An Afternoon at Tuckerman's

By James Panero | Wednesday, May 14, 1997

Six skiers died in an avalanche on Tuckerman's Ravine last year, raising the death toll to 138 since recording began in the Presidential Mountain Range a century ago. Two weekends ago, over a thousand skiers hiked up the eastern face of Mt. Washington to Tuckerman's. It was the first good ski weekend of the Tuckerman season, and by the look in their eyes, these zealots remained unfazed. In the religion of skiing, Tuckerman's Ravine is a Shangri-La. The Faithful make their way to Tuck at least once in their ski lives. Perhaps no other backcountry area is skied so often. On Memorial Day, its busiest weekend of the year, Tuckerman's can host as many as three to four thousand skiers a day. All this, and no chair lift.

Skiers have flocked to Tuckerman's almost as long as leather cords bound the first skier to his skis, and, over the years, quite a culture has developed around the Ravine - Dartmouth not withstanding. A Dartmouth man was the first to shush Tuckerman's in the early part of this century, skiing the Ravine without making a single turn. Dartmouth and Harvard even used to hold ski races at the Ravine, and a slew of Dartmouth spectators would make the hike up Mt. Washington to watch.

These days, sadly, only a few Dartmouth students may be found at Tuckerman's on a given weekend, but the ranks have been filled by other fine skiers. Hardened skiers of the Eastern variety compose the majority, often coming from mountains like Waterville Valley and Wildcat, NH. Yet, it's not uncommon to see a number of expired Alta or Snowbird lift passes among the masses. While the ski resorts of the West throw their chair lifts in mothballs for the summer, the Tuckerman season has just begun, and a number of Western skiers make the pilgrimage East to Mt. Washington.

Geographically, Tuckerman's Ravine is an thousand foot high bowl nestled near top of Mt. Washington's Eastern slope. Imagine the shape of a Tupperware container sliced down the middle. While the base of Tuckerman's Ravine is almost flat, the pitch gets steeper and steeper as you climb. Six hundred feet up, the slope's pitch is nearly 55 degrees. At this height, a crown of rock encircles the Ravine, jutting out over the bowl and rendering the next few hundred feet almost impassable. This is the famous Tuckerman's Headwall. Think of it as the rim of a Tupperware container. Only a few select dips and chutes in the Headwall allow skiers safe passage through this rocky band, and to the snow fields further below.

Above the Headwall, the Ravine slowly levels out again until it's flat, and the snow gives way to an exposed bolder field. This is the top of Tuckerman's, and the summit of Mt. Washington is clearly visible, rising another six hundred feet, only a quarter mile to the North.

The climb from the base of Tuckerman's to the ridge can take over an hour. About half the skiers choose to carry their skis on their shoulders, while the other half strap them to backpacks. Alpine ski boots or hiking boots with shanks are a must for this hike, since the slope is steep, and each step must be kicked in the snow. Some skiers even tie crampons, or spikes, on their boots for better traction.

Once above the Headwall, after resting at the ridge-line boulder field, skiers click in their skis and begin the descent. Tuckerman's can be as much a psychological challenge as a physical one. Since the slope above the Headwall gradually curves down, the slots through the Headwall are not visible from the top of the Ravine. Without an advanced knowledge of the Ravine, the Headwall can appear impenetrable from above.

Snow conditions can range from frozen granular to soft spring corn-snow. The steepest areas often have the best conditions: a loose and deep corn that slides when skied. As multiple skiers push the corn-snow downhill, steady rivers of soft snow begin to flow down the Ravine. The soft, ever-moving snow creates a unique ski condition only found in steep, backcountry terrain. The sensation might be akin to skiing on flowing honey.

At its best, Tuckerman's Ravine can be a wonderful, thrilling experience, but it is not without its danger. Tuckerman's has seen exceptional snowfall this season. For many skiers, this adds a degree of apprehension to the excitement. While Tuckerman's Ravine is monitored by Mt. Washington Rangers, the slopes are not blasted for avalanches.

In the West, where avalanches pose a regular threat to skiers, resorts use explosives to detonate controlled avalanches. In the backcountry, where avalanches are uncontrolled, Western skiers know to look for signs of danger. They also carry shovels, snow probes, and avalanche transceivers whenever they go backcountry. Here in the East, very few Tuckerman skiers think to carry shovels and transceivers, and only a few look for warning signs.

As one Tuckerman regular named John - a Waterville Valley man - remarked two weeks ago: 'There's a lot of snow this year. Did you see those stress cracks on the way up? This whole thing is going to go any week now. I got nervous just hiking up. Wow, I just hope it goes on a weekday.' That same day, a small avalanche slid down the middle of the Ravine, barely missing a few skiers.

Aside from avalanche danger, the Headwall can build up tons of solid ice. As spring thaw comes, the headwall ejects ice chunks the size of cars down the Ravine, destroying everything in their paths. John mentioned a time last year, when he saw an ice chunk slide off the Headwall and crash through an area known as 'Lunch Rocks' — a group of boulders a hundred feet up the right side of the Ravine, where several skiers were enjoying their lunch. As John told it, everyone managed to duck among the boulders to safety and, while no one was killed, there were a number of serious injuries and a swath of broken equipment. 'Yea, my friend lost his video camera,' John noted.

While most Tuckerman skiers understand the risks, the Ravine crowds remain lighthearted. Whenever someone takes a cartwheel fall down the Ravine, Tuckerman spectators applaud first during the fall, and cheer again when they see the skier is unhurt. Many skiers even make the expedition a family affair. Kids can often be seen sledding down the Ravine under the Headwall as their family dogs chase from behind.

The Tuckerman experience is hard earned. Most skiers arrive at the Pinkham Notch parking lot on Rt. 16 by 6:30AM. The lot can fill up by 7AM on weekends. The hike from Pinkham Notch to the base of Tuckerman's Ravine is a two mile long switchback trail that rises 2500 feet. This hike alone can take two to three hours, and with skis, boots, and other equipment strapped to a backpack, the ascent can be tiring.

While most skiers hike and ski Tuckerman's in a day, heading down by 3PM, around eighty fortunate skiers are allowed to camp in lean-to's, located 600 feet below the base of the Ravine, at a site called Hermit Lake — otherwise known as 'HoJo's' to Tuckerman regulars. HoJo slots cost seven dollars a night, and tickets go on sale the same-day at Pinkham Notch, at 6:30AM. For the coveted Saturday slot, some skiers will stand in line starting at 4AM Saturday morning, as the available spots will often sell out by 6:40AM. The slots can be rented for a total of seven days, and its best to reserve the cabins during the weekdays.

If you plan to spend several days at Tuckerman's, be sure to line up a HoJo cabin. As one HoJo regular once reminisced, 'I started going to Tuck as a kid. These days, I bring about twenty guys with me. We camp up at HoJo's about two weeks near Memorial day. Make the hike down every so often, you know, for more beer and food, and to get more cabin space. It's cheap. A great vacation if you know how to work it. And man, the skiing is good!'

Pinkham Notch is a two and a half hour drive from Dartmouth. Head north on I-91 until the junction with I-93. Take 93 south until exit 40, then follow Route 302 east until the junction with Route 16. Take Rt. 16 north for about 15 miles, and Pinkham Notch is clearly visible on the left. Skiers planning to hike up Saturday can camp Friday nights off the side of Rt. 16 or stay at one of the many cheap hotels in the area.

An Afternoon at Tuckerman's

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