Good Read: Tuckerman

[Jack Michaud]

This is cool:

http://www.tuckerman.org/tuckerman/history.htm

Don't miss the parts about "The Inferno".... insane! Olympics schmolympics!

I met Dick Durrance at a ski show in Boston once. He was signing copies of his book. He's 80-something. I asked him if he is going to try snowboarding and he replied "when I get old enough!"

[Tommy D]

Reading that history has me longing to go back!

I've skied Tucks several times, (I've hiked it many more ...) and every time I go, it's like going for the first time. The weather day-day is like a fingerprint: No two are alike.

Everyone should check out Tucks at least once. You don't even need to ski/ride while you are there; it is a great time just hiking to the ravine, and hanging out at the Lunch Rocks! Make sure you are prepared for the worst and best of any weather you can imagine!

[GeoffV]

I've done Tucks 10 years in a row now and this is the first time that I can't make this year. It really is an amazing experience, but like Tony said the weather can change on a dime. I have a tradition with my buddies of hiking up there at night and camping out in the leantos for 2 days. It is awesome hiking up there in late March with a full moon at night. Tuckermans is no time to mess around, know your limits and by prepared for the worest weather conditions. I've been up there with 80 mph winds in the bowl and slept in the leanto with -10 degree conditions. If you are planning on doing the headwall or Hillmans Highway I strongly recommend crampons. Be very mindfull of the avalanche postings, it can really be a hit or miss with conditions in the bowl, and be in shape, hiking up a 63 degree pitch can be pretty exhausting.

[Enzo]

Holy smokes....6:29.2 top to bottom....that's insane considering the equipment he was on. Check out the pictures on the Tucks site. Some great shots of the bowl, chutes, and some avalanche aftermath from this past winter.

Just curious what others have used for boards, boots, and binding setups on Tucks.

About 7 years ago (before my conversion to hardboots) I was up there on a Supermodel 172cm and softies. The board performed well, but it was a bit of a tank to lug up. The softies were nice for hiking. Several years later (after my conversion to hardboots), I mounted my plates to a 163cm freeride style board. My hardboots gave me great support and the shorter board was easier to maneuver on the steep and uneven terrain. My step-in bindings were a little tough to engage...I felt like I was on a tight-rope balancing act trying to click in on the steep terrain....this experience was probably the hairiest part of my run. The Sherburne Trail was a leg burner...pretty much from the base of the ski hut to the parking lot, it was a semi-mogul field the entire length....my legs were screaming and I was cursing my equipment choice. Anywhoo, I'll probably be up there again this spring on my hardboots and plates since I tossed out all of my softboot gear. :D

[GeoffV]

Enzo,
I've used a soft setup twice and hadn't it. I know us an old Burton 5M asymetrical board with a hard set up (Proflex stepins with 123's). I feel like I can get more edge hold on the headwall if conditions are hard (which happens after the sun sets over the bowl around 3pm) with hardboots. Yeah the Sherbrun trail is gonna be a leg burner regardless of what setup you use. My pack weighs about 60 pounds on the hike up (for 2 nights stay), I've set up a system to pull my board with boots in it which takes a ton of weight off your back, I also highly recommend hiking with polls for weight distribution. I've tried the head wall with my F2 Speedster, I don't recommend a stiff board at all, every turn pulled me right into the headwall. Plus I could only get the noise and tail to touch the snow, the board was to stiff, I ended up with stress cracks all over the F2.
Use an all mountain or a freeride board for Tucks.

[willywhit]

Don't forget about the woman that died of hypothermia on Tuesday after getting stuck in foul weather on Sunday hiking with her husband. I think it was Mt Lafayette but if it was anything like the top of Stratton Sunday late afternoon, YIKES!

[Enzo]

Originally posted by GeoffV
My pack weighs about 60 pounds on the hike up (for 2 nights stay), I've set up a system to pull my board with boots in it which takes a ton of weight off your back, I also highly recommend hiking with polls for weight distribution.

Yikes...60lbs?!?!?!

The last time I was up there I was pushing 40lbs with my board, hardboots, and minimal gear in my pack. My massage therapist made some good coin in the days following my adventures.

[Jack Michaud]

this was taken yesterday by the forrest service:
http://www.tuckerman.org/photos/tucks/3-18-2004%20Boarders%20in%20the%20Chute.JPG

I have plans to go tomorrow, but weather and avalanche danger probably won't cooperate.

[GeoffV]

drool:p
Jack we'll have to plan a trip up there next season. That is a great shot of left gully.

[willywhit]

I'll bet Wildcat is awesome too. April Fool Alert! Check this out:$7 Lift Tickets at Wildcat Mountain on Thursday April 1st, 2004
Celebrating 7 Years of Riding the Wildcat Express Quad!


Pinkham Notch, NH ? Wildcat Mountain?s high-speed quad chairlift, the Wildcat Express, was installed in 1997. It is NH?s highest and fastest quad chairlift, and has been giving access to Wildcat?s 4,062 foot summit and 2,100 foot vertical in about six minutes for seven years now! The power of the Quad was demonstrated on March 1, 2004, when local ski meister and Wildcat Ski Team coach Steve Briggs of Jackson, NH, rode the Quad 61 times in one day, skiing 61 runs down the Lynx Trail, i.e. over 128,000 vertical feet, on Wildcat?s first 100K Day Challenge for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Twenty-six out of twenty-seven Challengers skied, snowbladed, and boarded at least 100K on that day. Where else could folks ski & ride so much vertical in so little time?!

Wildcat Mountain combines high-speed lift access, a wide variety of terrain, including a special area for beginners, groomed cruisers for the intermediate, and steeps, bumps, and glades for the experts. Known for its long runs, Wildcat offers the most continuous vertical in the White Mountain National Forest. Wildcat also offers a long spring skiing and riding season, through the month of April (weather depending!). Being one of the last of the family-owned ski areas, Wildcat maintains a fun, friendly, throw-back ski mountain culture. So come on out and celebrate with $7 lift tickets on Thursday, Aril 1st. And remember your next day at Wildcat is always only $25!

[Jack Michaud]

Originally posted by GeoffV
drool:p
Jack we'll have to plan a trip up there next season.

I say there..... are you proposing a <b>T.R.E.S.</b>?!?

[GeoffV]

yeah baby:p For 10 yearys I've been the only boarder in my group. Not sure how hard core folks are, but it is a blast staying up there in the lean-tos (for those that love winter camping of course). I've had some of my best powder days in the East up there in trees at the lower headwall. If you go up this weekend let me know how the conditions are, my buddies are heading up there next Thursday night. Man it is killing me that I can't go this year, and it doesn't help one bit with you posting a great picture.

[Enzo]

Big slide on Saturday up in Tucks....
more photos at http://www.tuckerman.org/photos/tucks/

[Enzo]

fracture line
(from www.tuckerman.org)

[Enzo]

Debris on floor

[Enzo]

Another view from on the headwall...
from http://www.tuckerman.org/photos/tucks/

[Jack Michaud]

My friend and I elected not to go on saturday due to the weather and avalanche danger - good call eh? But three other friends did go. They didn't see the slide happen, they said it happened early in the morning, and then the clouds rolled in. They elected not to go into the bowl, and did a little bit of Hillman's Highway, and then skied all the way down the Sherburn trail to the parking lot.

[JohnSch]

With the fracture, not sure the best time to ride it would have been just after...really neat shots though.