On a partly sunny day with moderate temperatures I joined avid Waterville skier Daniel Newton, the VP of Waterville Valley Athletic & Improvement Association, for an excursion out to the lower part of Avalanche Ravine on the NW side of North Tripyramid. We had hatched our plan the evening before at the WVAIA's Winter Social.
Conditions were good as we set out on the Livermore Trail, Daniel on his backcountry skis and me on my snowshoes.
An inviting corridor.
Daniel shows off his versatile pack that makes it easy to get at stuff.
Beyond the groomed section of Livermore Trail, there was a pretty good track made by a few snowshoers and backcountry skiers.
A beautiful day to be out in the Waterville forest.
The Avalanche Camp logging camp site in its winter garb.
Hardwood glory.
Since there was a partly packed track, we decided to head into the ravine on the Mount Tripyramid Trail, rather than an unbroken bushwhack route that we both enjoy. There was too much deep, unconsolidated snow for extensive uphill bushwhacking with just two of us.
Last year the Wilderness sign was moved from a spot well up on the slope down to the edge of Avalanche Brook.
The woods are beautiful in the lower part of Avalanche Ravine, aka Ravine of Avalanches, so named because of the famous North Slide and several other slides that fell in a big storm in August, 1885.
Love the gnarled old yellow birches in here.
Deep winter!
Inviting woods for bushwhacking, but it's just too hard right now.
Daniel leads the way as we approach the trail's turn up to the North Slide.
Slow going as we head off-trail to the East Fork of the North Slide. Just as we headed into the woods, a group of skiers came down the trail after skiing the North Slide. They said the ascent was arduous but the skiing was superb in the deep powder.
A beautiful glade on the floor of the ravine.
The breaking was deep and heavy.
A glimpse of the top of the North Slide.
Approaching the snowy swath of the East Fork.
Daniel heads up to the slide, with great anticipation of a powder run.
Waist-deep snow with no crust layer. Avalanche danger was rated as low this day by the Mount Washington Avalanche Center, and the portion of the slide we were on is relatively low angle.
Daniel stayed on top of the snow far better than I did, being lighter in weight (both body and pack) and with more flotation on his skis compared to my snowshoes.
Up he goes!
Almost out of sight.
Looking down from the spot I chose partway up the swath to catch Daniel's descent.
Here he comes!
Looking good.
Making some nice turns.
Yeah!
I did a video of Daniel as he skied below me, then snapped this pic as he neared the bottom of the swath, whooping. A nice run!
A sinuous ski track is a thing of beauty.
From the bottom of the East Fork, we started to descend to Livermore Trail via the bushwhack route we are both familiar with.
But the breaking was too slow and heavy for me in my snowshoes, even going downhill.
I opted to return to the packed Mount Tripyramid Trail. It was a short distance away across the buried Avalanche Brook, but en route to the brook I fell into two deep traps and then made a rather precarious crossing in the bottomless snow.
Back through the wonderful yellow birches.
Daniel continued down the bushwhack route, and we emerged on Livermore Trail at the same time. After a brief rendezvous, he needed to get home for an engagement and pointed his skis downhill, flying down the packed track, while I started the slower, plodding descent on my snowshoes.
Heading into the sunset.
No comments:
Post a Comment