NYSkiBlog Tuckerman Trip

Hey all,

Not sure if this has been done or even pitched before, but would be cool if a bunch of us met up on an April weekend to hike/ski Tuckerman together. I’ve left all of my April weekends open—will shoot up there if the weather is good and the avy risk is low.

Let me know if any of you would be interested in meeting up. Will keep you posted on when we pull the trigger on the trip.

Cheers,
Adam

I’d be into this and coincidentally just mentioned it over in the latest storm speculation thread

Would be cool to go up there with some people who actually know where they’re going

I know where I'm going.

If the weather is right, I'm in. My preferred Tuckerman trip occurs after Gore closes (because I like the deck scene at Gore on warm spring weekends... BYO beer and BBQ doesn't happen on other decks & parking lot parties aren't my style). So, the 14th/15th, 21st/22nd, or 28th/29th will be good.

My preferred method is to go up Friday afternoon, hike up to Hermit lake shelters, try to get the one with 4 walls, wake up Saturday, ski the Ravine all day, stay one more night, ski Hillman's Highway & head home. I'm open to other stuff too, though, if people want to make a run at Gulf of Slides or whatever.

I've always kind of wondered when is the ideal time to hit tucks and not have to worry about crazy winter weather anymore but still have it be good skiing? I'm assuming by your post pretty much the dates you've called out but doesn't it still get pretty crazy up there in early April? Like full-blown winter temperatures and potential for bad storms?

I thought you had to wait until like mid May

I've skied it in April, I've skied it in May (including a fun birthday trip on May 16th), people on this forum have skied it October-July.

You can ski it whenever you want. I prefer to ski it in sunshine and warmth, so Late April works well. I really like to be able to ski the Sherburne trail all the way down to the parking lot, but that's more of a March/early April thing.

ADmiKe wrote

I've always kind of wondered when is the ideal time to hit tucks and not have to worry about crazy winter weather anymore but still have it be good skiing? I'm assuming by your post pretty much the dates you've called out but doesn't it still get pretty crazy up there in early April? Like full-blown winter temperatures and potential for bad storms?

I thought you had to wait until like mid May

You can get bad weather anytime of the year. It snows in Tuckerman Ravine in April all the time. Significantly less likely than the winter months but it is really rare Tuckerman doesn't get some snow in April. It can happen in May as well. I've had a few bad days up there in April when I needed bail due to icy conditions and bad weather. In some years, you get perfect corn in March. And then April is full on winter. You just never know.

There is no exact time when you don't need to worry about winter weather, that is why picking a date and sticking with it and going no matter what is a bad plan (IMO). You need to be flexible and try to pick days that are sunny, warm, and have the potential for good corn snow. Unless you are going for the weekend crowd (nothing wrong with that if you do), then sometimes you need to go mid-week. It all depends on the weather.

MC2 has the right idea, though... it is best to go when you can ski the JSST out rather than down hiking. The later you go in April, the less skiing you'll do and the more hiking you'll do getting back down. By May, you are almost certainly down hiking all the way from the Bowl or Hillman's.

The Ravine is most crowded in April for good reason, that is generally the best time to get good corn snow and the longest runs with the most options before the melt out really gets going. But you still need to be wary of the weather and be ready to not ski if it is really bad.

Good info...I'm with MC...I'd say I'd wanna be there with sun, warmer temps, and less hiking if I was to imagine what it's like to "do tucks" that would be my image based on the limited info I know about the place

This is a great idea. Doubt the weather will cooperate with my schedule and I'm probably not in shape to keep up with you guys but I hope you all pull it together and have a good trip and once I get my 11 yr old off to college, I'm totally in.

I’ve only been there mid-May, and it was hike all the way to the bowl and back, and with the headwall melted out and numerous crevasses the only viable runs we Chute and Left Gully.  Going mid-April would provide more skiing options and the ability to at least ski part of the way out.

Best time to go (if weather cooperates) is April. Gotta get in that window where it’s late enough that the avy conditions are safe, but early enough that the Sherby is still open to Ski back to your car.

Been twice now. First time was mid-April and we hiked all the way to the summit and skied all the way to the car. 2nd time was end of April, it was 45° and rainy, and we had to hike in and out.

Ideal weather is right around 30° and sunny with minimal wind.

I’ll reach out on the forum if/when we plan a trip.

Anyone moving any closer to any tentative plans in the next few weekends?  That time of year, to pull out the soccer schedules and try to still fit some skiing in, around other commitments.....

This coming weekend doesn't look too bad right now. Anyone thinking of heading up?

I've always dreamed of doing this.  It may be above my pay grade but I'd love to give it a go some time.
That said, I'm off winters and just returned to work and they already have my next few Saturdays booked with work but if there was a Sunday excursion I'd be in, even if it just meant hiking in and taking and checking things out and taking a bunch of pics.

Long term forecasts are dubious at best, especially for the Whites. But even then, the current weekend forecast doesn't look super awesome for spring corn in Tux (then again, given how this month has gone, barely above freezing and and cloudy is a pretty low bar!). I prefer to see proper corn cycles setup before making any plans.

The past two weekends certainly point to the folly of advanced planning for skiing Tuckerman. Last weekend featured numerous avalanches and this weekend was just a total and complete mess. If next weekend does have good weather, expect a mob scene due to pent up demand. Based on how things look right now, I'm content to stick to the lifts. If you make plans, be sure to have a Plan B if the weather doesn't pan out.

Was thinking the same.....enough cold in the forecast that it may not be great spring skiing in the bowl this weekend.  Of course forecasts are fickle, and the 40 degree temps are around and could creep high enough to make it decent.  Not sure I’ll make it up this month, but it’d be the last weekend of the month if I do.

I like the mob scene.

Sometimes I ski Backcountry to get away from the crowds. Not when I go to the Ravine.

Committing weeks in advance can be dangerous. I’m not posting this to flex my back country safety muscles, this shit is just cool af imo.

https://thedecisionlab.com/bias/commitment-bias/

I'm thinking of being there Sunday April 29th weather pending

Sorry this didn’t pan out this year. Crazy April weather made it difficult to plan a Tux trip, and from what I’ve seen the good days in the whites have been few and far between this season. Definitely would like to try again next year though! I see steep corn snow and tailgating in our future.

Ain't over yet.