That was so sketchy, I have been there and never saw it covered in raincrust like that. Impressive as hell. That whole area is so underated like most of the East.
@@maxhafer7092 thank you for this. I can say that growing up in New England, a lot of days for me amounted in technical skiing, not fun skiing. When I skied power for the first time, I almost cried. It was actually relaxing.
I’ve been skiing since I was 5 and snowboarding since I was 13 up in Maine. When I was in highschool and had a season pass to my local mountain and a car I could go up whenever I wanted. I went up one day with my board and it was perfect powder all throughout the mountain. I think they decided not to groom a lot of it since it was just too good to pass on. Shocker for me though since I’d only ever rode on groomed trails or practical ice sheets. A lovely guy from England I met on the lift gave me some tips for how to board in powder. Made it 100% more fun and now I crave powder days 😂 People from out west that I’ve met say we’re more hardcore since our snow sucks. Can’t wait to ride some mountains out west eventually
@@jessierabbit I was stoked to read that! You never forget your first real pow experience! A good all around skiier or rider can go in different snow conditions and rip!!
@@maxhafer7092 Raced Nationals back in the mid '70's. The western skiers were all sliding down the race course on their asses because they just didn't have the technical skills that eastern skiers learned early on. While the Rockies are great for glorious days in deep powder, New England skiing can throw days at you that really test just how good you are!
My grandfather used to ski Tuckerman's back in the 60s and 70s pretty regularly. Thank you for posting this, it gives me much more appreciation for how good a skier he really was.
My mother used to take the Cog Railway up and ski the ravine in the early 50s. She was a total badass. Not to mention driving up there on those old roads in a48 Ford with no power steering or power brakes. All the way from Nashua. I’m sure there weren’t too many gas stations along the roads up north in those days either.
I summited Washington last year in the middle of March: barely any wind at all. We got to the bottom of the mountain and my friends and I made a comment about it to one another and the lady at the reception/gift shop desk there said we probably wouldn't ever see a day as calm as we did in our lifetime again. 3/18/23 Climbing Washington again this year to get the full experience
I Climbed Tuckerman's and rode my Snowboard off the Summit on Tuesday. I rode upper snowfield to Right Gully and traversed to the lower headwall. It was Blue bird clear and 70 with a light breeze. Despite the conditions being soft and perfect it was easily the most daunting thing I have ever done.
First time I skied Tucks back in 93 my friend and I found a man with a compound fracture of his leg. He was an orthopedic surgeon so he knew things were not good. My friend and I assisted carrying him down to the hut. He said he clipped in and slipped never making a turn and fell over " chicken rocks" not good. This is a nice video but a lot has been left out, such as the giant blocks of ice that fall. On a nice spring day the bowl will be packed with people and it has a real party feel to it, have fun but be careful there is a lot that can go wrong. For you western skiers thinking this is nothing you could not be more wrong. I like to go up mid week when there are not many peopel, its a great place to ski and enjoy the beauty of the mt and nature.
You said it well Scott. Too many people treat Tuckermans Ravine like it's a local ski area without ski lifts. Nothing can be further from the truth, that place is seriously dangerous. On June 4, 1994 a few of us were hiking up to Tuckermans. When we arrived at the hut at the bottom of the ravine nick named "Ho Jo's" we saw someone get hit by a huge block of ice while skiing the head wall. Turned out to be a 25 year old young lady who was killed instantly. A forest service worker was there and asked for volunteers to take her body down the mountain. My brother in law and myself stepped up. I don't remember how long it took but it seemed like forever. There were I think six of us total including the forest service employee or at least that's what I think he was. We chatted to each other during the trip down to take our minds of of the task at hand. The looks on peoples faces that were hiking up the mountain stays vivid in my mind today. When we arrived at the bottom we loaded her body into a waiting ambulance of sorts. After that a law enforcement officer sincerely thanked us for doing what we did. There was a guy helping to carry the litter who seemed like just another guy helping out during the carry. He broke down crying terribly walking away from everyone after we loaded the body. Turns out, it was the dead girl's fiance. I'll never forget that for as long as I live. The young lady's name was Sarah Nicholson. RIP Sarah.
