UPDATE: We skied Gulf of Slides and the Sherb. Cold temps in the AM, low wind, high visibility.

It's snow joke - there is finally enough snow in the NH woods for a backcountry ski trip! We will be going over all the basics of backcountry skiing for those who are new to the sport but only sign up if you have extensive downhill experience.

For those that are new to backcountry skiing you may not realize the following:

• You will not get to “warm up on a green” and may have to start off on black-level (steeper) terrain.

• Conditions are unknown and objective hazards (exposed rocks, bushes, etc.) may make runs narrower or more difficult than slope indicates. For instance, you may have to navigate a slope that has exposed rocks because of low snow coverage.

• Skinning up is equal in difficulty to a strenuous hike (i.e. a continuously steep uphill climb) with the extra weight of skis on your feet, so good fitness is important.

We are scoping out locations and will update before Wednesday evening, but it will likely be on the east side of the Whites. Please note that we will try to stay at Intervale Friday night and plan to get an early start on Saturday.