# Cannon backside?



## ski_resort_observer (Jun 11, 2006)

So I am going on alittle photo waterfalls sojourn in the Whites. The conditions are about perfect. Hopefully this Thurs. I was checking out Bridalveil Falls on Google Earth and I couldn't help notice a near perfect bowl on the backside of Cannon funneling down thru the Bridal Veil Falls trail. 

Does anyone ski this terrain?


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## thetrailboss (Jun 11, 2006)

That's interesting...I don't know of any trails back there...Riv would be the guy to ask.  The woods on Cannon are very, very dense.


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## awf170 (Jun 11, 2006)

It may be awsome back there.  But it is in the middle of nowhere.  You would have to hike up the terrian you skiied down cut over to the tuckerbrook trail and ski down that which will require someone to pick you up.  So I really doubt anyone would waste there time clearing back there when you could only get a few runs in during a day.  And the trees in NH between 3000 and 4000 ft are so dense that there is no way you could ski it without it being clear.


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## Mad Skier (Jun 11, 2006)

*Cannon bowl??*

I have heard from 2nd 3rd 4th person(??)that there is some good skiing back there, if this was the place the original report was speaking of. I've never heard from the first person of any forays back there but on numerous occasions at the top of Mittersill I could swear I heard whoops and hollers from down in there. Ghosts on skis?? I don't know.


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## riverc0il (Jun 11, 2006)

Mad Skier said:
			
		

> I have heard from 2nd 3rd 4th person(??)that there is some good skiing back there, if this was the place the original report was speaking of. I've never heard from the first person of any forays back there but on numerous occasions at the top of Mittersill I could swear I heard whoops and hollers from down in there. Ghosts on skis?? I don't know.


you probably heard people going down tuckerbrook, which is well known and one of the original trails at cannon, though requires a hitch or car spot to get back to cannon unlike 'sill. as trailboss and austin mentioned, the trees in that neck of the woods are really dense. unlike the great natural glade skiing to be had in VT, only trails actually cut would allow passage through those thick and twisted trees. i don't know of anything established from the ridge, i have looked north west from the saddle a many a time thinking it would be a fantastic place for some expert lift serviced, but it ain't gonna happen.

Bridal Vail Falls is a really nice waterfall for a reasonably short hike. It is not a dramatic waterfall normally, but with all this rain, I am sure it is ripping and ready for the camera. Out of all the falls in the Franconia area, it is probably the best falls for getting away from the crowds for a nice and relaxing hike. I think MtnMagic is partial to this Fall as well. Enjoy!


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## ski_resort_observer (Jun 11, 2006)

If ya have some other personal favorites I would love to hear them.


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## riverc0il (Jun 11, 2006)

ski_resort_observer said:
			
		

> If ya have some other personal favorites I would love to hear them.


where to even begin! it always depends on my mood. is the waterfall the destination? or a stop on a longer hike? sometimes a babbling brook in solitude is more majestic than the largest of the white mountains (aerethusa is actually one of my least favorite waterfalls...). hiking straight up the basin cascade trail was a nice treat, didn't even see a soul despite evidence being left on the trail to indicate that it is a popular hike. reaching the upper falls of georgiana has such a wonderful sense of adventure and the upper falls is a nice pay off for a short hike despite the bushwhack feel of the upper falls. of course there is the falling waters trail and beaver brook on the moose. all my favorite falls seem to be in the immediate area of franconia notch.

some of the most picturesque falls of the whites seem cheap to me. crystal cascades and glen ellis are awesome waterfalls. but for so little effort, they don't stand out as much as the others. crystal cascade and flume cascade are the same when viewed from the road, but are completely different falls if you scramble up the side.

so many waterfalls, so little time.


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## salida (Jun 11, 2006)

I've bushwhacked through this area, it is damn thick...  Be real careful if you venture around in there, rescue is a long way away, and is most likely back the way you came, IE a hike up very steep terrain.


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## MichaelJ (Jun 12, 2006)

I've been back in there; it's thick, and it's wet. If there were a route through there it would require a cut trail, and as noted, there would be no way back up but to hike it or have a car spot and only take one run. I would have to think, though not well experienced in this, that there are better places to ski down backcountry-style after hiking up.


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## gustmouse (Jun 13, 2006)

I don’t ski, but remember this area from a hike a few years ago.

Gulf of Slides 
Preview: The Gulf of Slides Ski Trail drops down from the base of the ravine from which the trail gets its name. There is excellent steep skiing in the Gulf of Slides itself and good downhill skiing on the trail. The Gulf of Slides has long been overlooked by the majority of skiers. It is well away from the crowds that flock to the bowl in Tuckerman Ravine—indeed, it is unknown to many of the Tuck’s regulars. That is precisely its appeal. The Gulf of Slides is a wide ravine between ridges that run off of Boott Spur (5,500 feet) and Slide Peak (4,806 feet). The slides for which it is named form along the east-facing headwall and can be seen from NH 16 below. The Gulf of Slides holds some of the latest snow in the White Mountains outside of Tuckerman Ravine. It is a traditional spring skiing destination, with ski activity usually continuing from March through May.


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## awf170 (Jun 13, 2006)

gustmouse said:
			
		

> I don’t ski, but remember this area from a hike a few years ago.
> 
> Gulf of Slides
> Preview: The Gulf of Slides Ski Trail drops down from the base of the ravine from which the trail gets its name. There is excellent steep skiing in the Gulf of Slides itself and good downhill skiing on the trail. The Gulf of Slides has long been overlooked by the majority of skiers. It is well away from the crowds that flock to the bowl in Tuckerman Ravine—indeed, it is unknown to many of the Tuck’s regulars. That is precisely its appeal. The Gulf of Slides is a wide ravine between ridges that run off of Boott Spur (5,500 feet) and Slide Peak (4,806 feet). The slides for which it is named form along the east-facing headwall and can be seen from NH 16 below. The Gulf of Slides holds some of the latest snow in the White Mountains outside of Tuckerman Ravine. It is a traditional spring skiing destination, with ski activity usually continuing from March through May.


Huh?

Anyway the GoS is pretty radical...


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## bigbog (Jun 14, 2006)

*.........*

...IF the terrain has enough snow on it, with more than 2-3 skiers, the best possibility is with snowmobile.  They can squeeze thru some tight spots at a slow speed.
One skier would ski the first half of the day, then switch with the driver...to let him ski the second half....but without deep snowcover...just _winging it..._ doesn't work...with the number of "blowdowns" littering the ground in NewEngland :-x .


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## thetrailboss (Jun 15, 2006)

I'm not sure if snowmobiles are allowed in some areas of the WMNF.


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