Ski the Sherb

Leaders
Agathe Defrance (coB coS), Evan Williams (C S)
Program
Winter School
Type
Backcountry skiing
Terrain level
B
Trip date
Sunday, January 21st, 2024
Difficulty rating
Medium but skiing
Prerequisites
Advanced skier/snowboarder, experienced winter hiker

We will be exploring the most popular and famous backcountry ski trail in the White Mountains, the John Sherburne Ski Trail / The Sherb.

The Sherb is accessed by skinning up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, and we will skin up, then ski down for a total of about 4.5 miles and 1,800' of elevation gain per lap. We'll try to do a second full or partial lap if time allows and can grab a hot chocolate at Pinkham notch in between!

If this is your first time backcountry skiing, or if you have not skied this trail before, please make sure this trip is right for you. We will encounter uncertain snow conditions (the trail had icy patches and moguls covered by a nice fresh coat of snow last weekend, with no new snow expected before this weekend).

  • You should feel comfortable making tight turns and navigating bumps on tired legs.
  • We will be skinning uphill, which feels like a medium-to-strenuous hike with extra weight on your feet.
  • You should feel confident in making controlled turns to avoid hazards such as exposed rocks in the trail.

There will be also be a mandatory in-person pre trip meeting before Thursday’s lecture.


Signup

Algorithm
first-come, first-serve
Maximum participants
8
Signups opened at
Jan. 17, 2024, noon
Signups closed at
Jan. 18, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
Notes
  1. Will you be renting skis and boots from MITOC? If you know what size you'd like please add it, or if not add your height.
  2. How many days of skiing have you done in the past two years? Any backcountry?
  3. Rate your comfort with skiing the equivalent of Black moguls at a resort (1 = not comfortable/haven't done, 2 = a little uncomfortable, 3 = somewhat comfortable, 4 = comfortable)
Signups for this trip are closed.