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It's really hard to post an IceCON rating for the state-o-the -ice at this time of year. Right now I've set it at a 1 - "Climbs just coming in, or only in upper elevations". Due to the variations in conditions now it's just about as hard to rate as it is in the spring. The temps are so up and down and we get fronts that move through, just as likely to dump rain as snow. It's a real crap shoot. Tuesday was a great example.
I did a little bouldering in the morning when it was around 40 degrees and it felt pretty good to be outside. I did a little work until after lunch and by then it had warmed up to almost 48 so I figured I would run some errands in town on the bike. When I got home I wanted a little more pump so I decided to ride up Cathedral Ledge Road. Just as I got to the top the temperature started to drop and it started to sleet a little. It worried me just enough to make me call my wife at work & let her know that if she didn't hear from me in about 20 minutes she should send out the search-hounds. Then later that evening as I left the Wildcat Tavern in Jackson after my usual Hoot Night gig, it started snowing. It only dropped a dusting but it was enough to make things slick. Since then it's been cold, barely rising above freezing all day Wednesday. It now looks as if the temps will stay pretty cool for the rest of the week, hopefully allowing the ice to keep building.
In fact people have been out there climbing. Apparently the Black Dike and Fafnir have been in pretty good shape for early season. Check out the picture on the NEClimbs home page to get the idea. Brad White and a friend went up and climbed the first pitch of Standard Route on Wednesday, and tho it wasn't good - it was climbable. Reports are coming in about climbable ice at Arethusa Falls, Shoestring Gully, Hitchcock Gully, Snot Rocket and Tucks. There's probably more out there, but this is a really good start to our season. The rain we had certainly added to the water in the system, so as long as the temps stay down we should be in pretty good shape. The real question will be if we get that December thaw that has become standard over the past 3-4 years. I certainly hope not.
Last year everyone around here was really wondering if we were going to be able to get in the Ice Festival. Fortunately things cooled back down and we had a good time. Let's hope that this year is even better. Speaking of the Ice Festival, plans for this year's events are well under way. This year's festival is taking place Thursday- Sunday on February 7, 8, 9 & 10. Things are really shaping up. Sponsors are coming on board and the courses are being firmed up. Hey the latest scuttlebutt is that one of the new sponsors is a beer company. How about that? Can you spell P A R T Y? You can keep up to date with the latest developments there:
As more info becomes available I'll also try and let you now what's up.
2007/2008 Fundraiser Week 2:
To date there have been 43 very kind individuals who have contributed to our 2007/2008 Fundraiser. Thanks to each of you who have made a donation. That's not very many compared to the 938 folks who receive the Report every week, but it's a good start.
I personally put out the weekly report and maintain the NEClimbs web site. Keeping you up to date with happenings in the Whites is a time consuming thing and doing it in ice season is even more so. Providing the latest ice and rock conditions, reporting on events and people in the local climbing community and more consumes 10+ hours a week. And think about the cost of gas in the truck driving all over the place to take pics of the ice in winter! That's not insignificant these days.
I am not asking any single person for a whole lot... The minimum $20 donation isn't much, considering all the great information provided every week. Heck, the info you get from the Report or from NEClimbs could easily save you more than that in gas on a single trip to the Whites. More if you drive a gas-guzzling SUV!
Please don't wait to make a contribution and don't assume that others will pick up the slack. YOU signed up to be included on the Report mailing list! YOU read it every week! Support NEClimbs and The White Mountain Report, by sending a check or money order for $20 NOW, or make your contribution ON LINE via PayPal. It's easy & painless and you can use your credit card. Simply click the link below to make your donation...
You DON"T need to have a PayPal account to use this service. Any credit card is fine. If a credit card is not an option, you can make out your check or money order to NEClimbs and send it to:
NEClimbs
92 Bow Lane
North Conway, NH 03860
The new Donations list is up on the NEClimbs site. It contains the names of all of those who have contributed as a part of this 2007/2008 fundraiser and will be updated every day or two.
The Donations list on the NEClimbs site is up to date as of Wednesday evening. It contains the names of all of those who have contributed as a part of this 2007/2008 fundraiser. Thanks to all and special thanks go to a couple of very generous individuals.
When you make that minimum $20 contribution you will be automatically entered in our raffle for some GREAT prizes like Ice guides, copies of Accidents In North American Mountaineering, Bouldering guides and more. The drawing will be held on December 13th, 2007 and all winners will be notified in the Report. Your donation must be postmarked or received by PayPal before December 7th, 2007 to be entered. It's a perfect opportunity to support NEClimbs, and a great chance to win a useful prize.
REMEMBER, it's your contribution that makes this newsletter and the NEClimbs web site possible. Thanks so much for your support.
Ice Conditions Report:
Selected Ice Conditions effective March 21, 2024
I can't actually say that there is nothing out there that can't be climbed. That would be foolish. But for the average, or a little above average climber, that's probably correct. That said, I did hear that there is climbable ice on Parasol in Dixville Notch. Not sure how that will be after we get a foot of heavy wet snow on Saturday. Regardless, here's a few pix I took today just to document things.
Huntington Ravine
AVALANCHE
Repentance
OUT
Standard Route
OUT
Dracula
OUT
For the full current conditions report, CLICK
HERE
The Oliverian Notch Climbers Association/Organization:
There was the founding meeting held at the home of Mike Severino in Pike, NH on November 17. At that meeting it was reported that the Owls Head Cliff property was transfered to the WMNF on October 19, 2007. his is wonderful news. A lot of things were discussed and as soon as I get the OK to disseminate the notes of the meeting or an official press release, I will do so.
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.
