attest, interest is growing with the crowd that doesn't like the numbers of people in the bowl. The GoS Ski Trail drys out much faster than the Sherbie or TRT, so skinning up and skiing down all the way (or even part of the way) is a much shorter window than Tux. The hike up from Pinkham is easier, IMO. Grass trail versus all rock and then you don't have to deal with an equivalent section of the HoJo's to the bowl part of the TRT. For someone that hasn't skied MW before, I think GoS would be a splendid introduction. It is a lot easier finding a place to dig in and click into your bindings half way up the GoS than most of the Tux gullies, which is a big help for a first timer than may be intimidated or tired on the way up.


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