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Published: October 12th 2008
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What is an adventure? We sometimes convince ourselves that we must travel thousands of miles over foreign airspace illegally stowed on a cargo plane filled with illicit narcotics destined for a nation run by a brutal dictatorship that doesn’t hesitate to execute offending foreigners. Our only escape is to parachute, where we find ourselves floating amongst the shark infested waters of the South Pacific. As dehydration induced hallucinations kick in, we wash up on shore only to find an island of provocative women (or men depending on your preference) who have their way with our innocence. We eventually make it home to review our embellishments with everyone willing to listen. I have always wondered why travel is so important, when our activities right here at home can easily top any drunken stumble up to the zenith of the Pyramids of Egypt. That’s why I live where I live, because I love it. Anyway, here is a description of one local event that was more than unforgettable.
My wife Wendy and I woke up early (5:30am) to make our way to the Gulf of Slides on Mount Washington for a day of backcountry skiing/boarding. It is more than a 2-hour drive
from the Seacoast of NH to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center where the trailhead is located. We checked the weather and snow report every weekend, and it finally looked like we would have perfect conditions. Air temperature would be near 60 degrees, perfect for a soft base. We hadn’t seen a snowstorm in over a week, so avalanche risk would be low. When we arrived, the parking lot was mega-crowded. This is to be expected, as Mount Washington is a Mecca for riders on the East Coast. Pinkham Notch is the starting point for the Tuckerman Ravine trailhead, so most of the crowds would be going in that direction. As I generally like to avoid crowds, I thought the Gulf of Slides would be comparable option.
The hike takes a few hours and it is a moderate workout. I used snowshoes and retractable Walmart hiking poles to help me up the trail. I did not bring crampons or an ice pick and I did not need them, but the conditions were ideal. Who knows how things would go if we were walking on ice. The folks at of the base of the Gulf of Slides bowl gave off a
chill vibe. A couple of people were on the descent when we got there. A few old timers were at the bottom contemplating a second run, and a few hippies with their dogs were preparing for their ascent. Fortunately, this was not the cheering masses of gawking onlookers that you might find at Tuckerman Ravine.
The hike up had excellent footings so there was no worries except that it was steep as hell, so I was scared shitless the whole way up. Every time Wendy would stop I’d lose my momentum and I’d be thinking, “Don’t stop!!! If I lose my balance now and fall I am sooooo toast!!!!”. We made it to the top and we watched the hippies go down the steepest section. They seemed completely un-phased by the dangers, and their dogs barrel assed down like it was nothing. I on the other hand, should have worn a diaper for this trip. After some thought, I decided I was not going to ride down the Gulf of Slides. I came up with a terrific scheme to walk many miles around the ridgeline in order to avoid having to do the descent. After much argument, Wendy convinced
me that the only way down was to ride, so I decided I would just have to accept whatever fate I had coming to me.
Now it must be said that I am a very experienced rider. I’ve skied and snowboarded in some of world’s most renowned locations. I lived in Colorado for ten years and did plenty of backcountry riding on both Berthoud and Loveland Pass. I’ve ridden out of bounds at most major resorts in Colorado and in Lake Tahoe, California. I’ve even skied in the Austrian Alps. The problem with the bowls on Mount Washington is that they never seem to end. They are REALLY STEEP for a very long portion of the descent. Another issue is my lack of health insurance, so a fall could put a huge burden on my finances. In any case, I made my way down on my $120 Chinese board (boots included) that I had never tuned and had beat the crap out of due to the fact that I generally only ride backcountry. Ski areas simply cost too much for my current level of income. After I made it to bottom, I smoked a prayer to Jah Rastafari and
added this experience to my unforgettable memories. Fortunately, the whole Gulf of Slides trail is navigatable, so we managed to bring ourselves all the way back to the parking lot without a whole lot of downhill hiking.
The Gulf of Slides is epic beyond proportion, but if you’re interested in doing more passive backcountry rides in NH, you can check out Mount Cardigan or Mount Major. The directions for backcountry riding Mount Cardigan are described in the link I provided below. Mount Major is located near Alton Bay in NH. To backcountry that mountain, you start your ascent from the main parking area located off Route 11. You can hike up the Main Trail and ride down the Main Trail if the conditions are good. If the conditions are questionable, you can hike up the Main Trail and ride down the Beaver Pond Trail, which is a snowmobile trail. Because of the snowmobile tracks, the conditions on the Beaver Pond Trail resemble a groomed run at a commercial ski resort albeit with a very narrow path. The Beaver Pond Trail requires a bit of hiking on the flat to get you back to the parking lot. I would recommend at least snowshoes and hiking poles for both Mount Cardigan and Mount Major.
Links to Download Backcountry Skiing/Snowboarding Maps for New Hampshire Gulf of Slides at Mount Washington
Maps and Information Pinkham Notch Trail: X-Country/Backcountry at Mount Washington
Maps and Information Mount Cardigan
Maps and Information Mount Major
Maps Link to Website Mount Washington Avalanche Center
Current Weather and Snow Conditions
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