03/21/2025
Some well-meaning people have said some things about never go alone, bring a lot of gear and have avalanche certification. Sure, be prepared for weather changes, but in the Springtime and in mild weather falling ice and rocks are the most frequent hazards. Then as it warms up, two other hazards present: Glide Cracks form. Some folks call them crevasses and while that is the wrong word, falling into one can be at the least scary and more than once has been fatal. Then, the slush runnels are another hazard, usually they make for an inelegant trip down if you fall into one. They are extremely cold and very wet and some of them will drop you into one of the Glide Cracks I mentioned above.
Here is info gathered in many Springtime visits to The Ravine since 1968:
-Hiking boots up and often for at least part of the way down as the Sherburne Trail is progressively closed at higher and higher elevations. That means an extra pair of hiking socks and some dry ski socks for when you put on your ski boots at the Ravine floor.
- A-frame carry your skis and if your boots don't fit in your pack, clip them into their bindings and cover the ankle openings to keep out tree sap, spruce and fir needles and water drops.
-The Ravine is a giant reflector oven, bring and use sunscreen. The sunlight and the shade crawl across the Ravine, softening and then firming up the snow. It gets really cold in the shade.
-Bring a small FA Kit, enhanced with multiple blister treatments
-I bring my smallest ski pack in my main pack so I can leave the main pack below and still hydrate on the boot ladder, carry my skis, carry some nutrition and a light puffy or a windbreaker to wear while I wait for the right moment to drop in. Some folks just bring a carry strap, that's also a good move. Dropped skis and boards turn into missiles in just a couple of seconds.
-Bring water for the Hike to HoJo's. You can carry an empty widemouth bottle and fill it at the pump just up the trail from HoJo's and refill your first bottle. Check pump status at the desk in the Visitor Center.
-There will be Rangers or at least some MWVSP patrollers hanging about at HoJo's. Make sure to ask them about conditions and any concerns they might mention.
-Do not attempt to solo ski out of the Ravine via the Little Headwall. The risks are often hidden, and the consequences range up past tragic.
-If you go on a cold day with little sun, real crampons are very useful but pre fit them to your ski boots before you pack. Micro spikes and other "traction aides" are for the hiking boots and the hiking trail.
-Booze and other intoxicants are a bad plan for your first trip. At any time, overindulgence can make you a liability in the Ravine. It takes 26-30 people to carry an injured adult down to HoJo's on a litter. Don't increase the odds of being that victim.
Nobody is immune to the jitters. If you feel like it's not the time to climb all the way to the top of any of the lines, don't. Others will have stamped out a platform and clipped in where they felt the need to do so. Do as they did, always off to the side, and have the great day you are ready for.
