Xplore n More Philly: Skiing, Snowboarding, Adventure Group

Mount Washington is the highest mountain in the Northeast United States with the summit at 6,288 ft. This is a VERY challenging and long trip. The hike is grueling with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain, and if you choose to ski/snowboard, it is dangerous and potentially deadly. You are attending this at your own risk. We are not trained guides, but we did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

SATURDAY MT WASHINGTON: HIKING/SKIING/SNOWBOARDING OPTIONS
Everyone will hike together from the parking lot at Pinkham Notch up to Hojo's/Hermit Lake Shelters where skiers congregate and speak to volunteers about the conditions. From there, there are 3 options:

• Hike only.... You may, or may not reach the summit. You can make a plan, but you need to be flexible with safety as the priority... Conditions change by the hour on Mount Washington. If you do not summit, you may hike up to the base of Tuckerman Ravine and watch the skiers attempt to take on the challenge.
• Hike up and ski the lower Sherborne trail... The Sherborne trail's difficulty roughly equates to an intermediate run at a ski resort, the biggest difference being that it is an ungroomed backcountry trail, with difficult and variable conditions, and it is only about 30-50 feet wide with trees on the sides, and some creek crossings. In late April you you probably only be able to ski on the top 1/2 mile of the trail as the snow will have melted at lower elevations.
• Hike up and ski Tuckerman Ravine... Avalanche conditions vary day to day, and weather may change hour to hour up on the slopes completely changing the conditions. You should have avalanche safety gear (beacon, shovel, probe) and know how to use it. You should have microspikes and/or crampons, and often people bring ice axes to help with the climb and sometimes to be used to help with "self arrest" if you get into an uncontrollable slide. You must be an absolute expert comfortable on the steepest/narrowest double black diamond runs out west, and you must be flexible with your plans. There are deep crevasses with fast running water underneath them, cliffs, ice boulders rolling down the ravine that are the size of large appliances, and often skiers from above falling/tumbling uncontrollably as you are attempting to climb up. Transitioning from climbing into ski/snowboard gear is extremely challenging on steep snowy or icy terrain, and once you climb up, you really can not climb back down the way you came up, so you are committed.

SUNDAY SKI DAY AT SUNDAY RIVER:
Ikon Base Pass... Let's ski until about 1pm before packing up and hitting the road for the long drive back home.

LODGING OPTIONS:
Book your own in North Conway, and we’ll help people find roommates by providing a roomie spreadsheet. There are a lot of low cost options that time of year like Swiss Chalet.

TRANSPORTATION:
Is your responsibility, but a Google Sheet will be used to organize carpooling.

Google Sheet: For carpooling & hotel
... Link coming soon....

LIABILITY:
By signing up for any XNM overnight trips, you agree to comply with these rules, and for all trips, especially this one, you are going at your own risk, and no one but yourself is liable for any injury for you for any part of attending this trip: