Springtime at Gulf of Slides

March 23, 2012

Central Gully - Gulf of Slides

I was excited when Ben decided to fly in for a weekend of backcountry skiing.  Up until this point it was starting to look like I might make it the first winter in nine years without a single ski day.  After a standout winter last year with many great adventures together, this season was quickly winding down before the end of March and the nearby backcountry options in the Adirondacks and Greens were vanishing before our eyes.  The only reliable remaining option was the Whites.

We met on Thursday evening at the airport and drove straight over to Flatbread in North Conway, arriving in time before it closed.  They must know me over there by now.  We decided to ski Gulf of Slides on Friday, returning to a place we first visited last May.

The next morning we headed up to Pinkham Notch, noting the visible lack of snow in the mountains.  If it was wintertime last weekend at Mt. Washington, this weekend it felt like we jumped ahead two seasons.  In between there was a warmup with five consecutive days in the 70s and 80s in the valleys which not just broke, but decimated, the old records and the snowpack too.

Here in the Northeast we love to talk about the weather ad nauseam.  Sometimes to the outsider it might seem like we're incapable of discussing any other subject.  I sometimes shudder when I hear myself rattle on and on about the conditions, past, present, and future, but when your passion lies in outdoor activities, it's not a bad idea to stay on top of it.

Spring on the Gulf of Slides Trail

In the parking lot the wind was gusty as we prepped our packs, distributed cheese, bread, and snacks and loaded up for the hike to Gulf of Slides.  One week ago the posted trip reports showed photos of skiers skinning up the trail, and here we were, lacing up hiking boots and carrying 50+ pound packs loaded with skis on the very same trail.  I strapped the heavy skis in an a-frame configuration this time, clipping in the boots on the outside, which seemed to distribute the weight closer to my back and made the rig more comfortable.

Gulf of Slides Trail

By about 10:15AM we were on our way, and with most of the other folks in the parking lot heading toward Tuckerman Ravine we had the trail to ourselves.  There was a little bit of intermittent snow at the outset and a river crossing that required some rock-hopping before we arrived at a steeper part of the trail.  Once the trail began to climb the flanks of Boott Spur, the snow vanished and the ground was remarkably dry, given the season.  The woods looked familiar and our progress was steady on the ascent until I called for a break after an hour to allow my shoulders and back to rest.

Mike imitates a helpless turtle... real graceful

The ascent slackened as we entered the ravine with the snow-filled gulleys of the Gulf straight ahead in the distance.  In spite of the wind, the sky was blue and the conditions looked ideal for the backcountry.  Where the trail makes an abrupt left turn, the snow cover was more consistent at the same spot where we found the first snow last May.  Continuing on in boots, we began to post-hole in the soft conditions and I found myself up-ended and bent backwards like a pretzel at one spot.  Time to get some flotation.

Ben put on his skis and skins and I threw on my snowshoes as we continued past the rescue caches to the base of the Central Gully.  The bottom of the gully had a small river running through it and it was choked with trees and underbrush as we made our way upstream toward the base of the ribbon of snow above us.  It was fairly obvious that no major avalanches had swept the gully this year to the bottom, making for such unusually thin conditions in the run out area.

When we landed on 'solid' snow I was mildly concerned about the sound of running water below the snow.  After such warm conditions, my principal worry was post-holing in rotten, non-supporting snow.  In the very worst case, punching through the undermined snow could land you in a river.  It might not lead to drowning here, but it could be enough to ruin your day.

We continued up the apron of the gully a ways until we decided to stop for a snack and gear up for the steepening climb.  Changing into ski boots I was encouraged to see that we weren't sinking too far into the snow as we began to ascend the boot ladder on the north side of the central gully.  I used one ski pole and one axe for the ascent - I love my axe!  We continued into the north gully before cutting back toward the central gully to intersect the snow above the rocks and flowing water that bisect the gully and make it impossible to ski top to bottom, that is, unless you build a kicker and launch yourself over the obstruction, as Ben pointed out.

Ben tops out at GOS

We still had a few feet of climbing over the rocks and flowing water to reach the snow above, which was hardly graceful in ski boots and during which I managed to smack my knee on a rock while pulling myself up by my axe.  Stupid rocks.  Back in the snow I realized I was standing in running water, several feet below the surface and I side-stepped to find firmer snow.

What a day!

From here we made our own boot ladder as we climbed the central gully to the top, trending toward the north side and hoping the snow would not collapse.  In the end, there were only a couple spots where we became mired in the snow, and otherwise, it was decent booting up the gully to the top.

Mike links some turns

At the top of the gully it was great to look out under blue skies at Wildcat below us and across the notch and see the surrounding rocky terrain of the ravine, sprinkled with spruces, firs, and stunted Krummholz.  Finally putting the skis on the snow and clicking into to bindings, I was excited to make my first turns of the season on this 1000-foot vertical, 40-degree +/- backcountry slope.

Scoping the next pitch

Ben led off, making a few turns before turning toward skier's left and the north gully.  The snow was heavy like mashed potatoes and I made a couple of turns to get in the groove, tracing his route on the descent.  In the bright sun it was easy to see the possible lines to ski, unlike last year, when the mountainside was shrouded in fog.

the lower Central Gully

Ben paints the white canvas

We leapfrogged down the gully, making a few turns before stopping to savor the hard-earned skiing.  The conditions were soft enough toward the top to cause some small wet slides of little consequence.  We cut over to the north gully, avoiding the rocky impasse in the central gully and made turns down a 15-foot wide slope to a prominent rock outcropping.  From here we cut back into the main gully and skied down to our start point.  The snow in the lower reaches of the gully wasn't quite as soft and I started to feel good and warmed-up, just in time to arrive back at our starting point where we stashed some gear.

Going back for more

The North Gully

With excellent conditions, we decided to hike back up the gully to the elevation of the rock outcropping for another half-lap.  Clicking in on a steep snow slope and cutting back to the main gully, the turns were lots of fun as the snow began to firm up with the sun's intensity starting to wane.

Carving it up in firmer snow

Does it get any better than this?

After picking up our gear, we continued down the lower gully, surprised at the increasingly icy conditions until we came to the stream at the bottom.  We started passing quite a few people heading up the trail with their gear to camp for the night, including one guy with a mini-keg.  We continued over the water and bare ground in skis and boots, until we reached the next patch of snow, and progressed in this manner over the uneven snow, passing by rocks, tree stumps, and other natural obstructions, back to the sharp turn in the trail where the snow finally dwindled down to nothing.

I wasn't looking forward to the hike out with a heavy pack, but the time went by fairly quickly and the trail wasn't too slippery.  We didn't need to discuss the fact that only one week prior the trail was skiable to the base - no need to dwell on this point, but who would have figured that March would yield May-like conditions?  Maybe next year we'll get our shot to ski this thing top to bottom.  I'm not complaining; In the backcountry we have to live with the conditions that nature provides and all in all it was a great day out there.  Dinner was served from a wood-fired brick oven...