# Tuckerman Ravine - 5/5/2012



## snowmonster (May 7, 2012)

*Date(s) Skied: *5/5/2012

*Resort or Ski Area: *Tuckerman Ravine - Left Gully 

*Conditions: *60s in the valley, 30s in the summits; foggy in the morning then bluebird and sunny most of the day with patches of clouds; wind minimal; corn snow. Perfect Tux weather. 

*Trip Report: *Saturday was the perfect day to hit Tux: warm, sunny and bluebird, minimal wind. No crowds and, most importantly, no blackflies. Based on reports, Left Gully was the place to be. I got on the trail shortly after 930 and made it into the Bowl before 1. I would have made it earlier had I not stopped and socialized too much at HoJo's but that's a small price to pay. Wearing a popular ski area's shirt on the trail has its benefits. Hillman's Highway had some snow on it up to the ridge line. But, it looked discontinuous.

Anyway, when I got into the Bowl, it seemed that, aside from the waterfall and crevasses in the center Headwall and the Lip, the snow cover looked good albeit low for this time of year. I figured Right Gully and Chute were skiable. There were some brown stains on Chute from some rocks up high down to the chokepoint. There were some people on Lunch Rocks sunning themselves and cheering on the occasional wahoo on an inner tube. Some people were heading up the Chute but most of the activity was on Left Gully. It was pretty uncrowded though. I was alone on the bootpack most of the time and the whole time I was there, there were probably less than 15 skiers who went down LG.

Left Gully looked fat from the Bowl to the ridge line. I bushwacked my way there through the scrub at the bottom of the bowl then headed up. I followed the bootpack straight up then hiked over to hikers' left of the trail to transition into skiing.

The late afternoon sun made for perfect corn and that was a joy to ski. I cut over to the middle of the Bowl and booted up the Chute for another run. I got to the ledge just under the choke and put on skis there. I was getting late in the afternoon and I noticed I was the only one in the Bowl. Perfect. This is the way it should be. I skied creamy corn snow all the way to where the snow disappeared. 

The hike out was uneventful except for a Cinco de Mayo party on at the HoJo's deck. Got back to Pinkham after 7 and left there just as the supermoon was rising. Gorgeous. Tried to take photos but the phone will not do it justice.

Head up to Tux NOW while the skiing is good. Left Gully (and the Chute and Right Gully) should be in play for a while. When you're up there, you'll forget we had a bad snow year. Go!

Hillman's Highway getting bony:






The Bowl from the rescue cache: Left Gully and Chute looking very skiable. Right Gully obscured but with good cover.





Heading up Left Gully:





Looking into Tux from the top of LG:





The Rockpile:





Getting ready to head down Left Gully:





Mid-run looking down in Left Gully:





Looking up Chute:





Tux at the end of the day:


----------



## Nick (May 7, 2012)

Nice pics, love the sun flare on the last one! 

I saw the "teaser" up on Facebook, looks like you had some great weather. How much longer you think it will ski for?


----------



## thetrailboss (May 7, 2012)

You are an AlpineZone Hero.  

Great report.


----------



## andyzee (May 7, 2012)

Nicely done.


----------



## TheBEast (May 7, 2012)

Excellent.  I thought for sure this year there would be all sorts of deep runnels, but alas it is not!  Way to get after it.


----------



## snowmonster (May 7, 2012)

Nick said:


> How much longer you think it will ski for?



Depends on the weather, really. I expect Sluice and Right Gully to be the last ones standing in June. Heading up the Auto Road in two weeks. Interested?



thetrailboss said:


> You are an AlpineZone Hero.
> 
> Great report.



Thanks, man. I don't know about the hero part though. I'd rather be a Jukebox Hero like this:





andyzee said:


> Nicely done.



Thanks.


----------



## andyzee (May 7, 2012)

This is the first year since we started that I didn't make it, oh well.


----------



## skiadikt (May 7, 2012)

great job & pics sm. you've been rockin even in this poor season.


