Opinion of letting 9 year old ski tuckerman's

Angus · Feb 18, 2005

Hi all. A newbie who has been lurking this winter.

I've visited the tuckerman's website but didn't look like there was much activity.

I've never skiied tucks myself but thinking of doing it this spring with/without my son.

My question concerns my son - will be 9 in April. He is an intermediate skier - cautious but can ski just about anything that's wide and with a pitch utilzing some parallel/snow plow turns.

We do a lot of hiking (so the whine factor will be nil) and I thought it would be fun to hike up into the bowl and allow him to ski the lower 1/2, 2/3rds - whatever portion of the bowl before it gets hairy.

Opinions about this idea! What are the pitches on the lower half, are people reckless coming down to be dangerous for a 9 year old. Ideas about what path to take down. When to do it - most likely before any significant rocks start sticking out maybe? Can the path be skied down from the bottom of tuckermans - I've never hiked this part of washington before so am totally unfamilar.

Thanks for any input - if this is a bad idea, please let me know!

bvibert · Feb 18, 2005

First, check out www.timefortuckerman.com if you haven't already. There are lots of knowledgable people in the forums there. You may also want to try and contact JimG on the forums here (if he doesn't ring in himself). I believe he has skiied, or will be skiing with his son at Tux, so he may have some insight.

Oh, and welcome to the forums!

smootharc · Feb 18, 2005

With a few caveats....great idea. But, careful....

What a great way to bond with your son. But, Tuckerman's is no picnic. Just hiking up from Joe Dodge is a committment for most people, especially a nine year old. You'll probably be carrying both your equipment.

Then you have the bowl/terrain itself. This is a true backcountry environment, and the scale is simply massive compared to lift serviced skiing in the east. Yes, you can find a quiet, moderate "corner" and have fun, then enjoy hopefully sunny skies from the lunch rocks and watch the hardcore boys and girls play.

Overall, certainly something you could pull off safely and happily with good planning and understanding of the difficulties and risks. All good hiking rules apply such as plenty of food, water, extra clothing (layered technical - no cotton, not to state the obvious), sunscreen, and small emergency/medical kit.

Have fun ! And congrats on doing this kind of stuff with your child. He'll be old and gray and remembering fondly this type of trip with his dad.

pepperdawg · Feb 18, 2005

Hillman Highway-------maybe just hike up as far as you guys can before he strarts getting nervous....or maybe the lowersnowfields to start.....

dmc · Feb 18, 2005

Take the kid up to the bowl...
He can mess around on the flats by the lunchrocks - or just climg up the bowl half way.....
You can keep an eye on him and he can show off in front of people...

I've seen lots of kids at Tucks... Nobody knows better then you weather of not your kid can handle a couple mile hike...

bigbog · Feb 18, 2005

During the week would be great....weekends can get somewhat zoo-like, both on the trail and @the bowl(s).... Just a great area..... Ditto on the "let him take his time...as to pushing his steeps envelope.

riverc0il · Feb 18, 2005

yea, the hike up is no picnic for a 9 year old. also, anything can happen in the bowl... stuff lets loose even during the summer that can reach the floor of the bowl and kill someone. don't think bringing him up and skiing only the bottom of the ravine is a zero risk proposition.

He is an intermediate skier - cautious but can ski just about anything that's wide and with a pitch utilzing some parallel/snow plow turns.

doesn't sound like he'd be able to go too far up, but it is an experience for sure. he gonna be able to carry his own gear? i don't think people should BC even at tucks if they can't haul their own gear. you gotta be prepared to double your load if not...

sledhaulingmedic · Feb 18, 2005

bigbog said:
During the week would be great....weekends can get somewhat zoo-like, both on the trail and @the bowl(s).... Just a great area..... Ditto on the "let him take his time...as to pushing his steeps envelope.

Fine advice. You might want to take the first trip without him so you have a better idea of what you're getting into.

You mght also think about going early, maybe even now, just to hike to hike to Hermit lake (a.k.a.: Hojo's), have lunch and ski back to the road on the John Sherbourne ski trail.

JimG. · Feb 22, 2005

sledhaulingmedic said:
Fine advice. You might want to take the first trip without him so you have a better idea of what you're getting into.

You mght also think about going early, maybe even now, just to hike to hike to Hermit lake (a.k.a.: Hojo's), have lunch and ski back to the road on the John Sherbourne ski trail.

The best advice I've heard...I'm bringing my 10 year old David up to Tucks this spring, but I've been there camping and skiing in the winter so I know what to expect. And David is a seasoned expert skier who trained carrying 30lb. loads on a few hikes this past summer.

