TR: Current EC Ski and Climbing Stoke

[samthaman]

Backcountryben and i had been emailing each other all week about the possibilities of a skiing and climbing dual sport day on mount washington, he already wrote up a good TR for a few of our friends that i'll copy here:

So sam and I were emailing earlier this week, and, being our typically one-dimensional selves, realized that a)there is still snow in tucks b)we haven't skied in june yet and c)both of us had thursday off from work (sam because it's scheduled for him, me because I got my wisdom teeth out on tuesday and convinced my boss i needed a couple days off to heal)

Fast-forward to 545am, thursday morning. My alarm clock is ringing. Somehow my sleeping body manages to reach over and hit the snooze button. All is quiet.

600am. My alarm clock rings again. kcuf! This time My semi-conscious mind is, well, semi-conscious enough to realize there might be a reason, and the auto-snooze reflex is stopped. I sit up, see my backpack sitting next to the door. With my teleboots and helmet next to it and my rope next to that...

830am, Pinkham Notch. My pack is heavy. Sam and I (and his mom- she came along for the hike) start up the trail feeling more like sherpas (core sherpas...) than skiers. We're in shorts and t-shirts but have skis, boots, warm weather gear, food, water, emergency stuff, trad rack, climbing shoes, rope, and safety bricks. Actually we forgot the safety bricks, but i'm sure I forgot something else we were carrying.
The sweat starts quickly. It's only 60 degrees out, but the combination of heavy packs and sam's blistering pace mean we're working plenty hard. The all-too-familiar first switchbacks of the tucks trail fly by. I start to settle into the usual mindless, trail-to-tucks-trudge mindset, when suddenly we stop. We're only half-way up, around the point where someone in your group usually wants a drink or a snack or something. Instead we turn off on the Huntington Ravine trail. Which, although topo maps will try to tell you otherwise, goes straight up (vertical).
More sweat. But finally we arrive at a view, where the entirely snowless boot spur drifts mysteriously in and out of clouds. Valley mist rises and falls dramatically. We stop, drink water, and review the plan. right. THE PLAN:

*Climb Pinnacle Buttress
*Ski

Some hiking naturally had to be thrown in there at some point as well, to get from place to place. So, without further ado, the pictures (Sam has more and probably better ones too because his camera works better)

i would only add that i'm still sore from the trip and that it was totally worth it, get off your asses and make some turns the snow is still there, but not for long.

here are Bens pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/powderskier/PresiFun6142007

Mine are here:

[samthaman]

believe i or not i was having fun.

the all important sepcial ed summit shot.

the pinnacle of ... well the pinnacle

the ridge here is where the climb goes

hiking up

[Below Zero]

OK..... but where are the actually climbing and skiing shots?

[samthaman]

on the way. i had to pause mid TR for dinner.


the dog had never witnessed sking before







this is pretty much a study in how bad your form can get without falling, also i believe now would be a good time to stop and apreciate the stylin gaper suits we were both rocking that day.

[samthaman]

end of my last run of the season

end of the dogs first run.

bens last turns of the season
so despite all the photos of me frowning under the climbing helmet i was actually having a great time. it was a massive day, but completly worth it.

[Woodsy]

looks like the heel on his binding broke
that sucks

[samthaman]

yea ya know he races for dartmouth, youd think he would have been on skis enough to notice the problem

[hose-man]

well played.

[ghcaz]

would you say it would be worth it to take some skis up if i'm heading to mt washington anyways?

[samthaman]

If i was making those turns in a non summer month, i would be dissapointed. seeing however as it's june i'm pretty sure i was the happiest man in new england after making those turns. i would say worth it, but i mean check out the photos, espically bens to get a sense of what its like. After this rain (its raning in burlington now, i'm assuming it'll track to washington), who knows what it'll be like.

also if ayone gets a chance to go up the pinacle over in huntington it was a ton of fun. Sorry for the lack of climbing action shots but i felt like belaying was more important as we often had pretty shitty pro or were running it out for speed.

in short: yes bring your skis.

[MakersTeleMark]

The pinnacle buttress is one of my favorite routes in new england. Great setting, with fun climbing in a historic setting and little or no traffic. Way to go.

[twodogs]

Props for getting NE turns in June. I think I'll have to go for it to make 9 months of skiing this year.

My query: You were skiing in Huntingtons, I have not been into Huntingtons Ravine but have traveled thru Ammonoosuc, Great Gulf, Gulf of Slides, Tuckermans.. Is climbing gear required to reach the snow in Huntingtons? I can't drive up. I've heard that the Great Gulf is melted out. ?? And last, any idea if there is snow up in King Ravine? I really want to ski GG and Kings.

[samthaman]

we were climbing in huntingtons but skiing in tuckermans, it was a big hiking day too. sorry i cant speak to any other ravines, though i'd say the snow is probably hurting pretty bad after this rain

[skiingsamurai]

have i ever mentioned that i hate you for having more fun than i do sam?

looks like a sick trip

[samthaman]

haha thanks man, i was thinking later, theres a chance that ben and i were the only ones that got to go skiing on this half of america that day.

[skiingsamurai]

go to hell. Im stuck at work while i have to read this crap. Way to contribute to my current state of heat induced depression