Friends of Tuckerman Ravine

SPECIALS

Become a member and make a difference for as little as $35 per year. JOIN NOW

General Information:

Friends of Tuckerman Ravine seeks to preserve and protect the unique alpine and sub-alpine eastern slopes of Mount Washington NH and work in partnership with the US Forest Service to sustain the traditional uses of this distinctive area.

Yesterday

The mystique of Tuckerman Ravine has lured skiing and climbing adventurers to its headwall and gullies for over three quarters of a century. As early as 1925 skiers such as hut man Joe Dodge, Photographer Winston Pote; Al and Herb Sise threaded the narrow foot-paths linking the slopes of the ravine to Pinkham Notch. It wasn't until the 1930's that former Olympians and Dartmouth skiers, Charley Proctor and John Carlton dared to adventure over the 50+ degree headwall and inadvertently founded extreme skiing.

The ravine was the site of the first ever Giant Slalom race, infamous Inferno, the Eastern Downhill Championships and Olympic Trials. Steeped in history and rich alpine skiing tradition and reinforced with legends like Toni Matt's schuss of the headwall to feed the mystique, the ravine became the spring Mecca for thousands of skiers for the next seven decades.

Today

Today the Tuckerman mystique is threatened by over use and shrinking federal support for the Forest Service who have managed and protected the ravine since the early 30's. The explosion of skiing in the 70's, snowboarding in the 80's and 90's and the popularity of winter climbing have further challenged the fragile environment of the Cutler River Basin.

Education and safety, and environmental protection issues have become paramount to preserving the integrity of the Tuckerman Ravine experience.

Tomorrow

Friends of Tuckerman Ravine is a public/private partnership with the Forest Service that stands poised and confident at the beginning of this new millennium to preserve and protect the continuation of the historic uses of Tuckerman Ravine.

Through volunteer projects, educational programs and legislative support to assure another century of legends, myth and mystique.