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Called in sick to work yesterday and hopped in the car, sans board, for an afternoon drive to NH with a stop for a short hike into Tucks. Now let me qualify this here first. I'm sure everybody heard that it was going to rain yesterday afternoon right?!?!? And I figured clouds would be cruising in around noon at Tucks so I felt no urgency to bring along any snow sliding equipment. In fact I wasn't even sure I'd be able to hike all the way in if weather got nasty. BIG MISTAKE!!!!! Coming across rt 302 with Mnt Washington Hotel setting the foreground for a crystal clear view of the West side of Washington, I looked across the street at a bank flashing the temp -- 58 degrees. AHHHHHHHHH! And there were no boards on my roof rack!!! Drove into Pinkham Notch up Rte 16. Temp: 55 degrees. AHHHHHHHHHH! Checked in at the base lodge and began our ascent up Tuckermans' Ravine Trail around 11:30. Caught up to two hikers WITH skis. One kid worked at the lodge and said, "This should be the best day of the year!". AAHHHHHHHHH!! I was sweating my ass off hiking in fleece pants and a T-shirt (I just hope no one at work today notices my nicely sun-fried nose). By 2:00 we were up all the way to the lunch rocks watching a few dozen skiers and boarders rip lines down Right Gully and the top of Hillmans. Most were coming right off the upper snowfields and taking a continuous line down right gully, into the bowl, skiing all the way down into the lower snowfields, chilling for a few minutes then skiing all the way back down to Pinkham. It seemed like stuff on the headwall that got trapped in the shadows was hardening up FAST. Saw a few guys and gals have to traverse almost straight across the middle face of the headwall until they hit sunlight near right gully. SOOOOO much coverage up there right now. Hillmans looked to be the best if it was skiied before 2:00. After that it lost direct sunlight and sounded a little hard. Another really sweet line was up off of Lions Head in the river chute between Huntington and Tuckermans Ravine. Saw two nice lines taken down this area. It's a nice open snowfield on top that steepens up into a tight narrow chute for the last several hundred vert. I forget what it's called. The two hikers I passed on the way up got up a little late and couldn't hike into the main headwall. Instead they took a few short runs in the lower snow fields. The snow there was corn which started crusting up as afternoon sunlight left. Anticipate some awesome skiing in Tucks this early season. With little snowfall predicted for the next week, avalanche danger should be at a minimum (all trails, including Gulf of Slides posted Low Avalanche Danger signs). Unfortunately it doesn't look like things are going to warm up enough for this week-end. I'd really like to go on Sat or Sunday if anybody else is interested. It seems most of my compatriots around here have families and wish to spend Easter with them. I on the otherhand have a family in California. Looks like no holiday family time for me!!!! Such a bummer too if I have to spend it in Tuckermans. ;) Pray for some sun!! ShawShank