04/07/2024
South Sherp idles in the staging area prior to re-trailering after a challenging mission in the backcountry. The Sherp has proven to be not just a game-changer, but a game-winner for us. We performed three major rescues with our first arrival before it was even lettered. They're tough, highly reliable, and extremely well engineered. We've demanded a lot from our two Sherps, and they have risen to the challenge and never let us down.
The Sherp is powered by a three-cylinder Doosan diesel engine with a very friendly six-speed manual transmission (something our younger members had to get familiar with). The 71-inch tires are inflated and deflated using engine exhaust, with pressure set according to the surface strata one is driving on...gravel, sand, snow, water, asphalt, etc. Max tire pressure is 3 psi and is actually measured in millimeters of mercury (mm/hg, like your blood pressure). The wheel hubs contain tubs that are capable of holding an additional 61 gallons of fuel. We specked out our Sherps with the Arctic package--in addition to regular cab heat and a box heater in back, a Webasto heater (which also pre-warms the engine space) provides T-shirt comfort to 70-below F. We run our Sherps with a crew of three: A "pilot" driver/operator, a "copilot" navigator/communicator in the shotgun seat, and a "backseater" who manages climate control as well as patient and passenger comfort and safety.
One Sherp was purchased through a series of grants, the other through proceeds from a very generous benefactor who named us in her will. South Sherp is stationed in a first-out position at our Pike Lake headquarters, while North Sherp also occupies a first-out position at our Virginia base. Friends, thanks for tagging along as we share our story, and be safe out there, eh? (Slatto photo)