Ammo Central Gully

Central Gully is the most logical option when it comes to skiing Ammonoosuc Ravine. It's wide, defined and long. Depending on how it forms, it can be skied all the way from Westside trail. Unfortunately, Ammo Central either suffers from lack of snow or being an avalanche nightmare. This is due to the strong northwest winds stripping snow away and depositing it in eastern ravines. Depending on how much snow falls, combined with strong east wind , Ammo can be an amazing bowl. In most years, a tour of Central will go something like this. Park at the cog ($10) and take Ammonoosuc Link to Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail. Pass a small waterfall called Gem Pool and break left off the trail, make your way through the bushes following the river and some herd trails, eventually reaching a split in the brook, take the wider split to the right and ascend uphill, skirting a few sketchy waterfall holes. Soon another split is reached. The right split is South Gully, and the Left is Central. Here you can switch to crampons and begin heading up the gully. The line begins with mellow turns down a narrow ribbon of snow. A low angle ice bulge sometimes blocks the way here. The ribbon becomes a mellow halfpipe gully, before turning skiers right and cresting over a convex roll. Here the line steepens significantly. This section can be open, sweeping turns or completely impassible due to ice bulges. In the later case, it is possible to cut hard skiers left into South Gully. Another problem that plagues this line is terrain traps. Rolling terrain, open water holes, bushes and constrictions common in low snowpack, make this a textbook terrain trap. Even trigging a small windslab pocket that would be harmless in other ravines could burry you here. This line has already taken the life of 1 skier in 2021. Save this for days unquestionable in the spring or many days after settlement of new snow.