Tuckerman Ravine 2015

[Cannonball]

One thing I'll say as a snowboarder... Don't be the A-hole who carries your board horizontally on your pack. Lot's of snowboarding packs have that option (my Dakine heli-pro does) and it's a very comfortable way to pack a board. BUT you clog the whole hiking trail, making it very difficult to pass or be passed. Makes us all look bad

 

[Yooper]

I noticed your from Ellington a close good Mountain to climb is Soapstone on Gulf Road off of Rt 190.

 

[AdironRider]

One thing I'll say as a snowboarder... Don't be the A-hole who carries your board horizontally on your pack. Lot's of snowboarding packs have that option (my Dakine heli-pro does) and it's a very comfortable way to pack a board. BUT you clog the whole hiking trail, making it very difficult to pass or be passed. Makes us all look bad

Well considering you can drive a car all the way to HoJos (HYPOTHETICALLY, the trail is wide enough pretty much the whole way) this isn't really an issue at Tucks specifically. Pretty much everywhere else though yes.

 

[Not Sure]

One thing I'll say as a snowboarder... Don't be the A-hole who carries your board horizontally on your pack. Lot's of snowboarding packs have that option (my Dakine heli-pro does) and it's a very comfortable way to pack a board. BUT you clog the whole hiking trail, making it very difficult to pass or be passed. Makes us all look bad

I have a ton of respect for anyone who attemps to Snowboard Tucks! . One edge let a lone two is brave , last April 12th was the best day I've had there , sun , temps snow , was all good . 2 years earlier my second day was rock solid . was 2/3 way up and a along came a gust of wind that had to be 60mph. After 30 seconds of clinging to the ravine I turned around and the Boarder climbing behind me was gone!
Had his board cross wise , acted like a sail and picked him up and launched him .

You will never foget your trip , some rules , Don't hike under ice !, Hike where you ride/ski ( I violated this rule last year, thought I was above the Chute but was a variation and headed down tword a cliff ) later saw there was an exit but scared me .
Another trip started too late in the day , shadows ended up on right gully and things froze quickly.
Amazing how fast the weather changes , one minute sunny clouds the next.

Lots of Reps for this Guy!

 

[Funky_Catskills]

Ice Ax and crampons are great for early morning assents in Spring.. When the snow is still set up.
I like to get above the headwall early before the crowds set in and ride the snowfields as they corn up..

Ax comes in handy on sketchy descents as well... Overall safety tool when used correctly...

 

[Funky_Catskills]

Also - you don't really need a split deck if there's no skinning up the Tucks trail when u go..
Skinning up is awesome... Saves so much time..

This is assuming your taking the Tucks trail - other accents you can skin longer in the season,.

 

[Funky_Catskills]

Last time I was there, in May, I hiked Hillman's Highway. As I topped out a hiker approached me. He had crampons and an ice ax. He asked me if he could hike down that way. I told him there is no way he could get down there without skis on his feet. He tried anyway and my friend who was a hundred yards or so behind me asked me if I had seen that hiker who fell all the way down slope.

We've glissaded Hillmans a bunch... Climb up with an axe... Look down Hillmans and jump in and slide... using the axe as a rudder or to slow down...

It's a freaking blast!!!!! Highly recommended..

I learned axe self arrest in the bowl at Tucks... that's fun too..

 

[C-Rex]

More great advice, guys. Thanks a bunch!

Yooper, I'm in Enfield now, but yeah, I know all about Soapstone. I was thinking Case Mountain too and might make a trip up to Greylock as well to train for Tucks.

I have a Burton pack that carries my board vertically. Like someone said, I don't like how the wind pulls on you in the horizontal setup, so I won't be that guy. I'm ordering my ice axe this week and possibly the micro spikes too. I know a good short and steep hill near me where I can practice self-arresting and figure out how I want my gear situated.

603Skier, sorry to hear about the loss. My first time up I just want to pop my cherry and make some turns. Not trying to push my limits or my luck. I understand there's a fine line between confidence and cocky-ness. Without enough confidence people tend to hesitate and make slow and poor decisions. But with too much, well, we all know what can happen.

 

[deadheadskier]

Here's a photo I grabbed of the part of the bowl from Wildcat on Sunday.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I've never skied Tucks but whenever I've hiked up there I always thought Hillman's Highway looked like the best line to ski.

lines #2 and #3 especially

 

[Not Sure]

I've never skied Tucks but whenever I've hiked up there I always thought Hillman's Highway looked like the best line to ski.

lines #2 and #3 especially

Always gets the heart pounding when your standing on the Deck at Hojo's looking up at someone coming down.
It's a more sustained pitch than the Ravine.

 

[Bumpsis]

Sounds like you're planning this correctly. Learning how to use the ice ax and crampons can come in very handy if you're forced to descend on foot rather than board down. Although it's all weather dependent, you may really not need these in May. I'd consider checking out Tucks in April instead of May. You'll have greater coverage and better choice of lines down the bowl. Also, by May, Sherby may lose full coverage and it's really nice to be able to just ride down all the the parking lot.

I've done it twice from the top, once down The Chute and once down the Right Gully (plus a couple of descends from 1/3 up before I got the nerve to drop in from the top in later years). April is by far my favorite time to hit it. It's usually a good balance between the snow being stable and offering the most routes and if the conditions are right, you may catch the snow just as it's turning into dry corn. Later in the season, you may have to contend with riding on slushy snow and negotiate the runnels.

 

[legalskier]

It's April, Time For Some Tuckerman Ravine Stoke


http://unofficialnetworks.com/2015/04/its-april-time-for-some-tuckerman-ravine-stoke
(with video)

Anyone going?

 

[SIKSKIER]

Two of my buddies are in that video.

 

[ThinkSnow]

I'd consider checking out Tucks in April instead of May. You'll have greater coverage and better choice of lines down the bowl. Also, by May, Sherby may lose full coverage and it's really nice to be able to just ride down all the the parking lot.

+1

 

[freeski]

I've never skied it. I wish I had when I was younger and in better shape. I have hiked up 4 or 5 times to watch others ski and the remarkable thing about the place is how many people there are on a nice spring day. It's like being at a mall (back when people went to malls). I have carried gear up though to help people out. Took a pair of boots a mother had two young teen daughters carrying a boot each and struggling. Another thing that stood out, not everyone up there is an expert skier. When someone goes off the headwall people go nuts.