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January 9, 2020
Hi Folks,
It was quite the chilly morning in Crawford Notch. A balmy 6 degrees at the Dry River Campground across from the Frankenstein Amphitheater, with a stiff wind blowing at around 20 mph. You could see the spindrift being blown off the tops of the climbs and drifts everywhere. Surprisingly I could still see traces of my tracks from the past several weeks, both here and on the Luck field off West Side Road where I take my pictures of Cathedral Ledge. Go figure...
I got another cortisone shot in my left pinky on Monday morning so I haven't been climbing, biking or playing music so far this week. Trust me, that's tough! Things do feel a lot better so I may go out tomorrow to swing the tools just a little bit. Either that or see if I can find someplace to ride that's packed out a bit. Maybe Diana's Baths or the like. Sadly there aren't any snowmobiles out in the usual places yet to pack things out.
As you all know, the weather has been all over the place so far this season. And frankly, that ain't changing this week. Just look at the weather report. Seasonably cold through Friday morning, then warm & wet, then VERY warm on Saturday, when who knows what? I'm fully confident that we're going to get through this just fine, and maybe even come out on top. It's just an interesting roller coaster ride, keeping things entertaining.
Yup, it's almost here friends, at the end of the month... For 27 years this event has been eagerly anticipated by ice climbers in the Eastern United States and is considered one of the premier climbing events in the country. It is a celebration of ice climbing and winter mountaineering, and the people that make it a part of their lives. It continues to provide a great opportunity for those attending to network, socialize, try new gear and participate in multiple day courses, one-day technical clinics and privately guided climbs. MWV Ice Fest welcomes climbers from all different backgrounds. Whether you are LGBTQIA+, adaptive, POC, we are striving to be an inclusive festival.
For information & booking your clinic call 603-356-7064
Someone asked me the other day about cell service in Crawford Notch. The reality is that there is effectively no service from about 1/2 mile north of Bartlett Village to the top of Crawford Notch. On occasion I've gotten service at the top of Shoestring and I can almost always get service on the top of Mt Willard, often at the base of Upper Hitchcock. If you are at Frankenstein and have a problem you can always get an emergency call at Bill King's house at the top of the Arethusa road, or via the pay phone at the Dry River Campground directly across from the Frankenstein Amphitheater.
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/Whitehorse.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/CathedralLedge.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/NorthEnd_Slab.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/Diagonal.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/Repentance_Remission.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/Unicorn.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/Frankenstein.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/Shoestring.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/MtWillard.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/SnotRocket.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/LeftHandMonkeyWrench.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20200109/MtWillard_UpperTier.jpg
I haven't been able to ride this past week due to my hand, but I have looked at what's available, or more accurately what's not. The problem is that the snow machines aren't out there right now, so things simply aren't packed out. My go-to spots like Sawyer River Road and Bear Notch have soft unpacked snow that is definitely not conducive to riding, even on a fat tire bike. I have some friends who have ridden Diana's Baths and the Mt Willard Trail, but not at the Marshall or Stick & Stones. As my friend Maryann D says, it's tough to spend time packing things out just to have them ironed by the people postholing! [sigh]
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
| Nobody climbs mountains for scientific reasons. Science is used to raise money for the expeditions, but you really climb for the hell of it. |
| Sir Edmund Hillary |
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