Tuckerman NH, July 5, 09

Patrick

Patrick

Well-known member
Month 46, Day 46...

Well, well, well....it wasn't easy finding a window of potential acceptable weather. T-storm and rain in the forecast for a number of days. Hadn't seen footage of the Ravine in over one week, always deep cloud cover. Eventually saw two TRs for the last weekend of June in the fog.

Plan outing on July 1st looked promising one week before, however it became a 70% chance of rain and t-storm likely, but the Friday looked nice. So we pushed our plans back another 48 hours...then it became a 100% rain day. Folks like PWDR8, Harkin Banks and TuaGuy from T4T heading up, but it was a gamble. After trading email, PWDR8 mentioned that driving this far, made better sense to go Sunday + I didn't need to take a day off work+ never skied on July5th before.

Sunday it was...we should have called it Cloud-day, because we didn't see anything. It was cool (or real cold for July). Made for excellent hiking weather, no bugs, high winds...the clouds were flowing real fast over the ridge and diving in and out of the Ravine, following the contour of the mountain. I don't recall saying something like this before and we were going to hike into that.

So I was joined by GPetrics and K_C which we gracious to let crash in their guest/skiroom in Montpelier. Allen, Greg's partner from www.famousinternetskiers.com joined us. This being said, I didn't see them during the hike, let's just say that they hiked this trail so often that it seemed like a easy walk to the corner store for them. As I was hiking up, I could hear Greg kicking himself for having forgotten his camera. I took a few pictures which I should post before next July's trip. :-"

Once at Hojo, we couldn't see the Bow. Heck, once in the Bowl, we could see the Chute patch that I had been skied two days before. Visibility was next to nil. This was the first time in 3 years that I saw snow on the floor of the Ravine. Regardless, we headed for the top spot in last season turns in New England. Snow was suncupped lightly (I'm saying this because of the Suncups I saw at Mammoth in June/July). Hard to get a clean edge at first, but the snow wasn't firm like two years ago. The vertical was about 30 meters. After 3 runs, Chickwhorips and a friend just us for a few turns. Called it a day early, but there was a long drive back to Ottawa that night. Arrived in town at 11pm.

I don't have any pictures, but here are a few link for Chickwhorips TR of the day, July 5th:
July turns - Tux on 07/05/09
http://www.timefortuckerman.com/forums/ ... hp?t=11917

Plus PWDR8s Friday TR, July 3rd:
Misty Mountain Hop Turns
http://www.timefortuckerman.com/forums/ ... hp?t=11914


Scam plug for my host that weekend: They made a cool calendar using pics from their famous TRs. They also sell prints.
http://www.famousinternetskiers.com/store/calendar/
 
way to push through patrick. after skiing 5 bluebird days up there between june 2nd-17th. july 10th was the 1st full bluebird day up there. long wait, of course i couldn't pass it up. those guys are goin back up this week, core.

till next year. we will make turns next year.

rog
 
rfarren":2cszn1zr said:
At what point normally does Tucks become unskiable?
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According to TuaGuy, I better quote him from Rog's TR on T4T.

"...It isn't over until WE say it's over!.."
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There is a plan from those guys to go up on July 14th. If you look at the old TR by Lftgly and Chromer, they even made it out in August. Unfortunately the pictures are now gone from FTO (is there a way to recuperate does pics Admin?). The variation of the end of skiable snow varies from year-to-year, I would say that on average, it's been in July.
 
Admin":1mb8ot7b said:
rfarren":1mb8ot7b said:
At what point normally does Tucks become unskiable?
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Some, yours truly included, would say that it already is.
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Careful. You're opening yourself up for a defensive argument about what does and does not constitute skiable and how what's skiable in Switzerland isn't the same as here and how superfluous comparisons of urban densities somehow get related to ski-wear choices.
 
Admin":1j3af8a1 said:
rfarren":1j3af8a1 said:
At what point normally does Tucks become unskiable?
Click to expand...

Some, yours truly included, would say that it already is.
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Some lines are also unskiable by some, doesn't mean that they're unskiable. :twisted:

Like I mentioned to Greg, a number of people come up at Tux in May and only ski the equivalent in vertical of what we skied on last week.
 
Admin":ofl9cnma said:
rfarren":ofl9cnma said:
At what point normally does Tucks become unskiable?
Click to expand...

Some, yours truly included, would say that it already is.
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to some, obviously you included, it is unskiable due to a, shall i say, lack of unconditional love for the sport. some of us, me included obviously just love to ski more than others. it does take some skill to enjoy the small, tight, doublefall line, no fall spaces as well, which many folks wouldn't have the tools to make the most of the spaces safely and efficiently.

july 10th is the latest that i've ever skied in there. last year was a fair bit more full. most years i'd have to bet mid july at least. i may go back on the 15th as the 14th looks to be cloudy. i like my conditions bluebird.

rog
 
Patrick":yawfa4uc said:
Admin":yawfa4uc said:
rfarren":yawfa4uc said:
At what point normally does Tucks become unskiable?
Click to expand...

Some, yours truly included, would say that it already is.
Click to expand...

Some lines are also unskiable by some, doesn't mean that they're unskiable. :twisted:
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And some, yours truly included, feel that the cost/benefit analysis renders Tucks unskiable right now. Which is not to take anything away from you or ice -- good on you. I admire your moxie. But you know that my ski motto is "quality over quantity" and from where I sit, I didn't see either.

I did that in 2005 to get my 20 consecutive months of Utah skiing. But I don't feel the need to do that anymore. Too many other ways to enjoy summer in the mountains.
 