It really is a crazy place- I hiked up mt Washington’s Huntington ravine in August and it was awesome. I can’t imagine doing it in the winter but I wasn’t too surprised by the amount of ice as a lifelong New Hampshire (and the rest of New England) skier. Western skiers can do it, but it’s VERY different stuff like from the powdery slopes of Colorado
@@hankhamelin329 I just read your comment. That is a heartbreaking. Thanks for helping out. Its a fun place but its what I call serious fun. Take care.
@@hankhamelin329 I may be two years late to this comment section, but your post gave me chills and pangs of sadness because my brother and I were right there with you that day. We were two of the other people carrying the young lady's body down on the gurney. I remember the VW-sized block of ice rolling toward her and her fiancé. I believe it split and just missed him, but got her. They knew it was coming and you could tell they were good skiers, but as they skied away, they ran out of snow and onto exposed grass, so they couldn't move any further. It was as horrible and sad an event as one could imagine. A ranger asked me to console her fiancé, but all I could do was put my hand on his back. I don't think he knew I was there. On the hike down, we stopped several times for the ranger to check her vitals (I think that's what he was doing), which confused me because, as you noted, I assumed she had already passed. I never went back to Tuck's and, like you, I'll never forget that day. RIP, indeed, Sarah.
@@joeshapiro59 Wow ! It is a VERY small world Joe. Never thought after all this time I would ever again hear from anyone that was able to relive that day first hand. One thing I'd like to add. About two years after that tragedy I was at a birthday party for a good friend of mine. It was held at a local club with lots of people in attendance. (maybe 75 or so?) An older woman came up to me that night and asked if I was Hank Hamelin. I said yes I'm assuming she was another friend or relative of the guy celebrating his birthday. Turned out it was nothing of the sort. She told me she was the aunt of Sara Nickerson and she wanted me to have a copy of the obituary which she had laminated. Turned out that Sara was from, I believe, Portland, Maine which was over 100 miles from where this party was being held. Before I could ask how she knew my friend, she disappeared and I never saw her again. I asked several people that I knew saw me talking to her but no one knew who she was. Strange things happen sometimes, don't they. Thanks for posting a reply Joe. I wish you well brother.
A very good friend and ski instructor from Killington was killed there years ago(RIP CHRIS)..IT IS A DANGEROUS.PLACE.. have your skills in check and stay within your level!!
Years ago we use to hike in to the bottom of the hill in the Spring with our equipment. Once at the bottom of the Ravine, you put your skis over your shoulder and ski boots on , start climbing to the top of the headwall. it was like climbing a ladder. Once at the top, we had the rush of skiing the Headwall in soft snow. Lauching yourself into that first turn is the key !
No comments on the 5 hours hiking in and out of Tuckerman with a 35-pound backpack. Then climb 1000 foot head wall of Tuckerman several times, if you can. An endurance test for certain. All in one short winter day. 9 people died at Tuckerman in the last two decades. Tuckerman should never be taken lightly. Check out the videos of the hikes into Tucks even in the summertime. Very rugged and steep at times, a class 3 hike for sure. Like I said an endurance test more than a ski trip. Ski safe ! Peace.❄❄❄🎿🎿🎿🏂🏂🏂
Totally agree. I hiked Washington in the summertime on the Tuckerman Ravine trail, and went down the Lion's Head trail. Going up the headwall was the hardest part of the hike. You can't tell in the video, but there are a TON of waterfalls on the headwall in the summer. I actually saw two people trying to hike up the actual cliff, not the trail, and about 15 minutes later we heard a scream. Ouch.
Hiked up Memorial Day weekend in the late 80s. Was totally gassed as we basically carried all crap in hand. Ended up taking only one run. Doesn’t matter, got the X.
