SHERWINS

Start of the Sherwins hike

The Sherwin’s is Mammoth Lakes’ answer to Teton Pass. There are pro’s and con’s for each. One great aspect of the Sherwin’s is that no one skis them. The hike can be pretty extreme weather wise, with 80 mph winds and hardly any shelter along the way. Except for a little stone wind break near the plateau.

The Sherwins hut

The skiing is great on the Sherwins. There is a 2 mile north face that holds 2000 vertical ft runs down everything from steeped rock wall lined chutes like Rock Chute, as well as the perfect cruising gladed runs of the Main Avy Path and the Hose.  I would show up to the lot on countless powder days this year at 10 a.m and find no cars or a bootpack.  Lucky me, I get to set it. One con is the lap time compared to Teton Pass. There you can be back on the booter in no time for another lap. On the Sherwins it takes a shuttled car, or 2 public bus rides to get back to  the bootpack at Tamerack Lodge.

Sherwins bootpack

Jon and I have skied up here the last two days with very little people. Yesterday with 14 in.  new we set the booter at 10 a.m. Today we found 3 people before us at 11 am with another 10 in. new. If you show up at Teton Pass at 10 a.m, with 14 new inches, you must be new in town, enjoy fighting for parking, and skiing tracked out snow.  Although there is nothing like lapping Glory 3 or 4 times when it is free refills on every lap. That is what makes Teton Pass special. The Sherwins are my personal powder skiing playground.

Dropping into the Hose, Sherwins

Surfing the Hose

Creamy pow in the Hose