Hillman's Highway

March 24, 2012

Hillman's Highway from near its base

For day two of our backcountry adventures, Ben and I decided that our best shot for decent snow would be up Tuckerman Ravine on Hillman's Highway.  After a day of almost complete solitude at GOS, we were leery about the possible congestion on the mountain given decent weekend weather but we decided to go for it.  Pulling into one of the last parking spaces within the Pinkham Notch lot, we geared up for the 2.5 mile hike up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, tossing aside as much excess weight including snowshoes, axes, extra water bottles, etc.  Under mostly cloudy skies with a touch of rawness in the air and some spitting precipitation, I was slightly concerned I might be under-prepared for the conditions.

We began our hike up the mostly melted-out trail, a rocky, broad, super-highway of a path, passing a few folks who labored under the weight of their packs.  Only when we reached the Huntington Ravine turnoff did we start to encounter patches of snow and ice.  It was usually possible to rock hop or kick steps in the surface to gain some traction, but there were a few slick spots.  Compared to yesterday there was a steady stream of climbers, most of whom carried skis or boards.

HoJos

At Hermit Lake we stopped at HoJos, the caretaker's cabin and Tuckerman outpost, for a snack and we surveyed the scene amid a good number of skiers/boarders.  A few rangers milled about giving their spiel about conditions in the area and cautioning people not to travel in undermined areas or climb in places susceptible to icefall.  From HoJos we had a great view of the 1400 vertical foot Hillman's Highway which extends from the floor of the ravine to the ridge below Boott Spur.  In the distance we could see some folks climbing the boot ladder on the south side of the gully.  I was wishing I had packed an axe for the climb.  Giving me a deserved ribbing, Ben decided that since I like my axe so much I should be known as the 'axe-man'.  It conjured images of Seinfeld's Kramer driving around with the proctologist's vanity plates...  but I digress.

Spring conditions

After a bite and a drink we hiked over to the Sherburne Trail and up past another rescue cache to base of Hillman's where a huge amount of rock and debris lines the lower reaches of the snow like the lateral and terminal moraine at a glacier snout.  I later learned that a landslide ripped down Hillman's last August when Tropical Storm Irene blew through, carving a gash down the mountainside.  Surprisingly, it appeared that no one had yet skied the line today, probably waiting until the morning sun worked the snow-surface for a perfect corn-harvest.

Ascending the boot ladder

We geared up at the base and began to boot up the south side of the gully, following the decent boot ladder.  The grade steepened as the slope necked down and I tried not to think about losing my footing as I side-stepped on the now-irregular boot ladder.  Along the way we passed some snowboarders and talked about the conditions and grooming report.  A few skiers and boarders began descending and the conditions looked good.  I was particularly impressed by the tele skiers who navigated the deep bumps at the bottom of the run - the Volkswagons, as Ben referred to them.

Ben Ascending

As we climbed higher the sun was coming out and the day was shaping up to be ideal... little or no wind and temps probably into the low 50s.  I made a habit of not looking down as we went up, thinking about my axe safely stowed in the trunk of the car, but the footing was mostly good.  It seemed like the boot ladder was created by an undisciplined climber who stopped every 20-30 steps and took steps of varying height, but hey, I'm not one to complain - I could have made a new track myself if it were that important.  We passed a few crevasses in the snow, usually at points of inflection in the slope, and we'd consciously pick up the pace at these spots to pass over them quickly.

Hillman's opens up

In the main portion of Hillman's the slope opens up to maybe 50 feet wide on a steep pitch, maybe about 40 degrees and definitely as steep or steeper than you'd find at any ski area.  Above this pitch there are several options, including a gully straight ahead, and one that climbs to the left.  With more coverage, the gully straight ahead would be an option, but we decided to continue to the left, climbing above a small band of rock and scrubby trees to where we only had a few hundred yards of climbing ahead of us.

At the top we angled left, into a short snow ramp no wider than a ski length and kicked in steps to the top of the slope, below a rock buttress.  Some climbers elected to go right, climbing a narrower slope to another apron of snow above.  From our spot at the rock buttress we took off our skis, threw off our packs, and sat down to enjoy the scene.

Ben tops out on Hillman's

Below our feet Hillman's fell away steeply and HoJos was a distant feature in the center of the ravine.  Sitting here conjured memories of High Rustler at Alta, an awesome run that looks out over the Wildcat base lodge.  A memory of skiing the Baldy Chute with Ben also crossed through my mind, something that was at the limit of my ability some 15 years ago.  Amazing we've been accessing the backcountry for that long.

We enjoyed the company of a couple of boarders and two other skiers, one of whom was on tele skis.  We watched the climbers ascending and a few skiers linking turns below, reviewing the scene as it played out and chit-chatting.  In the midst of our perch here on the flanks of MtW, you couldn't help but feel the spirit of the mountains and it was inspiring to be sitting in this rugged terrain, surrounded by all sorts of folks who also love the mountains and the sport.  In a matter of minutes, any concerns about crowds of people went away and the scene was nothing short of a celebration.

Skiers climbing with MtW beyond

The tele skier and his partner got up to leave and he said some words to the effect that it would be a miracle if he made it down without falling.  Then he proceeded to execute some slick tele turns right past the choke and skied off like a champ.

Big smiles - thought you didn't like corn?

Stoked for blue skies & steep, soft snow

Ben got ready to go next.  All business.  Click-click-boom.  He was off and snapping some quick turns on the snow to expertly reach the wider reaches of the gully, while the boarders watched him in awe and I used some self-deprecation to explain my rationale for going next, in the shadow of his mastery.  Maybe it was the one day of skiing under my belt, but when I jumped to initiate my first turn, I felt great and bang-bang-bang, I was at the base of the snow ramp and entering the wider part of the upper gully, feeling good.

Our route of descent

As we skied downhill, the climbers would stop and watch us, one of them even asking for some snow-spray to cool him off.   We stopped at the top of the main gully to chat - this is awesome!  As we stopped and snapped a couple photos, the steepness of the slope was fairly evident.

Carving the spring snow

The snow conditions couldn't be better and we linked turns down the steepest part of Hillman's stopping above the VW section below.  From here the snow was softer, like mashed potatoes, and required a line that threaded the deep bumps.  I couldn't believe it - for the traffic here today we basically had the whole slope to ourselves on the descent and we timed it perfectly.

Lounging at the base

We made turns all the way to the base of the gully, until we reached the boulder field and the snow ran out.  Stopping for a snack, I found myself with a grin plastered across my face - that was awesome!  We hung out at the base while the boarders came down and met up with their group and others came down, stoked about the day and conditions.  It was great to bask in this setting and it was tough to leave.

Sherburne Trail snow - it ends!

Eventually we scooted down to the head of the Sherburne trail which we were able to ski over about one third of its length.  After that we boot slid as much of the TRT as we could until the snow ran out and we hiked the balance to Pinkham.  Back at the car we cracked a couple Pollenator spring ales while we reviewed the day.  Just returning from Tuckerman's with her Newfoundland was Erin, who we met in the morning, and we talked for a while about mountains, moving, work, and sports before calling it a day.

This day turned out to be an incredible one in the backcountry.  It was billed as just a post script after our day at GOS, but in reality it was an exclamation point and was itself the main event.  As Ben pointed out, there aren't too many places, even out West, where you can ski a steep, sustained pitch over 1400 feet of vertical.  But we've got it right here in our backyard.  And what's more, it was refreshing to be out in the mountains together with complete strangers that share the same passion we do and see that the mountain culture is alive and well.  The experience leaves me wishing that winter wasn't on its way out.

Gulf of Slides & Hillman's Routes