Guidebook content
This guidebook covers Tuckerman, Huntington, Gulf of Slides, Great Gulf, Oakes Gulf, Ammonoosuc, Burt, Jefferson, Castle and King Ravine, with separate entries for descents and approaches.
Pinkham Notch approaches and exits
From Pinkham Notch, use the Tuckerman Ravine Trail for uphill travel and the John Sherburne Ski Trail for the descent. Granite Backcountry Alliance specifies no skiing on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. The Sherburne is a 2.4-mile ski trail with fall-line turns; it is separate from the ravine descents above.
For Huntington Ravine, the Huntington Ravine Fire Road branches right from the Tuckerman Ravine Trail 1.7 miles above Pinkham Notch. This is a different route from the Huntington Ravine hiking trail, which has an unbridged river crossing and is not recommended for winter access by the Harvard Cabin operators.
The Gulf of Slides Ski Trail starts at Pinkham Notch and runs 2.5 miles. Its upper section crosses avalanche runouts from the slopes above, so exposure begins on the approach. The trail carries uphill and downhill traffic and has sections that slope across the direction of travel.
West-side approaches
Marshfield Base Station provides access to the Cog’s trackside service trail and the Jewell and Ammonoosuc Ravine trailheads on railway property, where a land-use fee applies. Winter trains and snow-clearing equipment operate on the railway. Keep clear of the rails and machinery; parts of Jacob’s Ladder stand 25 feet above the ground and can be buried by drifting snow.
The Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail crosses the outlet of Gem Pool, then climbs steep stone steps and rock ledges, including a ladder at one ledge. Above the scrub, cairns mark the route across rock slabs toward Lakes of the Clouds Hut.
Terrain consequences and relevant incidents
Raymond Cataract funnels from its upper bowl into a narrow streambed and cascading waterfall. On April 11, 2019, a skier triggered a wind slab that concentrated debris in this terrain trap and buried the skier. Rescuers found the skier alive, but the skier later died of hypothermia. The report identifies the funnel and confined streambed as major contributors to the burial.
On March 9, 2024, two people traversing on foot above the Lip slipped on refrozen snow and fell roughly 600 vertical feet into Tuckerman Ravine; one died and the other suffered critical injuries. Rocks, ice and deep holes were exposed. The avalanche danger was rated Low that day: that rating did not describe the consequences of a sliding fall.
Chapters
10 items
Tuckerman Ravine
22 itemsTuckerman Ravine is the glacier-carved bowl on Mount Washington’s southeast face. Its broad headwall and flanking gullies form the setting for the mountain’s best-known spring skiing. The curved walls and basin are the lasting imprint of glacial erosion.
Huntington Ravine
7 itemsHuntington Ravine cuts into the east side of Mount Washington, north of Tuckerman Ravine. Its rocky headwall is divided by narrow gullies, giving the cirque a distinctly craggy character. It is an established winter climbing destination as well as the setting for the steep lines collected here.
Gulf of Slides
8 itemsThe Gulf of Slides lies south of Tuckerman Ravine, between Boott Spur and Slide Peak. Several gullies descend from the surrounding ridges into this glacial basin. The Gulf of Slides Ski Trail connects the basin with Pinkham Notch.
Great Gulf
13 itemsGreat Gulf is the deep glacial basin enclosed by Mount Washington and the northern Presidential peaks. Its walls extend past Clay, Jefferson, Adams, and Madison, while the West Branch of the Peabody River drains its floor. The basin lies within the Great Gulf Wilderness, designated in 1964.
Oakes Gulf
8 itemsOakes Gulf opens on the south side of Mount Washington into the Dry River valley. This glacial cirque lies in the Presidential Range–Dry River Wilderness, well away from paved-road access. Its secluded setting is a defining part of the terrain: reaching the basin involves a substantial mountain approach.
Ammonoosuc Ravine
6 itemsAmmonoosuc Ravine is the broad basin on the west side of Mount Washington, south of the Cog Railway ridge. Its upper terrain reaches toward the Lakes of the Clouds area below Mount Monroe. The railway ridge separates it from the smaller Burt Ravine to the north.
Burt Ravine
2 itemsBurt Ravine is the compact west-side basin immediately north of the Cog Railway ridge. Ammonoosuc Ravine lies on the other side of that ridge. This position makes the railway corridor a useful landmark for distinguishing the two neighboring drainages.
Jefferson Ravine
3 itemsJefferson Ravine drops east from below Edmands Col into the Great Gulf. It occupies the hollow between Mount Jefferson and Mount Adams, on the opposite side of the col from Castle Ravine. Jefferson’s Knee, followed by the Six Husbands Trail, forms a prominent ridge beside the ravine.
Castle Ravine
3 itemsCastle Ravine is enclosed by Castellated Ridge to the west and Israel Ridge to the east. The basin rises toward Edmands Col between Mount Jefferson and Mount Adams. Streams and forest fill its lower reaches, giving way to an open, rocky headwall above.
King Ravine
9 itemsKing Ravine is the large glacial cirque on the north side of Mount Adams. A field of enormous boulders fills the floor beneath its steep headwall; the summer Subway route winds through caves and gaps among these blocks. The enclosing ridges give the basin its distinctive amphitheater shape.
Outside the chapters
4 items