Let's not forget rock falls in the summer and avalanche danger in the winter. Chunks of ice the size of Volkswagens have been known to come barreling down.
@@livefreeordie5534 I was hiking up to Franconia Ridge on Memorial Day and witnessed huge ice blocks (weighing TONS) barreling down Shining Rock and taking out trees as it went. Not something you want to be in front of!
Only one year did I enjoy good snow on a clear, calm, day. The other years seemed to always involve less than ideal conditions. One time I got caught on the Head Wall as a very thick fog rapidly rolled in. Had to ski/skid/flail my way down in ZERO visibility, shitting myself. That was the last time there.
Tuckermans is the proving ground for American Skiing. Austrian Toni Mott won Tuckermans in 1935 and went on to help found PSIA at Big Mountain in 1960.
I snowboarded Tucks April 1988. It was corn snow and quite pleasant. I didn't see any other snowboarders and was getting yelled at by a lot of the skiers for being a snowboarder; that's how it was back in the day. I wonder if I was the first to snowboard Tucks? I'd imagine Burton was up there before this.
My friend Jack grew up skiing in Vermont. He told me about skiing the ravine. First time I ever went down black diamond runs was with Jack. He was so good he made them look like bunny slopes. He was an instructor . Very good
Washington (Agiocochook) is the most deadly subalpine mountain on earth. The uninitiated have died from exposure in every month of the year. You’d better know what you’re about before you plan your first step up the Tuck.
In my youth I climbed Tuckerman. Rested at the top, took a deep breath, pushed off and made it about 200 yds before I fell and slid almost all the way down. I did not climb it again.
@@SSs-ch4ey I did when I was in high school. I lived in Manchester. I had been riding for a whole year before in 1986. I was part of the ski school at Pat's Peak the next year. The skiers I was hanging with at Pat's were the guides. We showed up at 9am.. hiked until noon up the snow trail to the base of the Ravine. then climbed that bitch up the side. it was intense. I had to clear out a ledge in the snowpack to get my board on. then did some quick z turns.. edged a bit then finally went balls out down.. it was an interesting time only 1 or 2 boarders around. Those were really the best days of boarding. We were thrilled over every thing we accomplished.. I have many pictures of it. On another trip we did Hillmans Highway. That is actually way more fun since its actually has terrain that is easier to navigate.. not just steep ass slope..with ice and rocks to crack you head open on. The craziest thing was seeing a giant boulder of ice break off like the size of a car..and tumble down to smash on the rocks below..you could feel the vibration. anyone climbing during the spring is rolling the dice with the ice fall.. its random but constant...Anyway.. its funny that you don't think it was possible. reminds me of the asshole skiers i had to put up with making fun of me and my friends.. they hated snowboarding and thought it was stupid..LOL Boy were they wrong!
@@xpez9694 Never said it wasn't possible; I was just betting you were bullshitting. Your story sounds kinda believable but based off this vid, anyone who has gone down this mountain and survived should clearly feel blessed and humbled to have survived.
Hey boys , Thanks for telling us east coast ice skiers all about Tuckermans! I went to UVM. Worked on ski patrol at Mammoth. I know a bit about steep. And ice. Thanks for your video You’re the best.
east coast skiing at its best! good on you guys for picking a nice day at least. a cold, windy day above the tree line and you know you're doing it! unless you really like going really fast or are riding GS skis, don't try to make nice looking turns ;)
Ben Jaffee so i should bring my gs skis? Haha I was going to take my shorter (155) pair of slaloms to save on weight. Now I feel like I need to hit them with the diamond files and maybe a ceramic disk before I head out haha.
