Tuckermans?

ZachAndCheese

ZachAndCheese

Member
So I'm thinking about hitting up Tuckermans on Mount Washington in a few weeks. Has anyone else heard anything about hitting the lines there? Anyone actually skied there? Would love to hear stories / tips.
 
Scariest/steepest/sickest/craziest/gnarlyiest/best thing I have ever skied. YOU HAVE TO DO IT.
 
Don't go until spring, it's just asking for avy trouble. I hope to make it up there sometime this year.
 
idk if they allow that but everyone would hate you if you did. Going up passed hundreds of hikers wouldn't be too cool
 
I wouldnt do that. But a lazy option that people wont hate you for is for you to drive up the auto road and ski down from there
 
About to graduate from UVM in May, I have been meaning to make a trip to Tucks over the past few years and haven't for one reason or another. This year I'm fucking doing it. I know some dudes I live with are in as well so if anyone form the Burlington area has done it before some advice would be awesome.
 
Oh yeah sure, you can definitely do that. When you get up there just make sure to park your sled in the designated "Snowmobile Parking" zone. Otherwise it will get towed.
 
we made the trip last spring from burly. Drove down on a saturday afternoon, camped out a few miles down the road from the trailhead then woke up real early the next day to ski. You definietly gotta do it man, that was one of my best memories from last semester.
 
I'm thinking of going up with couple friends this year. What are some safer easier areas to ski, it'll be our first time
 
probably one of the sickest places I've skied, but you have to pick the right day.

Tuckerman's was so sick the day I went. Sunny, warm and quite a lot of people. It's really nice earning your turns for a change. You obviously have to hike up and boot pack, but when there aren't any people left the boot track goes away. Most people will only climp about three quarters of the way up and ski down from what I noticed. It really is like trying to climb up a wall when you get near the top, and boy if you fall your DONE. The trickiest part for me (who didn't get over the lip of the bowl) was putting my skis on. To do this I had to carve out a small ledge by kicking my boot against the snow as long as my ski to get my bindings in.

The vibe is sick, if you hit a cliff or something people having lunch will howl and give you props. There is also a trail down the mountain to the parking lot so you don't have to hike back. One last thing, wear sunglasses or goggles if its sunny because if you don't you'll be in bed the next day with burned eyeballs and a searing headache like I did.

Cheers
 
"The trickiest part for me (who didn't get over the lip of the bowl) was putting my skis on. To do this I had to carve out a small ledge by kicking my boot against the snow as long as my ski to get my bindings in."

bwaaaahaha, I remember this feeling. Takes a while to get used to clipping in on really steep terrain. The results can be really bad if you do it wrong.

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So stoked to hit up Tucks this year hopefully over April break, just a few things though, are you allowed to schuss? Since its backcountry skiing, should I bring my shitty skis because rocks? Comparable to Loons Ripsaw? Whats the steepest lift serviced run in the Northeast?
 
Depending on when you go. You should be fine to bring you good skis any time from March to early May just because they have such a big base
 
The auto road is closed in the winter, and to my knowledge they do not allow skis on the train specifically because you NEED to know what you are skiing into there. If you were to make it across the ice fields to the top of the head wall (which almost every year I hear of someone losing a dog down a cravass or some shit), there is no way back from there. You HAVE to hit it.

As others have mentioned, this is not your standard black diamond from your local hill. The pitch is somewhere around 55-60 degrees. A fall here results in a long, and I mean LONG slide, as in 100+ yards completely uncontrolled. It is extremely easy to get very, very hurt or dead there. Additonally you want to have your line picked before you even step into your skis. Accidentally come over the center of the headwall because you skied down and didnt hike up? Prepare for a massive cliff drop.

Anyway, it is one hell of a time. I skied it back in highschool and it is going to be the Grand finale to the Grand tour of New England skiing. I am going up with a couple friends in probably the second or third week of April if the snow pack holds up. I will post when I am going to do it as far in advance as possible so anyone who wants to meet up can, Id love to have some other people to do it with. The problem with planning for Tux is it is extremely weather dependent. An odd thaw pattern can turn what could be a great 40 degree day into a major avalanche risk.
 
The steepest lift serviced run in NE is either at Mt Snow on the North Face somewhere or Smuggs I think ( I could be wrong on this). I know the liftline and black hole at Smuggs are around 53 degrees or so, with Black hole maintaining that in spots through a glade. There is nothing even close to Tux at Loon sorry to say. The skis you want at Tux are long with sharp edges, park skis are a bad choice for Tux. Rocks usually are not to big of an issue if you go before the end of April.
 
Be careful. It is has been -10 in the valley all week so I can't imagine what it is like in the tucks.
 
I Skied Tucks two years ago and its definitely a fucking crazy experience. Mid April to Early May is the best time to go. Don't bring your 3 year old beat to shit park skis, you're going to need a ski that is solid, tuned and responsive because there is absolutely zero room for error once you're up top, staring point blank down the barrel of a 50-55 degree gradient.

Also, Skiing down to tucks from the summit is not at all advisable. There have been stories of people being maimed for life after realizing "Oh shit there goes the headwall!" and then they go bouncing off of rocks, not stopping until they reach the bottom of the bowl in a bloodied, broken mess.

The first few turns off the top were fucking scary, but once I got to the bottom I had the greatest sense of accomplishment. Its a very rewarding experience but don't go into this thinking its going to be just like your average double black at any given EC resort.
 
Care to elaborate on what exactly I am so off base on? You cant just call someone out on being wrong and not say what was wrong with my statement. Do you not want Long skis with sharp edges? Should he be on snow-blades instead? Maybe I am wrong about the headwalls degree, its clearly like only 5 degrees and should be used as a bunny hill.
 
RIPCORD @ MT SNOW "claims" the steepest sustained pitch in the east. I did it the other day

I would say either rumor or lies @ Gore or some other VT runs have steeper headwalls.

 
Glad you can read Whiteface's highest lift unloads at 4,386 feet (1,337 m), a vertical drop of 3,166 ft (965 m) to the base area at 1,220 ft (372 m). Its hike-to terrain, The Slides, is 264 ft (80 m) higher at 4,650 ft (1,417 m), providing Whiteface with the greatest continuous vertical drop in eastern North America at 3,430 feet (1,045 m). This is more vertical than Aspen in Colorado; Snowbird in Utah; Killington, Stowe, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen and Stratton Mountain Resort|Stratton in Vermont; Sugarloaf in Maine; Lake Louise in Alberta; and Mont Tremblant in Quebec.
 
Those claims usually refer to mountains with Lift-serviced runs. Tuckermans is excluded due to being back-country.
 
okay so ive only hiked tuck's during the summer but im prob gonna head up this spring and get some turns in

can anyone experienced describe what the center lines are like? for refernce i skied squaw for a couple years, lots of experience in the palisades, granite chief, etc etc and the center lines look like no problem compared to some chimney lines etc, but i know looks can be deceiving. am i wrong to think that those center lines are extremely doable at a good pace with a medium drop at some point?

 
okay that's a great answer, explains it well. yeah, my plan would definitely be to air one of the last drops

thanks man
 
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