PINKHAM NOTCH, N.H. — Rapidly changing snow conditions in Tuckerman Ravine prompted a warning on Friday for both skiers and onlookers to check conditions first before hiking into the spring skiing mecca on Mount Washington.
Chris Joosen, a U.S. Forest Service snow ranger, said Friday in a report that new crevasses are opening in the bowl every day.
“Last week’s storm lengthened our season a little, but the normal springtime hazards are back and they’re rearing their ugly heads,” Joosen said.
In addition to crevasses, other dangers include ice fall and rushing melt-water below the surface, which undermines the snow pack.
All three have increased during the past week of warm weather, but large crowds are still arriving.
Last Saturday was one of the busiest days so far, with more than 2,500 people visiting the ravine, according to the report.
Mount Washington’s volunteer ski patrol and rangers provided medical care to six injured skiers and snowboarders, some of whom required technical rescue, Joosen said.
“We had a return to winter conditions a week ago after 14 inches of new snow, but it’s totally different today and visitors need to have realistic expectations,” he said.
During a normal March and April, Mount Washington gets an average of 92 inches of snow; this winter, it was only 38 inches.
Ravine visitors triggered three separate avalanches last Saturday, but luckily, no one was buried.
The ever popular Lunch Rocks, where onlookers sit to watch the action, can also be very dangerous. Thousands of pounds of ice cling to the cliffs above Lunch Rocks and every spring, eventually come crashing down.
Ravine visitors are urged to check www.tuckerman.org or, for the most up-to-date conditions, call the forest service at 603-466-2713 before visiting.
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