----------



## snowmonster (May 7, 2012)

TheBEast said:


> Excellent.  I thought for sure this year there would be all sorts of deep runnels, but alas it is not!  Way to get after it.



I  was expecting the runnels too. Funny how life can throw up something unexpected. You just have to go sometimes.


skiadikt said:


> great job & pics sm. you've been rockin even in this poor season.



Thanks, man! You have to make the most of the time we have.


----------



## Angus (May 7, 2012)

nice report. I was there on Sunday with same conditions and # of people. 

found this on line

http://whitemountainsojourn.blogspot.com/

scroll down and I think you see yourself.


----------



## Nick (May 7, 2012)

snowmonster said:


> Depends on the weather, really. I expect Sluice and Right Gully to be the last ones standing in June. Heading up the Auto Road in two weeks. Interested?
> [/YOUTUBE]
> 
> This year is done, my wife is at almost 36 weeks. I'm staying in a 1 hr radius of the house. I would never forgive myself if I was on the top of the gully haha


----------



## snowmonster (May 7, 2012)

Angus said:


> nice report. I was there on Sunday with same conditions and # of people.
> 
> found this on line
> 
> ...



Yup, that's the monster right there. I remember this guy. An older gent who was hiking with his daughter. He asked if he could snap my photo and I gave him the thumbs up. You really meet great folks on the trail. He got one part wrong though -- I'm a Tux newbie having done it only for five years.



Nick said:


> This year is done, my wife is at almost 36 weeks. I'm staying in a 1 hr radius of the house. I would never forgive myself if I was on the top of the gully haha



Completely understandable. We'll have to live the Tux dream for you this year. When Nick Jr. is ski ready, we'll be on the trail with him. Good luck!


----------



## Johnskiismore (May 8, 2012)

Wow, that does look a lot better than I thought!  Shoot, wish I had read this report yesterday, would've picked up the skis again!  But, the hike up the Hancocks was good time.

Again, nice trip report and pics!


----------



## Cornhead (May 8, 2012)

Great TR Snowmonster, I wasn't jonesing till I read it, thanks. Is Otto fully open yet? I was hoping to join in on T4T's "Slackfest" this weekend, but can't make it. I may be done. Is Mr. Priebatsch's body still up there? Must have been eerie sking there if it is.


----------



## Warp Daddy (May 9, 2012)

SM  UR da man ! an inspirational young dude !!!

Kudos on the effort.


----------



## snowmonster (May 9, 2012)

Johnskiismore said:


> Wow, that does look a lot better than I thought!  Shoot, wish I had read this report yesterday, would've picked up the skis again!  But, the hike up the Hancocks was good time.
> 
> Again, nice trip report and pics!



Thanks, man! Unless we get a lot of rain, Tux should hold up well until the end of the month. If you're still looking for turns, go! You won't be disappointed. This week and next should be good.

Snoseek has been talking about doing some ski tours in the Hancock slides. I'm thinking of a summer hike there to scope out the place.



Cornhead said:


> Great TR Snowmonster, I wasn't jonesing till I read it, thanks. Is Otto fully open yet? I was hoping to join in on T4T's "Slackfest" this weekend, but can't make it. I may be done. Is Mr. Priebatsch's body still up there? Must have been eerie sking there if it is.



Thanks, cornhead! The Auto Road is only open up to treeline. They are working on the culverts that drain the road and that may take a while since they are still frozen and the lack of snow in the winter actually does more damage to the unpaved road and screws up the drainage system. That may take another week. I looked at T4T and, while Slackfest was planned for this weekend, it doesn't seem like it will happen unless the road is open. Stay tuned though. If the road opens within the next 2 weeks, I'm taking a day off to ski what's left of the snowfields and the gullies. I'll post up my plans in the Trips section. 

Yes, he's still up there. Or, perhaps washed down lower into the river. Who knows? Lots of chatter at HoJos about the incident. As one Tux vet coldly put it: there's always bodies around here somewhere.  


