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Click thumbnails to view larger pictures
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In order to get an early start, JR and I stayed
at the AMC's Joe Dodge lodge at the head of the trail.. This a great place
to meet interesting people and gather information about the trail, weather
and avalanche conditions.
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The
reports for Tuesday were not good, calling for bad visibility, snow and
ice....but we awoke to a beautiful clear day...the front had held off. |
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The gulf of slides |
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After
a massive breakfast at the lodge, we hit the trail at 8:20. |
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when
riding the lifts the weight of alpine gear doesn't matter much...carrying
it up 3500 feet is a different story.......the climb to the ravine is spectacular,
with waterfalls,and fantastic vistas. |
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On
the way up we hooked up with Jeff, a patroller at Sugarbush |
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 ...We
made it to Hojo's a ranger station at about the half way point, in an
hour and 10 minutes.
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The tough part of the climb to the ravine
was still ahead
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another
hour climbing over rockier and much steeper terrain lead to the base of
the bowl |
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upon
reaching the bowl it is necessary to be aware of the possibility of ice
fall, some the size of a car, crashing down the slope, hitting rocks and
sending shrapnel in all directions. It is wise to look up, stay out of the
open field and be ready to take cover behind a rock. |
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After
changing into hard boots, we begin the final climb, becoming one of the
marching ants, kicking footfalls up a gully, crawling hand over hand up
the 45 to 55 degree pitch. |
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Looking
down for the first time gives the most experienced skiers pause...steep
and precarious where a misplaced step can cause an out of control slide,
and with rock below not a pleasant prospect. We hear stories of people cartwheeling
down the slope like rag dolls, we are really careful. |
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We opt to take the first run from a half way point,
just under a run called the chute.
To prepare, we dig a ledge in the snow and after
nearly losing a ski down the slope, we clip in and are ready to go. We
both feel much better on our skis and board and make our first turns on
Tuckerman.
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We reach the bottom and begin our climb again.
I'm on my way to the half way point 500 feet up. JR is on his way to the
lip of the ravine, 1000 feet above, he chooses the chute, one of the steepest
runs (up to 55 degrees)
but out of the ice falls and with a good
runnout if he does slide.
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Resting below a rock outcrop at the bottom of the
chute, I hear snow falling from the chute, then more, someone's coming,
I ready the camera and out shoots JR.
I couldn't have planned it.
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After
about an hour of skiing and climbing, we began the two hour down hike with
the satisfaction of of making our first runs in Tuckerman's Ravine. |
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As
we descend we pause often, looking back, taking it all in |
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......and planning our next trip to Tucks. |
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