Today was just about perfect. I woke at 5:30 having only slept a few hours, picked up Drew, Greg and Jeff, and headed north. Three hours of driving, and one obligatory stop at Einstein’s later, we were at the Cog Railway base and faced with a crowded parking lot. Seems like other people noticed the recent snowfall and nice weather. No worries, there’s plenty of room on the mountain for everyone.

Monroe Brook Avy Path

The Long Slog Uphill

We ascended the Ammonoosuc Ravine trail, which I hadn’t climbed since I was 12. It’s steeper than I remember, but one of the more direct routes to the summit on the west side. I wasn’t in peak physical condition, thanks to my lack of sleep and thesis belly, but I made it eventually. 3.8 miles, 3700 feet and three hours later, we were at the summit with skis on. Triumphant pictures were taken, and lunch was consumed in the protective windscreen of the oldest building on the summit. We skied the back towards Lakes of the Clouds, harvesting the fresh corn that had softened in the afternoon sun. I stopped to take a nap while the other guys climbed back up for extra laps.

Video of Greg and Drew

Jeff Looking Sweet

Preparing for a Second Run

A Victorious Group

Self Portrait at the Summit

With clouds appearing and shadows starting to creep across our exit path, we decided to pack it in around 3:30. We traversed to Lakes of the Clouds, skiing across the lake surface and down Monroe Brook. We didn’t find the steepest entrance, but the ride was still great. The lower surface was littered with debris from previous avalanches, and I was glad we were here late in the season, when the snow is already condensed. We passed the Nadya Peek memorial brook, where she fell in on this trip last year and noted her absence with a long discussion on PID controls. Got to the car around 5 exhausted, smelly and happy. Three more hours of driving and I was back home, where I collapsed in bed to sleep like the dead. The sign of a day well spent.

Finally got out on the snow a weekend after the big storms. Found a hill near the MITOC cabin at Rumney, which was logistically convenient and close enough for a day trip. The snow was still deep and light, but the pitch wasn’t quite steep enough. That, or I need to wax my skis. Still, weaving between the trees is always fun. I got stabbed in my shoulder by one, which actually drew blood even through my shell. Glad I was wearing my new helmet and goggles. Chicks dig scars, right?

Sledheads at Summit

Lunch spot

Bottom of run

Tired and hungry

Route Map

Thanks to Nadya and Keith for the photos

Got back to the city with just enough time for a shower before the LSC SciFi marathon. Couldn’t miss that MIT tradition.

Skiing in May? Hells yes! With the Auto Road open, and (most) of my work done for the semester, it was a perfect time to head north and see what’s left in the hills. We drove up Friday night and camped on the Intervale platform, getting to the Auto Road at 7:30, first in line for it to open at 8. Greg of course had to go get breakfast, so we weren’t actually the first ones up, but there was still plenty left by the time we got there.

The great thing about driving up is that we had fresh legs for the descent, meaning more runs on the steeps, and less time slogging uphill. The downside of driving is the cost, $40 for a carload, and the fact that little pebbles kept getting stuck in my brake rotors and screeching like sirens. But at least I got a bumper sticker that now proclaims that my roof box “climbed Mt. Washington.”

Great Gulf was sick, as always. We did three runs, 800 feet vertical each, at over a 45 degree pitch. The hardcore guys ventured off to some even sicker terrain, but I was happy stretching my legs on Airplane’s relatively open slop. Spacewalk sounded a little too exciting for me, with a 60 degree slope and a right angle dogleg in the middle.

After our third run, the wind picked up and the weather took a drastic turn for the worse. The wind rose and our sunny spring day disappeared under the clouds. Gusts over 60 mph made the climb back to the car a little spicy with our skis acting as sails on our packs. But we all made it fine, and drove up to the summit for a “topless on top” picture. That one may not make it on the internet, due to partial nudity. But I think the rest speak for themselves.

Looking down

Storing our perishables

Panorama from Camp

Bottom of the run

Chillin on it

Mammiferous clouds herald bad weather

Google Earth Summary

In the aftermath of Sponsor Week, and with a four day weekend beckoning, it seemed an excellent time to head for the hills. Drove up to Greg’s “cabin” on Saturday night with Nadya and Jeff, then on to the Cog Railways station on Sunday. It was a cloudless, still day; perfect for spring skiing. We skinned up the Ammonoosuc Ravine trail to the Monroe Brook cutoff, and then started climbing.

After a long slog up the brook, we stopped for lunch just below the summit of Monroe. Took two runs down Oakes’ while Nadya and Jeff enjoyed a mountain nap. Then back down the brook, which was nice and corned up by the afternoon. Stayed at Pat’s family place, and enjoyed delicious stew a-la Jeff, and far too many Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies.

Monday we went up to Gulf of Slides, hoping we’d be able to skin all the way. While there was snow at the bottom, many of the expose steep sections were melted out, and we had fun crossing streams with our skis on. As the saying goes, “all skis are rock skis.” It wasn’t quite as sunny, but the snow was still good, and we all enjoyed the second day of strenuous exercise. Here’s hoping the autoroad will open up soon, and we can ski Great Gulf without the long hike in. Dinner at the Tilt’n Diner, as always, and then back to Boston in the rain.

Looking up Monroe Brook

Lunch near Monroe Summit

Sitting on top of the world

IMG_3245

My Wild Style

Went to the Bretton Woods Telefest to gape and ski in style. Even got my picture taken with the weatherman:

Special thanks to Nadya and Drew for the suit and goggles, respectively.

On Sunday we went up to Tuckerman for some steeper terrain, but were turned back by the dust-on-crust snow, and generally gnarly conditions. I reached my point of return when the wind gusted above 50 mph and a whiteout ensued. It’s still winter up in them-thar hills, at least for another few weeks. Almost lost a ski due to fumbling with my new bindings, but I side slipped down several hundred feet to get it. Everyone lived to fight another day, so I’ll chalk it up as type-2 fun.

With the the arrival of spring in Boston, it seemed prudent to drive north and find the last remaining slivers of snow. Drove up to Intervale on Friday and slept out under the stars, testing out my new winter sleeping bag. It wasn’t quite cold enough to really stress it, but it was nice and cozy. With an early start, we got to the Cog Railway base around 8:15; the second car in the lot. There was no snow to be found in the woods, so I chose to hike in sneakers and carry skis and boots on my back. It made for a heavy load, but the extra comfort and ankle flexibility was well worth it.

Goodman’s guide book describes the Great Gulf as the “wildest reaches of the White Mountains,” and I agree. The sheer size of the cirque and the consistent pitch seem more reminiscent of the Rockies than the Presidentials. We went up the Jewell trail and then across Clay Col, ending up to the skiers left of Pipeline. We skied a nice narrow 45 degree pitch, eventually getting to Spaulding Lake after a nice bushwhack. Had lunch there, and then climbed up Airplane for another run. The drop from the col to the lake is about 1300 feet, so I was pretty tired after the climb up. Did a half run of Airplane on perfect corn snow, and then dragged myself back to the ridgeline. We were the last people out of the Gulf at this point; the solitude provided by the relatively remote location is a far cry from the party scene at Tuckerman. Hiked across to Lakes of the Clouds and then skied out Monroe Brook. Got back to the car at 6:30, the last car to leave. Second on the mountain, last off; a sign of another epic day in the Whites.

Coming down Airplane

Getting friendly with the trees

greg napping

spaulding lake pan

yeuhi greg edge

The three amigos