Taking an avalanche safety course in Tucks in less than a month, I can't wait 😁 Will give me the courage and knowledge to do stuff like this with my friends safely (At least as safe as possible)
God damn... I never realized how steep this actually was even though I've been watching it for years. Just goes to show, when you watch GoPro footage, you never really understand how much steeper it is in real life. That fisheye lens really screws with your perspective
you've got the video on interlaced... change the upload to progressive in your NLE video-editor export settings, export it as 1080p , not as 1080i , RU-vid uses Progressive streaming, not interlaced (only for TV) :)
Skied Memorial Day weekend 86. Had no pack so just carried gear up. Exhausted, made one descent and drank a Mickey’s Bigmouth. Next day I was windsurfing in Buzzard’s Bay which was a lot easier.
No ski lifts or grooming equipment or ski patrol or trail markers on Tuckerman. Meanwhile, the idiots who insist on skiing there face windblown and icy conditions, hidden boulders and wicked steeps. I ski for fun, not to see how close I can come to dying. So I will never ski Tuckerman.
Ok, so as much as I ❤️ extreme back country skiing, and I've skied chutes & headwalls on Western 🏔️'s, & Mittleback @ Cannon in NH, Mt. Greylock in the Berkshires & off piste in Europe @ Zermatt & Innsbruck, BUT I'm sorry, Tuckerman IS REALLY, TRULY a death wish. I've been skiing since I was 6 going on 7, and racing since 7 going on 8, and even jumped for a time (all in VT) when I was younger, BUT, Tuckerman scared me REALLY BAD. I myself partially hiked up Left Gully back in 1994 (with a college friend who was helping me Coach our USCSA team at that time), and then we both had to ski back down IMMEDIATELY, because our vertigo kicked in, and she and I couldn't balance ourselves. There was NO WAY we were going to do the headwall from the top. I've skied less inverted headwalls in Tahoe. 🖕 killing myself. Tuckerman is TRULY insane. From then on, I respected that I enjoyed the hike to the Tuckerman floor in future years. I contented myself with that. And I would take my team up there to show them an EXCELLENT example of how you can literally risk your own life. Tuckerman is STUNNING, but it's DEADLY.
My dad’s ski’d there before and he said it’s very hairy up there.I’m not a skiier but I feel if I ever went up there I’d probably have to bring a few changes of underwear with me.
+Matt Ferguson No clue when it was filmed, but on a spring day like that, with clear skies and no wind, it's usually a zoo, c1.staticflickr.com/3/2125/2444741900_5cb3ef3e1d_b.jpg. Certainly not insane, but what do you expect from Outside? Out here, we call that skiing. We take what we can get.
+alwaysmorecowbell It was probably a mid winter day. I've been up there in all months of winter above inversions like that with similar conditions. Tucks was probably deserted because it wasn't spring yet for the alpine crowd, and the backcountry crowd was probably at work (weekday I'm guessing?) and/or knew the skiing was going to suck with that kind of rain crust in Tucks. I bet with that kind of sun on that kind of crust, Oakes was skiing really nice that day. Should have been over there, but it wouldn't have been "extreme." Only good skiing. Which we don't have in the east of course.
+Marc Moseley It does seem early, since there are no steps carved into the snow. Usually it is not skied not before April. The snow avalanches all winter creating the slope. It needs a thaw, and freeze to set. Most people will go up as far as they wish, then ski down. It gets steeper and steeper as you go up. Mom and dad skied there in '49 or '50. Skiing memorial day is popular, and usually ends around the 4th of July. Years ago i hiked there in August, and found a piece of snow then.
Ok, maybe this was an icy hill and difficult conditions. And 55° is something. But this talk about how extreme it is sounds quite ridiculous. Maybe this guys should try skiing in Chamonix or the Dolomites.
DerHerrLatz I watched some of your videos on one of your subscriptions they are quite impressive without a doubt. Beautiful places to ski or ride thank you. However, there was a lot left out in this video. 2 1/2 hr hike into Tuckerman and 2 1/2hr hike out. With a 35 lb backpack. Very rugged terrain, from rocky outcrops to having to cross steep frozen streams. Then you have to hike up the 800 ft headwall which is Tuckerman, then do it again very few more times because the sun is setting and you have a 2 1/2 hour hike out. No chair lifts. No heli skiing. You get injured in there good luck ! more of an endurance test than anything else. By the way one person on average dies every other year at Tuckerman and Tuckerman only from Avalanche or ice falls to out of control falls and slides. This place is no joke. Happy skiing.🎿🎿🎿
When they say you "die" they're not kidding. Yesterday someone did. Her partner is in critical condition and about fifteen other people were injured badly. btw...enough with the stupid loud music when people ski. Ridiculous. Especially when one thinks of the sounds that occur around one naturally when skiing.
