Dodge's Drop? Anyone

[salida]

Hey Folks,

I don't like to post things from other forums... but I can't resist...

Saw these pictures from ttips http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=21599

Which brings me to my question. Anyone ever skied Dodge's Drop, and if you have do you have any beta on it? Also, anyone planning to be skiing in the whites this weekend?

-Porter

 

[dmc]

Beta...

Either climb it - with the right gear or do what I do and hike around from the top of Hillmans.
Scout it out from Hojos deck with binoculars...

It's almost always corniced... Steep with a choke...
Ends in rocks - usually has some sort of ice bulge 2/3rds of the way down..

don't fall!!!

 

[JimG.]

Also, anyone planning to be skiing in the whites this weekend?

-Porter

I'll be at Wildcat or Bretton Woods on Thursday, somewhere on Mt. Washington on Friday, and Wildcat on Saturday morning. Gonna be offline after 5pm today, but I'll check tomorrow morning before we leave for the trip up to see if you want to meet up.

 

[riverc0il]

while hiking hillmans on sunday, i talked to a guy that did dodge's. seemed to think it was in good condition. some rocks almost threw him somewhere though but he recovered. hiking up hillmans and then heading around the gully to dodge's seems like the best approach. definitely scope it out with binoculars from hojos first though, it is warm this week up here and while it is just right for priming the main routes, i suspect dodge's could be suseptible to quicker melting.

 

[jackstraw]

while hiking hillmans on sunday, i talked to a guy that did dodge's. seemed to think it was in good condition. some rocks almost threw him somewhere though but he recovered. hiking up hillmans and then heading around the gully to dodge's seems like the best approach. definitely scope it out with binoculars from hojos first though, it is warm this week up here and while it is just right for priming the main routes, i suspect dodge's could be suseptible to quicker melting.

umm...did you forget something? how was hillmans???? what else did you ski??

 

[riverc0il]

i don't think i forgot anything, no. hillman's was great. i am sure it is really soft by now. i only skied hillmans and the sherbie.

 

[atkinson]

Dodge's was the first run I ever skied in the Whites. No dipping my toes to see how the water was, it was right to the deep end and jumping in both feet! This is still one of the most challenging and steepest things I've slid down.

Pick your conditions, nail your timing and be prepared for a great run. The cornice often has a little ramp on one side that allows entry without a mandatory drop. Even a two foot drop into the first pitch looks daunting.

I remember standing on top of Dodges on June 6th, 1997, looking down 3500' of improbable vertical. Hojo's sat like an illusion right between my ski tips, the rollover showing only the first few feet of snow and then nothing ... until the bottom. My body felt very fragile, even padded and helmetted.

The snow was a little too warm and I would have to pay attention to heavy sluffs. The rocks below and on either side were a constant companion, too. Not to mention that I was alone, although I was sure that several binoculars were watching my descent deliberations. Great, nothing like an audience.

People always say that the first turn is the hardest, I must concur, at least in this circumstance. It sure felt like I was trying to make my legs do something they really didn't want to do. After that, my skiing began to get more flowy and the fun factor returned. The snow was little heavy and I needed to move out of the way when the sluff got too big, but it was relatively safe, as far as snow conditions go.

If you think you are ready, don't pass Dodge's up. Every run I've taken down it, still sticks with me to this day.

John

 

[salida]

Thanks for the story... I know what you mean, and its a wonderful feeling. I'll be in the whites on Sat... if anyone else is around drop a PM.

-Porter

 

[AdironRider]

Ill be up there this Sat. I hope to nail this line, even with it being my first venture skiing tucks. Might take a warmup on Hillmans, but if the snow allows it, Im going to rip it up.

 

[awf170]

Ill be up there this Sat. I hope to nail this line, even with it being my first venture skiing tucks. Might take a warmup on Hillmans, but if the snow allows it, Im going to rip it up.

In all seriousness I think that is insane. If you have not been up there before you truly do not understand how hard everything is. Maybe if you have skied out West a ton then you will be okay doing it your first day, but other wise no way.

 

[riverc0il]

john, that is a great story about your first run in the east, thanks for sharing. that is one sick way to get introduced to new england back country!!! obviously, you must have had no shortage of big mountain couloir skiing out west to drop dodge's on your first new england back country run.

austin makes a good point. if you don't have a lot of big mountain back country experience under your belt, dodge's is a big much for a first run at tucks. if you have the skills and have good conditions, more power to you. but from the perspective of someone who only got into the backcountry thing last year, i am still working my way up to dodge's even though i know i have the technical skiing ability to handle it. not a line i have an extreme desire to do at this point in time due to the consequences of a fall. a lot more dire than a slide down the center of the hillman's gully.

 

[awf170]

john, that is a great story about your first run in the east, thanks for sharing. that is one sick way to get introduced to new england back country!!! obviously, you must have had no shortage of big mountain couloir skiing out west to drop dodge's on your first new england back country run.

austin makes a good point. if you don't have a lot of big mountain back country experience under your belt, dodge's is a big much for a first run at tucks. if you have the skills and have good conditions, more power to you. but from the perspective of someone who only got into the backcountry thing last year, i am still working my way up to dodge's even though i know i have the technical skiing ability to handle it. not a line i have an extreme desire to do at this point in time due to the consequences of a fall. a lot more dire than a slide down the center of the hillman's gully.

Yep tons of consequences. I would do the headwall over it any day. The headwall may be a lot harder but atleast if you fall you wont be really hurt.

 

[atkinson]

Sorry for the confusion in the story. My first run in Dodge's was in 1993, well before I ever went out West. It was really my first couloir experience, although I had spent alot of time in the steep woods of Vermont and New York before that run. I was also with five friends and it was a perfect corn snow day.

I hope that marginal conditions kept adironrider off the steeps this weekend. Even Hillman's is too much for icy gnarl.

John

 

[riverc0il]

Ah, the confusion is mine! I had not considered that you had skied so long in VT but had never gotten over to Whites. Jumped to an inaccurate conclusion based on a sunconscious assumption.

 

[eatskisleep]

I was hoping to hike up to Tuckerman Ravine this coming up weekend but I broke my leg... Ski season is over for me...

 

[riverc0il]

that sucks eatskisleep! this winter has not been kind to AZ'ers! how do things look? a minor break or something major that will keep you off your feet for a while?

 

[eatskisleep]

that sucks eatskisleep! this winter has not been kind to AZ'ers! how do things look? a minor break or something major that will keep you off your feet for a while?

A straight through brake of the tibula? right near an old growth plate. They said the spot where I broke it was a good spot so I will not need a full leg cast, just one that come up below the knee. 4-8 weeks. I am hoping more like 4
Not fun at all...

 

[riverc0il]

at least you aren't really missing much of the ski season.

 

[eatskisleep]

at least you aren't really missing much of the ski season.

That is true... only a few days. Luckily it wasn't in the middle of the ski season.