Warp Daddy said:


> SM  UR da man ! an inspirational young dude !!!
> 
> Kudos on the effort.



Thanks, professor! My driver's license betrays my age but, in spirit, I'm just a young buck like you!


----------



## Johnskiismore (May 9, 2012)

snowmonster said:


> Thanks, man! Unless we get a lot of rain, Tux should hold up well until the end of the month. If you're still looking for turns, go! You won't be disappointed. This week and next should be good.
> 
> Snoseek has been talking about doing some ski tours in the Hancock slides. I'm thinking of a summer hike there to scope out the place.



Excellent, skis will be coming out!  Friday or Monday it is!

The Hancock slides looked pretty nice, interested in skiing those myself!  If you'd like, let me know when you're planning to hike them.


----------



## snowmonster (May 9, 2012)

Johnskiismore, thanks for the offer. I'll let you know if I hit the Hancocks. Have fun in Tux. Take some photos and post 'em up here. 

Cornhead, looks like Slackfest is on May 19-20.


----------



## Cornhead (May 10, 2012)

snowmonster said:


> Johnskiismore, thanks for the offer. I'll let you know if I hit the Hancocks. Have fun in Tux. Take some photos and post 'em up here.
> 
> Cornhead, looks like Slackfest is on May 19-20.



Thanks SM, maybe I'll be able to make it then. I'm having oral surgery Friday, thought I'd miss it, we shall see. I went last year, skied the snowfields on Saturday, hiked and skied Tux on Sunday. I was spent, I don't remember being that tired in a long time. It was a great Memorial Day Weekend, camping, hiking, skiing, who could ask for more?


----------



## bigbog (May 10, 2012)

Hey SM...may be my visual delusion but the snow in the Chute and Left Gully still looks _Good_!
I imagine easier done by being dropped via heli....


----------



## snowmonster (May 10, 2012)

Cornhead said:


> Thanks SM, maybe I'll be able to make it then. I'm having oral surgery Friday, thought I'd miss it, we shall see. I went last year, skied the snowfields on Saturday, hiked and skied Tux on Sunday. I was spent, I don't remember being that tired in a long time. It was a great Memorial Day Weekend, camping, hiking, skiing, who could ask for more?



Wish I could join you for Slackfest but I have to work on that weekend. I'll be heading up on Monday, May 21, though so, if you're in the neighborhood, let me know.



bigbog said:


> Hey SM...may be my visual delusion but the snow in the Chute and Left Gully still looks _Good_!
> I imagine easier done by being dropped via heli....



Chute and LG are definitely skiing well now. I suppose they'll be in good shape for a few more weeks. I'd head up there this weekend if only I had no family obligations to worry about. And, yes, while there is merit to earning turns, I sometimes wish I could just heli in.


----------



## snowmonster (May 11, 2012)

It snowed last night on Mt. Washington and, unfortunately, that will delay the opening of the Auto Road. Saw this on their Facebook page today:

"Arrgghhh....winter returns...we're closed today due to snow as low as 3,000'. We should be able to return to treeline operation for the weekend. Opening to the summit for the 19th is beginning to look doubtful since the weather has not cooperated nearly as much as we need to get repairs done on Five Mile and Six Mile. We'll keep you posted...hw"

On the other hand, that probably means there are refills on the snowfields and in Airplane. =)


----------



## Angus (May 11, 2012)

SM...you mentioned Airplane, I've heard nothing about that side this year. I checked it some of these routes last summer during my presi traverse...steep at the drop ins.


----------



## snowmonster (May 11, 2012)

^ I saw some pictures of Airplane last week. There's still snow in there but getting pretty low for this time of year. I hope to hit it next time I head up Washington. It's steep alright but it's a great run. The climb out can be a PITA though.


----------



## elks (May 13, 2012)

Thanks for the report!  That looked like an amazing day.  Itching to get up there one day.


----------



## Nick (May 14, 2012)

you can probably still make it Kelly .... just barely ..


----------