If you like steep runs like this then come to the Alps and let the lifts take you up while you're chatting with your friends about all the sick, steep runs you'll be hitting that day.
The idea is the "challenge". No lifts, no cushy helicopters. The hike into Tucks could seriously injure or kill you. Snow, ice, rocks, stumps, deadfalls, and falling limbs make that 2 hr. hike into Tucks, a class 3 nightmare. I've had friends wishing they had ropes, crampons, and climbing axes in some spots. They weather is also some of the most unpredictable in the entire eastern US because of its unusual location. Remember, you have to backpack all your gear, boots, water, skis, food, etc, etc. for a full 8-10 hr. day. Then hike the 800 ft. headwall to ski. Getting the picture yet ? It's an endurance test only for the strongest and most experienced. Happy skiing.
Inexperience, Breeds Disaster !! #1: "You Have To Know When To Walk Away" to "Live and Ski Another Day" "EGO's Will KILL YOU!!" 100's and 100's BC Trips, a Few Scares, am Still Here.... Lucky? Smart? Smart Enough !! Plz B Careful. IF You Don't Know, Travel w/ Those Who Do Know........... or Lose a LIFE or Save a LIFE......Sorry, For Their Loss..........
I did Taos...Castor and Pollux is as close as you would come to Tucks...and Tucks is at least 10° to 15° steeper...even more for the drop-in for the Left Gully...been there...done that...85'...got the T-Shirt.
@@mauricepowers8079 you never ended up in sauza or cuervo or dog paws if you want to go that far... castor and pollux are mild compared to anything youd ever find on west basin or the hunzicker side of kachina...
55 degrees is the official measurement for the Center Headwall and The Icefall. However, Left Gully is only 40 and Right Gully/Lobster Claw is 35. So it depends on what you ski.
@@therealist3495 There's some really steep stuff in Tucks, but that bit about "steepest terrain on the east cast" isn't true. The insanely steep stuff is when you get somewhere past 65º and start approaching the point where skiing is physically impossible no matter how good you are.
Toni Matt still holds the record for top to bottom(and we are talking all the way down to Pinkham Notch Lodge)...he came off the lip of the Headwall in a TUCK and never let up till he got to the bottom...guy is a Legend.
hahaha...was this a joke? "we don't get to test our technical skills out west..." okay extreme guys....whatever, that's a cute little hill you guys have over there, probably even a black diamond run out west.
They are not referring to the steeps or the snow. They are referring to the ice. If you ever skied on NE ice, let alone on a 55 degree slope, then you'll understand what they are referring to. Coming from the east coast and now living in the west, you need to have an appreciation to it. What they don't tell you in this video is that over 200 people have died there from ski related incidents or avalanches since they started tracking data. It's no picnic or day in the park...
+Nathan Price , I think he was referring to the Ice combined with the steepness and obstacles. The West is great for skiing, I know I love it, but if you want a different experience you should try out Vermont and New Hampshire. I love it all!!!!!
55 degree angle is the steepest in North America, correct me if I'm wrong. (I know corbet's couloir is around there) And this was all ice! Out west it's all fluffy snow
+Hefty's Half Bin SSSHHH Hefty, keep telling everyone that is is all Fluffy snow out West. Yep, powder all the time, no Spring consolidation, never icy and when we ski the steep (but never over 45 degrees as that might be dangerous, unlike Tuckerman) 14ers in Colorado they are always perfect, powdery and never Avy prone. Always perfect out here, except of course when it's not!