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I can’t quite go along with any of the platitudes about how spring weather is supposed to be because it’s been all over the place for the past 2 weeks! Cold, warm, blustery, balmy - you just can’t bet on what it’s going to be at any time. Most recently after several truly spring-like 40+ degree days, we blasted right back into winter. In fact we had one day that started out as a calm sunny 40 degrees and by 3:30 it was howling and full conditions. If you don’t believe me just ask my friends Grammy & Frank about their late start on Standard Route! That said at least it’s been sunny for the most part.
About 6 weeks ago we had a major wind storm that caused a lot of damage in the area. We had some large branches that blew off in our ears, damaging our deck and the siding on our house. Yesterday’s winds were almost as intense, reaching 40+ here at the cliff. The only good thing is that the previous storm knocked off most if not all of the stuff that was going to come off and we have come through basically unscathed. I’ve been riding my fat tire bike a lot on the various trails in the area and there has been quite a lot of blow-down. In addition I have seen some pretty big stuff in people’s yards and a big tree that narrowly missed someone’s roof on Hurricane Mountain Road. And speaking of getting around in the woods, this cold snap has firmed things once again so you’re not postholing right now! Of course ire’s also set up some ice on the roads and trails so Microspikes and styled tires can be useful, if not required.
I’ve been looking for another adventure ride on the FT bike and started thinking about Jefferson Notch Road. Since it’s a snowmobile corridor I figured it would be well packed out. I took a ride up there this morning for a recon after I took my conditions pictures. First I checked out Mt Clinton Road which is usually a snowmobile trail. Strangely there was no indication that the snow machines have been using it this season. Go figure… I drove in on the Base Road and of course there were many snow machines on those trails. When I got to Jefferson Notch I hopped out and checked on the road and it looked pretty good. I’m thinking that if it stays chilly Monday might be a good possibility. I don’t want to be out there on days where there will be a lot of sled traffic. While I was there I also looked at Mt Clinton and again there were no machine tracks. Maybe I’m missing something, but that’s not as it has been for the past several years. For those of you who are into this winter biking thing I can recommend Sticks & Stones, Middle Mountain Trail, Pudding Pond loop and most of the snowmobile trails on the east side.
Since I was there already I kept going all the way up to the base of the Cog. As always the view from up there is pretty amazing. I didn’t have a wide angle lens for the camera so I didn’t get any good pictures, but I must say that it’s worth the drive. Unsurprisingly you’re actually at a pretty good elevation up there, over 2,000’, and it was a lot colder and windier up there that at the top of Crawford Notch. You could see a good plume on the summit and the snow blowing across the saddle between Washington and Monroe so you know it was pretty brutal up there. As soon as the winds die down and we get into a bit warmer spell, it’s going to be a great time for upper elevation ice. I can’t wait…
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
As always, here are a few interesting pix from this morning:
As always, more pix are on NEClimbs Ice Report and Facebook.
Widow’s Walk is one of the well known test-pieces at Frankenstein. I did it on a sunny spring day about 10 years ago when the whole things was filled in. It’s been a while since that has happened, but this year a big column formed on the right side that’s been standing for a couple of weeks. Lots of folks have done it and my 80 year old friend George Hurley has been chomping at the bit to get on board. He joined up with a bunch of folks a bit over a week ago and did it, and then went back again and did it again. It’s a solid Grade 4-5 climb in anyone’s book, but even at 80 he made it look easy. I’m hoping I’m in his shape when I’m his age, but I’ve got to guess that it’s in the genes! Who knows what he’s going to be ding at 90! ThnX to Paul Henry for forwarding these pics along.
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:
Remember - climb hard, ride the steep stuff, stay safe and above all BE NICE,
Al Hospers
The White Mountain Report
North Conway, New Hampshire
My best performances often developed out of depression when I used climbing as a tool to forestall suicide rather than a method of achieving it. Dispair inspired three years of 'crazy' soloing.
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.
