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It's 1:30 am and I'm on West Side Road, on my way home from playing music at the Parka. Right around Humphrey's, through the trees on my left I can see reflected flashes of the 3/4 moon in the stillness of the dark Saco. I go past the turn onto Old West Side and drive a little further. High cloud streamers spread out thin silver streaks while multiple levels of thin clouds outlined as if with a black crayon drift slowly in front of the moon - some moving left, others right.
It was amazing. Amazing enough to make me pull off the road by the strawberry fields, turn off the truck and kill the lights. I get out and lean against the warm hood savoring the silence and the balmy late-summer breeze. If one of North Conway's finest or a "Statie" were to drive by they would think I am high, but that's not at all the case. Unless the rush I get from the beauty of the moment counts...
Accidents Come In Clumps:
It does seem that climbing accidents happen in groups. We'd had pretty much nothing for most of the summer, and then we have had a number in the past month. The two most recent involved a group who were benighted on Whitehorse and a climber who took a fall on Cannon. In the case of the former a man, woman and 2 young girls ended up high on the cliff with no headlamps in the dark and unable to finish or rap. The local MRS helped get them down. In the latter the leader pulled a large flake off the original start to Moby Grape. from what I understand it is a massive piece-o-rock. The good thing in both of these incidents is that no one was seriously injured. Let's all Knock Wood!
This brings up another reminder folks... Your local MRS guys & girls are out there on a regular basis helping deal with these and many other kinds of search & rescue problems. They do a great job, and its a totally volunteer organization. If you are a local, join the team. If not, you can still help out. There is a donation box by the cash register at IME and EMS. Drop your "spare change" in the box after you've made your purchase. It all ads up and it all goes to a good cause.
Ice Conditions Report:
Selected Ice Conditions effective February 19, 2026
Just as you would expect following Ice Fest AND a week of truly balmy temps, going to be upper 30's today, the ice can be a mixed bag. I saw someone post about how things are terrible. But digging into it, I realized they were talking about places like the North End that are very well used. It probably gets the most use of all. There are only a few places that have really easy access to moderate climbing and where you can set up a bunch of top-ropes. So that's not unexpected. And of course the climbs that are getting a lot of full sun are getting somewhat punked-out. On my way back from Wolfeboro mid-afternoon a few days ago I took a look at Rainbow Slabs which look as if they are getting pretty funky. And I watched a hunk of the bottom of Way In The Wilderness fall down! IMO it's really the time to start paying attention to what you're walking underneath, any time of the day. Enjoy this weather, but keep paying attention...
Huntington Ravine
numerous options
Repentance
iffy
Standard Route
GREAT conditions
Dracula
IN & very fat
For the full current conditions report, CLICK
HERE
NEClimbs Photo Contest - Sponsored by Mammut:
The contest is coming along, but of course we'd love to get aTON of pictures, not just some. Even if you take pictures for the local ski area, or some wedding shots, you can still participate. It's easy... Just send your best shots in an email to photocontest@neclimbs.com. I should have a Gallery up on NEClimbs of the latest pictures by the end of the week. You can get all the details on the home page of NEClimbs.com.
Warthogs & Choppers, a Comment:
Someone took me to task for my observation last week about the fact that I'm seeing A-10's & big choppers in the area again. They pointed out, rightly, that these are weapons of war stating:
We have slaughtered many thousands with the power of your Warthogs and "big choppers"...
While true, many things can be used for bad acts - SUV's come immediately to mind, they can and have been used for good. At least the choppers have. I have personally been involved in a major rescue where one of the big choppers from the NH National Guard was used to find and evacuate someone lost on the Lafayette ridge. I am also happy that both the choppers & A-10's are back here because it means that many of these men & women have returned (hopefully) safely. The big choppers are a particularly welcome sight because it means that when we (Mountain Rescue Service) need one for a rescue there is at least a reasonable chance we can get one. That was not the case for the past 2+ years, and it was a drag.
Mobile Version Of NEClimbs:
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:
Check it out and if you have issues on your specific phone, please feel free to let me know.
NEClimbs & White Mountain Report On Facebook:
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:
Climbing is a very dangerous sport. You can get hurt or even kill yourself. When you go climbing, you do so of your own free will. Everything on this site is to be taken with a grain of salt. Don't blame us if you get up some totally heinous route, in over your head and fall and hurt yourself.