Admin":2jn13av9 said:
And some, yours truly included, feel that the cost/benefit analysis renders Tucks unskiable right now. Which is not to take anything away from you or ice -- good on you. I admire your moxie. But you know that my ski motto is "quality over quantity" and from where I sit, I didn't see either.

I did that in 2005 to get my 20 consecutive months of Utah skiing. But I don't feel the need to do that anymore. Too many other ways to enjoy summer in the mountains.
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Some might argue that any turns are better than no turns. I can see that argument for sure. But I can also understand where Admin is coming from too. In my question what I meant was when does it literally become unskiable? I don't mean that you can ski it for ten feet, but lets say you have have to make at least ten solid turns.
 
rfarren":vk19tsn0 said:
I don't mean that you can ski it for ten feet, but lets say you have have to make at least ten solid turns.
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In Ice's video, that is ten feet! :lol:
 
Admin":z5an4kh4 said:
rfarren":z5an4kh4 said:
I don't mean that you can ski it for ten feet, but lets say you have have to make at least ten solid turns.
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In Ice's video, that is ten feet! :lol:
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hey, craig would've made 40 turns at least! :lol:

as far as "skiable" for 10 turns goes. i'd say till this next mid week. one year left gully was still t2b for at least 900 vert according to the pic from a ski mag on july 17th 1996. that was a big year as was 1997, 2001, and a few since.

i can understand it may seem "not worthwhile" to some to go all of the way up there to ski a small patch of perfect corn on a beautiful day with water cascading down on the same day that i still put in an 8 hour work day on the seacoast. i will say that the snow that i skied was about as good as good corn gets and much better than any quasi corn that i skied in utah in april, cept for the groomers at the bird, oh ya, and two trees off of superior, but that was total crap at the runout. so, foot for foot, turn for turn, it was some damn fine july skiing in charmingland. \:D/

rog
 
icelanticskier":2fzmv6o0 said:
...and much better than any quasi corn that i skied in utah in april, ...
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That's 'cause April is too early. Our corn season doesn't really kick in until May. O:)
 
Marc_C":3u2jwwlc said:
icelanticskier":3u2jwwlc said:
...and much better than any quasi corn that i skied in utah in april, ...
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That's 'cause April is too early. Our corn season doesn't really kick in until May. O:)
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now that's a bunch of :bs:. the best corn that ive skied in the wasatch was during a big mid winter high pressure in 2001. craig and i lapped perfect supportive corn on the green slope and in snake creek canyon out behind brighton day after day. later on during that cycle east facing raymonds and gobblers knob came into form. if corn season doesn't kick in till may as you claim then unless it snows, yer skiing a lot of in between crap while we are in fact skiing perfect corn, refreeze or no refreeze. alta patroler jonathan and i had discussions about this on both june 2nd and the 8th this year in the ravine. after a few laps he told me that his buds in the wasatch just don't know how much consistently better the corn skiing is out east for months on end. when the corn is happinen here, there is never a need to change aspects throughout the day to stay on good snow and it pretty much never gets punchy. ever. it's just really good.

rog
 
icelanticskier":38cpg7wu said:
Marc_C":38cpg7wu said:
icelanticskier":38cpg7wu said:
...and much better than any quasi corn that i skied in utah in april, ...
Click to expand...
That's 'cause April is too early. Our corn season doesn't really kick in until May. O:)
Click to expand...

now that's a bunch of :bs:. the best corn that ive skied in the wasatch was during a big mid winter high pressure in 2001. craig and i lapped perfect supportive corn on the green slope and in snake creek canyon out behind brighton day after day. later on during that cycle east facing raymonds and gobblers knob came into form. if corn season doesn't kick in till may as you claim then unless it snows, yer skiing a lot of in between crap while we are in fact skiing perfect corn, refreeze or no refreeze. alta patroler jonathan and i had discussions about this on both june 2nd and the 8th this year in the ravine. after a few laps he told me that his buds in the wasatch just don't know how much consistently better the corn skiing is out east for months on end. when the corn is happinen here, there is never a need to change aspects throughout the day to stay on good snow and it pretty much never gets punchy. ever. it's just really good.
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I'm not going to get into another one of these idiotic discussions. Believe whatever you want. Have fun.
 
Admin":2tlrwsdb said:
And some, yours truly included, feel that the cost/benefit analysis renders Tucks unskiable right now.
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You realize that the comment is a slippery slope? Some people would never find the cost/benefit analysis into hiking Tucks or elsewhere worth it. Give me a HSQ...I'm skiing, I don't want to work for it. Like I said above and on that day, some people hike Tuck and never ski greater vertical than what I did on that day. The risk of danger is just much greater now than in May however the ski gaper has totally disappeared by mid-June.

Admin":2tlrwsdb said:
Which is not to take anything away from you or ice -- good on you. I admire your moxie. But you know that my ski motto is "quality over quantity" and from where I sit, I didn't see either. I did that in 2005 to get my 20 consecutive months of Utah skiing. But I don't feel the need to do that anymore. Too many other ways to enjoy summer in the mountains.
Click to expand...

I would say your August and/or September had way more pathetic snow than any of my days in the last 46 months. For me, It's better to get out and ski than sit in front of a computer at home or work. It also forces me to get those trips to SA instead of putting off from one season to the next. This streak forces me to move, which is a good thing.

Before Marc misinterprets this quote and starts going off the deep end again, I truly appreciate your kudos...it's just my way to keep busy and force myself to ski the World. SA now and looking to NZ in the future. Been on my wish list since Reagan's first term in office.

And before Tony adds his 2 cents, I just made a quick calculation, since this streak started, I managed to ski at 63 different areas in 46 months. My skiing, although diversified before, has never so diverfied as it is now.
 
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