Two years ago, in May, I was given one of the most incredible life experiences: hike and ski Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. I had never been on a real camping trip, only some smaller hikes and camping in my backyard. When I found out I was going I was told to pack light, but include sleeping clothes and my snowboard. I was beyond excited to hike this mountain and then be able to snowboard down.
When we arrived to the mountain, we first drove up the mountain to see what we were getting into. I was sitting in the back seat clutching the “oh shit” handle, thinking that my small Nissian Altima was not going to make the climb up. Luckily, it all worked out and we were able to explore the top of the mountain. When we reached the bottom we were ready to start our,what we thought was going to be, 2 hour hike.
As I was hiking along the trail, with my snowboard strapped to my back and my backpack full of boots and clothes, I began to realize it was going to be quite the hike. I started out in a sweatshirt and flannel and by the time we had reached the half waypoint, I was in a t-shirt and shorts. Although this was one of the most difficult hikes, it was also one of the best outdoor experiences I’ve had.
A few hours later, we reached the area where we would be staying in a lean-to for the night. We brought our hammock to hang in the trees and our pots to cook some pasta, but not long after settling down and eating dinner, we headed to our sleeping bags. It was definitely difficult falling asleep on the floor of a lean-to because it was freezing and personally, I was terrified of all the spiders running around me. But before I knew it, I was waking up getting ready to make the final summit to spring skiing.
The hike the next morning was much shorter and everyone was hanging out at the bottom of the mountain with his or her friends and family preparing to make the trek to the top of Mount Washington to ski and snowboard down.
While climbing up I had to jab my snowboard into the snow and dig my boots into a spot where I didn’t think I was going to fall back because I had people a short distance behind me. Each step was a breath of relief because there were crevasses that had to be avoided and areas of the snow that were icy. Once we reached the top and I was able to snowboard down, and I had the best feeling knowing it was all worth it.
Some of the group I was with decided to stay another night because the skiing was so much fun and the atmosphere was one that everyone should experience, but unfortunately one day of skiing was all I could do. The hike back to the bottom felt like a breeze because we knew what to expect.
If you ever get the chance to hike Tuckerman’s Ravine/ Mount Washington take the chance because it is an unreal life experience.
