Lobster Claw

Lobster Claw is a forked snow gully on the right (south) wall of Tuckerman Ravine on Mount Washington, just right of the rock buttress that defines the side of Right Gully. From the floor of the ravine, you boot up a runout fan through low shrubbery to the mouth of the chute, then follow the main right-hand fork to the Alpine Garden and the Lion Head ridge.

The line sits on the sunny side of the ravine and is often one of the earlier options to come into condition, but it also carries a shallower snowpack and tends to melt out faster than neighboring gullies. Expect a straightforward snow climb or ski with a defined bootpack in busy periods, but watch for thin cover around the fork, exposed rock in low snow, and overhead hazard from parties above.

Standard access is from Pinkham Notch Visitor Center via the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to Hermit Lake and then into the ravine floor. Once you top out, a short bushwhack puts you on the Lion Head Winter Route; left continues toward the summit, right drops back toward the ravine and Pinkham. In winter and spring, always check the Mount Washington Avalanche Center forecast and White Mountain National Forest advisories before committing to the gully.

For current access, avalanche bulletins, and seasonal closures, see the land manager and avalanche center information at https://www.fs.usda.gov/whitemountain and the Mount Washington Avalanche Center site.