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Tuckerman Ravine: 

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Tuckerman Ravine - page 3 of 3

The climb up to Gumdrop Rocks was moderately steep, but the snow was beginning to soften in the powerful sun of the ravine, and the traction was was fairly good. I certainly didn't need to use my crampons.  I settled into a reasonably comfortable niche and took off my pack to get to my lunch.

I wasn't alone on the patch of rock; a woman and her dog were also sitting there watching the action in the gully. Well, actually, the woman was sitting, but the dog was standing, straining at his leash, and barking and whining pitifully. Apparently he hated it when his master, the woman's husband, was away, skiing or otherwise.

It was a good spot from which to view all parts of the ravine. One  skier, starting at the very top of the Central Headwall, hurled directly toward the partially snow-covered rock outcropping a short way down. Then, in a spectacular leap, he launched off an apparently upturned bank of snow just above the bare rock, sailed completely over the entire outcropping, and landed with a solid whump on the snow below. Without losing his balance, he carved his way down the rest of the steep slope to loud cheers from the crowd.

On the other side of the ravine, above Lunch Rocks, a few brave souls inched their way up the slope and around the numerous rock formations to try their luck on a run known as the Sluice.

It was so busy in the Ravine that I doubted the safety of practicing self-arrest on the crowded slopes. The best spot to practice is on a steep slope with a good runout at the bottom. That way, if you don't manage to stop your fall with your ice axe, you'll eventually come to a slow stop in an open flat area instead of careening over a cliff or hurling into a mass of boulders. However, it wouldn't be at all pleasant to be run over by a speeding snowboarder.

In the end, I decided that I'd just try a controlled butt glissade starting right there from Gumdrop Rocks. I figured that I'd be easier to spot in a sitting position than sliding face-down on my stomach. Waiting for a lull in the action, I sat down and scooted my way into a slide, getting ready to control my rate of descent with my ice axe. Unfortunately, there simply wasn't much of a descent to control. I could barely get moving in the wet, slightly slushy snow, and ended up just sliding leisurely down until I completely lost momentum in the flat area at the bottom.

I was enjoying the atmosphere, and I would have liked to have stayed longer in the ravine, and perhaps even tried climbing up the Left Gully, but I needed to get home at a reasonable hour, and, without sunglasses, my eyes were already taking a beating from its strong reflected rays.

On the way down, I stopped at Hojo's again for one last look. Most of the crowds were up at the ravine now, and the deck was comparatively empty.

Most of the way down, I veered off onto a connecting path over to the adjacent John Sherborne Ski Trail, where I hoped that the sliding would be better. This was a big mistake. The snow wasn't packed firmly enough for bare boots and I postholed every few feet. Even worse, there was far too much ski traffic on the trail for me to do any sliding. The numerous dips and turns would effectively hide me from any speeding skiers until it was too late.

Finally, with a sign of relief, I arrived at the bottom onto solid ground again, and quickly crossed the parking lot to my awaiting car. Another great day in the mountains had come to a close.

A skier nearing the end of his run at the bottom of the Central Headwall.

Watching the skiers. The group of boulders behind and to the left of the girl with the red and gray backpack is the area known as Lunch Rocks.

Heading over to the Sluice. This skiers climbs between the rock outcrops that separate the Central Headwall area from the gully known as the Sluice.

The Bowl and Central Headwall from Gumdrop Rocks. Some skiers attempted to jump the snow-covered rocks near the top of the Headwall. I saw who actually succeeded without falling.

Another shot of the line of skiers ascending the Left Gully, taken from Gumdrop Rocks, where I was sitting.

Looking back to the bottom of the upper ravine. Wildcat Mountain and it's ski area are visible in the distance.

Self-portrait at Gumdrop Rocks. The Left Gully is behind me.

Hojos. The deck was much less crowded on my way down. Most people were already up in the ravine by that time.

Map

Tuckerman Ravine: 

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