Presidential Range NH, 4/10/04

[Mark Renson]

During the prior week, we watched weather forecasts and avalanche reports. As the week progressed, it became apparent that Saturday was gonna be a great day for skiing corn in the New Hampshire high country. <BR> <BR> On Saturday morning, Dana, Jonathan and I skinned outta the lot at the trailhead ..... under cloudy gloomy skies. Oh well, the sun WILL come out and transform the hardpack and crust into corn! I was impressed at the amount of snowcover at 2700 feet. Up the hiking trail and up the stream bed we went. Skinning became treacherous due to some hardpack. At the base of the gully, we put on crampons and borke out the ice axes for the big climb to the top. The sunshine still wasn't happenin'. Snow became firm and made for enjoyable cramponing (cramps 'n ice axe were needed). Some recently deposited avie debris was observed in the next gully. <BR> <BR> As we got above ridgeline, waves of northwesterly wind blasts rumbled upon the upper reaches of the Presidentials like freight trains. I thought for sure we would turn back, but Janet was nowhere to be found as Dana led us into the fury. It was especially difficult with skis strapped to my pack which caused the wind to twist me around - good thing the cramps and ice axe let me somewhat sure footed. Dana - who is smaller than I am - steadily tromped across the bleak wasteland while I struggled .... go figure. <BR> <BR> We estimated that winds were at least 40-50 MPH with gusts hitting 60. The actual statistics for Noon at the Observatory reads: 84 MPH wind with a temp of 10F. Great spring skiing day! No sun was to be found sans an aggregate of perhaps 3 minutes for the entire day. <BR> <BR> I lead us to the hiking trail - with all the maps, compasses and GPS and other technical crap we had, we relied on my eyeballs and memory to find it. Janet was still nowhere to be found and Dana lead us to the top of the bowl. He was gonna' ski it come hell or high water. <BR> <BR> Switching into skis was a bit of a chore on some hardpack we found behind a boulder which shielded some - but not all - wind. Some people from Jonathan's house joined up with us, too. So, we all made a tricky descent down hardpack, windpacked and sastrugi. It was especially jarring abruptly going from hardpack to sastrugi. At the bottom, we ate some lunch in the relative shelter of the bowl. We also observed a crown line and avalanche deposition, which Dana had accurately forecasted during the week. <BR> <BR> We skinned outta' the bowl and back into the teeth of the blitzing NW winds. Adventure skiing ensued as we reached the top of our ascent gully. Again, skiing was tricky until we found some very edgeable hardpack on the steepest part which was fun to ski. Towards the bottom, we found crusty snow which kept the tricky adventure skiing going. <BR> <BR> Back at the trailhead, we critiqued the day. Well, you can see what the skiing was like, but as a winter mountaineering day, it was great. What more could anyone ask for .....ummm, maybe some sun to make the corn. <BR> <BR>Mark

 

[Lftgly]

<IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/3743.jpg" ALT="041004_Gulf_of_Slides_06"> <BR> <BR>Mark described the weather above. <BR> <BR>There were brief glimpses of sun through the fast-moving clouds, but not enough to soften the snow surfaces above 4000'. While I ate lunch at the base of the Left Gully in the Gulf of Slides, the snow on my skis melted, but not the slope they were sitting on. <BR> <BR>Ascended to about 4500'-4600' in the GOS Left Gully. Judging from the ski tracks frozen in time from Wednesday & Thursday, it must have been a great couple days. But Saturday was not to be. I skied down the line through the trees to skiers left of the gully, where the surface was at least edgeable and not a washboard of old tracks. There were a few surprise powder turns where the trees had caught a little of the drifting snow from the morning flurries. <BR> <BR>Left Gully & Central Gully: <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/3744.jpg" ALT="041004_Gulf_of_Slides_11"> <BR> <BR>Left Gully & Central Gully: <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/3745.jpg" ALT="041004_Gulf_of_Slides_16"><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/3746.jpg" ALT="041004_Gulf_of_Slides_09"> <BR> <BR>Looking down from top of Left Gully: <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/3747.jpg" ALT="041004_Gulf_of_Slides_14"> <BR> <BR>South Snowfields from Left Gully: <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/3748.jpg" ALT="041004_Gulf_of_Slides_10"> <BR> <BR>The Gulf of Slides Ski Trail is skiable continously from the main gullies, down to about 3800' (just below Graham Tr.), though there were a couple windy corners where I had to carefully negotiate exposed rocks. Below 3800', it is a mix of completely bare stretches with walking required, narrow coverage on one edge, and some short pitches with full coverage. Ducking into the woods allowed a few detours around bare stretches, but several stretches of walking were unavoidable on the way down. On the descent around 1:30-2PM, there were a few pitches on GOS Ski Trail at lower elevations with beautiful corn on the sunny side, but these are the elevations where there was thin cover - or none. <BR> <BR>Gulf of Slides Ski Trail: <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/3749.jpg" ALT="041004_Gulf_of_Slides08"><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/3750.jpg" ALT="041004_Gulf_of_Slides18"> <BR> <BR>The last stretch as you approach Pinkham had full coverage where the GOS trail and Avalanche Brook trail are shaded by the spruce & fir (except the wood bridge on AB trail). <BR> <BR><IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/messages/8/3751.jpg" ALT="041004_Gulf_of_Slides19"> <BR> <BR>Skinning up requires very little snow, so only 2 or 3 spots required walking.

 

[brian o]

great shots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <BR>really cool- <BR> <BR>brian o