I'm still expecting a few glitches to occur, but at least I have an idea of what to expect. It really is a place you need to have some familiarity with before guiding anyone else up there.

skidon · Mar 5, 2005

Hey Angus, I've been meaning to reply to this for awhile now. I guess I have a little different perspective on taking a kid skiing at Tuck's. At the Hermit Lake Hut there is a list of the 100+ people who have died on Mount Washington. The list obviously is not there for entertainment, it is to hammer home the point that Mount Washington is a dangerous place. I religiously went there multiple times every year for a period of over 10 years,and eventually stopped going on the weekends. It just wasn't fun seeing people get badly hurt and/or nearly killed anymore. I helped carry out 2 people. One was a middle-aged guy who was standing at the bottom of the bowl taking a picture of the trail coming up (his back was to the headwall) when he was taken out by an out-of-control skier. Double compound fracture of the lower leg. The dude was screaming in pain, and nobody could give him anything. So, he was littered out - about a 3-hour trip - all the while in intense pain. The other was a kid who was sitting on upper Lunch Rocks, facing downhill, when he was smacked in the back by a cooler-sized chunk of ice. The force knocked him forward so hard that he smashed his face on the rock in front of him. The kid almost didn't make it - he stopped breathing once. Fortunately there were 2 med students there and O2 in the cache, and they got him breathing again. Then we littered him out. (Notice the common thread here - in both cases the victim wasn't aware of potential danger from above.) But that's only one way of many that the mountain can get you. For those 2 really bad incidents, I saw probably dozens of near-misses and minor injuries. Still and all I love the place. But you have to take it seriously. I'd recommend you and your son just hike up to Hermit Lake some fine day. You'll not have as much weight on your backs, you'll get a great view of the bowl and surrounding alpine zone, and you'll be better prepared for what to expect when you finally decide to go up and ski it. Even then, it'd probably be better to start with Hillman's Highway.

dmc · Mar 7, 2005

Both of those injuries could've been avoided..
My experience of going to TUX is - The lunch rocks are ther cause thats where everything that breaks off that side of the bowl falls...
Better to setup - low on the lunch rocks or across the bowl..

Also... Be careful of people falling... Just be aware...

Go - bring your kid... Stay aware... Talk to the rangers - ask them for safety advice...
They love to give it!
In fact on weekends they stand at the entrance to to bowl and give people info...

Enjoy!!!
Headed up this Thursday - if the snowpack dictates...

skidon said:
Hey Angus, I've been meaning to reply to this for awhile now. I guess I have a little different perspective on taking a kid skiing at Tuck's. At the Hermit Lake Hut there is a list of the 100+ people who have died on Mount Washington. The list obviously is not there for entertainment, it is to hammer home the point that Mount Washington is a dangerous place. I religiously went there multiple times every year for a period of over 10 years,and eventually stopped going on the weekends. It just wasn't fun seeing people get badly hurt and/or nearly killed anymore. I helped carry out 2 people. One was a middle-aged guy who was standing at the bottom of the bowl taking a picture of the trail coming up (his back was to the headwall) when he was taken out by an out-of-control skier. Double compound fracture of the lower leg. The dude was screaming in pain, and nobody could give him anything. So, he was littered out - about a 3-hour trip - all the while in intense pain. The other was a kid who was sitting on upper Lunch Rocks, facing downhill, when he was smacked in the back by a cooler-sized chunk of ice. The force knocked him forward so hard that he smashed his face on the rock in front of him. The kid almost didn't make it - he stopped breathing once. Fortunately there were 2 med students there and O2 in the cache, and they got him breathing again. Then we littered him out. (Notice the common thread here - in both cases the victim wasn't aware of potential danger from above.) But that's only one way of many that the mountain can get you. For those 2 really bad incidents, I saw probably dozens of near-misses and minor injuries. Still and all I love the place. But you have to take it seriously. I'd recommend you and your son just hike up to Hermit Lake some fine day. You'll not have as much weight on your backs, you'll get a great view of the bowl and surrounding alpine zone, and you'll be better prepared for what to expect when you finally decide to go up and ski it. Even then, it'd probably be better to start with Hillman's Highway.

Brettski · Mar 7, 2005

Nobody has mentioned that it's a 3 hour hike up......

I've hiked around Mt.Wash..never to Tucks though...

Pretty place...but REAL outback..

That's where I first saw the advice

COTTON KILLS

dmc · Mar 7, 2005

It's a pretty easy hike..
Just go slow... Thats what I do.. My freinds beat me to the shelters by 45 minutes..
People make it to the bowl in less then 2 hours...
Takes me 3...

Cotton does indeed kill... BUT - I always bring a comfy cotton sweatshirt to wear around camp in the evening...

Brettski said:
Nobody has mentioned that it's a 3 hour hike up......

I've hiked around Mt.Wash..never to Tucks though...

Pretty place...but REAL outback..

That's where I first saw the advice

COTTON KILLS

Charlie Schuessler · Mar 7, 2005

I've been to Tuckerman's a number of time all year round…

In addition to all the other good advice listed herein, for your first trip, just hike up and enjoy it all before you try to ski it. And if it appeals to you and your son then plan the ski trip.

INCLUDE in your planning:

1. Practice hiking around with your pack & gear several times.
2. Practice skiing with a pack on at a local ski area, making sure you hit some advanced terrain.

From those practice lessons, you will learn your limits without getting into regrettable trouble.

And when you ready to go, bring plenty of WATER and refreshment snacks. You can stash them while you’re making turns. Dehydration is the #1 problem most people suffer from when they play at Tuckermans...

dmc · Mar 7, 2005

Charlie Schuessler said:
1. Practice hiking around with your pack & gear several times.

I always tell people to practice hiking with skis on the pack... Nothing worse then someone hitting their ankles of their ski tails on every stride...

Do it before you hike and get it right...

But I do think they should bring skis... Thats why they're going...

Opinion of letting 9 year old ski tuckerman's

Angus

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bvibert

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smootharc

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