Lion Head Gully

Lion Head Gully drops from the Lion Head ridge into the Tuckerman Ravine cirque on the east side of Mount Washington. It’s one of the snow gullies accessed from the Lion Head winter mountaineering route and the rim of the ravine, sitting between the main Lion Head ridge and the better-known lines like Lobster Claw and Right Gully. Expect classic Presidential Range alpine terrain: confined gully walls, exposure to wind, and firm, often icy snow surfaces rather than soft powder laps.

Approach from Pinkham Notch Visitor Center on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, then up the Lion Head Winter Route as posted by the Forest Service. From the Lion Head ridge you traverse toward the Tuckerman Ravine rim to drop into the gully; exact entry varies with snowpack and current bootpacks. All of this sits above treeline in fully exposed terrain, so you’re committing once you leave the ridge and enter the line.

This zone is directly tied to the daily avalanche forecast and hazard bulletins from the Mount Washington Avalanche Center. Wind slabs, hard rain‑crust, and long sliding‑fall potential are the main issues; several serious accidents on the Lion Head winter route and adjacent slopes have involved people without crampons or ice axe on very firm snow. Treat the gully as consequential no‑fall terrain when surfaces are hard, and plan your day around the current avalanche problem, wind loading pattern, and visibility.

Use the Mount Washington Avalanche Center forecast and current advisories before committing to Lion Head Gully, and check in with rangers at Pinkham for the latest on Lion Head route status and closures. Full details and daily bulletins: mountwashingtonavalanchecenter.org.