New Englanders know the reputation of 6,288-foot Mount Washington as a place of formidable climate extremes. The high winds for which the mountain is known funnel great accumulations of snow from the bare upper tundra of the Presidential Range into the glacial cirque of Tuckerman Ravine.

Attracting notice when skiing was a young sport for the great depths of snow found there, the ravine became a springtime Mecca to skiers looking to extend the ski season. As ski equipment and techniques evolved, they were rapidly adopted by ravine skiers, with the important exception of ski lifts. Tuckerman Ravine remains a backcountry ski destination that is unique in the eastern U.S. for its alpine terrain, where present day skiers and riders can find an experience that the ski pioneers of an earlier day would find familiar.

Based on one of the most popular exhibits of the New England Ski Museum and its subsequent exhibit catalog, Over The Headwall presents images and stories drawn from the extensive collections of the museum.

New England Ski Museum is a member supported non-profit organization dedicated to the history of skiing. They offer permanent and annually-changing exhibits, and invite you to visit their museums in North Conway and Franconia Notch, New Hampshire after the pandemic. Admission to the museums is always free.

Learn more about how you can support the mission of the New England Ski Museum and shop their museum store at this link.

Jeff Leich is Executive Director of New England Ski Museum in Franconia and North Conway, New Hampshire. He produces the annual exhibits that the Museum creates, and the quarterly Journal of the New England Ski Museum, which publishes the content of those exhibits for museum members and visitors. Leich and his wife live in North Conway. They have two adult children, both of whom are far better skiers than their parents.