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October 3, 2019
Hi Folks,
So it's clearly turned to Fall here in the Happy Valley, at least temperature wise. The foliage hasn't really popped down here, but it has in the notches. I saw some pictures of Crawford and Pinkham from a day or 2 ago and they looked awfully nice - probably at 80%. Sweet...
The rest of the country is completely wacked out with 4' (that's right I said FEET) of white in Montana and record high temps down south. The entire area from Texas, across and up through Ohio, down to Virginia and all the way to Fkorida they are experiencing record heat. In Macon GA, where I was born, it was 99 degrees today, Austin TX is 96 and it's 98 in Roanoke VA! That's just totally nuts for October 3rd. Heck, here by the cliffs it was 34 this morning at 5:30. Go figure...
https://www.weather.gov/forecastmaps
Monday was a gorgeous day and tho I had a lot of stuff to do, I managed to wedge in a climb with my friend David. I know I've done Cormier Magness many times, but that's what makes it a go-to for me. I can do the Beginner's pitch and the next 2 and rap in less than 2 hours. It's perfect. I had talked the day before with some other friends about climbing, but they were thinking it was going to be too chilly for them. However, by 11 the sun was out and it was very pleasant - probably upper 60's or close to 70. Who knew? ;-)
The Beginner's pitch is so easy I could probably do it blindfolded. It looks as if someone has replaced the rap sling & rings this season and thanks to whomever. I think it would be great to have a pair of bolts right of leg tree, but I doubt that would go over well, tho it's easy to get sap on you from the tree! P2 is just sweet and tho it's thin, I wish the flake went another 100 feet. And of course as David says, the next pitch is "the money pitch." It has the interesting move near the top that I always actually have to think about. A few years ago I did it with Jeff Lea in early December in below freezing temps. There was verglas on the mossy traverse that gave it a somewhat different edge. HA
As we rapped we spotted someone soloing Beginner's Easy off to our right. The rick was nice and dry and felt good underfoot, but there was a lot of pine straw that would have made me nervous. To each their own.
Last year we had some snow by mid-October and the temps really dropped. I'm hoping it stays nice a little longer this year. I'm looking forward to climbing ice, but I'm not ready to start shoveling snow. [wry grin]
here's a few pix from Monday:
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20191003/David_1.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20191003/David_2.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20191003/Al.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20191003/solo.jpg
There is a trail closure on the Bryce Path between Cathedral and Whitehorse. Needless to say that will make the walk-off after climbing Whitehorse shall we say problematic! I know at least one party has gotten caught up in that. Probably easier to rap than walk off all the way around left or around Cathedral!
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20191003/BrycePath.jpg
I've ridden this as a way to get to Jefferson Notch 4 time this season. The first 3 times Mt Clinton was closed off from the Edmunds Path trailhead to the Base Road, at the start of Jefferson Notch. I even talked to some DOT guys working on it about a month ago and they said they doubted it would be reopened this year. However it's open now so enjoy.
Everything is in great shape right now. Stay tuned tho...
Still a 1, but likely not for long,
Up on one of the Mount Washington Valley's finest crags and want to know what that climb you're looking at is? Or maybe you're on your way up from Boston and want to check out the Ice Report for your upcoming weekend plans. Or more likely, you're at work just want to daydream about your next adventure. Well if you have a smart phone handy, you can get to NEClimbs from anywhere you have cell service. While it doesn't offer every single feature of the site and it's not an "app", in mobile form, it does do a whole lot and is very useful. Here is the live link to the mobile version of NEClimbs:
http://www.neclimbs.com/mobile
Check it out and if you have issues on your specific phone, please feel free to let me know.
Join us and LIKE us on Facebook. I'll try and post interesting pix every Thursday and the latest Ice Report in the season, tho certainly not the whole Report. Here's where you can check it out:
http://www.facebook.com/NEClimbs/
Remember - climb hard, ride the steep stuff, stay safe and above all BE NICE,
Al Hospers
The White Mountain Report
North Conway, New Hampshire
| Then came a bigger fear. Not the threat of imminent injury, but the fear that if I didn't go back up, I would be a chickenshit forever. |
| John Sherman |
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