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The IceCON rating is back to a 5, we got 7-12 inches of heavy snow and the temps aren't all that cold. So what's not to like? Not much really, as long as you don't have to rake or shovel your roof. HA... But the ice is in great shape as long as you can safely get to it.
So here in the Valley by Cathedral Ledge I got 7" or so on my back deck. probably a bit more actually since we had a little drizzle at the end of the event. From what I saw up in the Notch this morning, they got close to a foot.
I've been starting to worry about where I'm going to put it when the big snows come in March, as they usually do. The parking in a lot of places is becoming problematic. You can't pull down anywhere near the North End of Cathedral on the Ledge Road. On the weekends it's really becoming a long walk in. The DOT is doing the minimal on West Side Road and frankly I wouldn't even consider parking by the Barking Dog or Black Pudding.
When I went by the Texaco lot at 8:45 it wasn't plowed out, but it was on the way back around 10:30. I drove all the way up to the Frankenstein upper lot this morning and chatted with Bill King for a bit. He said that the DOY came up and sanded this morning, but didn't put the plow down on the road. It's really becoming quite narrow now and I would seriously recommend parking at the lower lot, which is plowed out, rather than along the road. PLUS, if everyone parks along the road so it's really narrow, if there is a problem and an ambulance is called it MAY NOT be able to get up the hill to the tracks. WORD!!!!
The banks on the side of the road at the Dry River Campground where I take the Amphitheater photos are above my head now. Scrambling up there and walking back the normal 60' or so I usually do is becoming problematic. SHEESH! Fortunately they are still plowing out the Ripley Falls/AT lot where we park for Shoestring as well as the ones on both sides of the road at Willies. The lot at the top of the Notch was pretty well plowed, but the one down by the Silver Cascade is not. I don't know what their plan is, but I gotta figure this is going to get worse before it gets better!
And just because you're just out poking around some trade route on Cathedral Ledge, a gully on Mt Willard, Shoestring or even stuff you'd never worry about at Frankenstein, that doesn't mean it's always safe. Well known local guide Marc Chauvin was headed up to do Repentance yesterday and the little snow slope right below the climb let loose. Here's what he had to say about it:
"As I approached the base of Repentance today the short slope slid. The crown line extended 100+ feet in each direction."
Needless to say that would have gotten MY attention! I shared his little video on the NEClimbs FB page. If you're on FB check it out.
Just be careful folks, that's all I can say...
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
Here are a few interesting pictures taken this morning:
As always the climb-by-climb pics are on Facebook and NEClimbs.com.
VALLEY CYCLING:
Well, it was GREAT a couple of days ago. The Marshall trails were groomed and all of the snowmobile trails were packed out well. But that all changed with this last round of snowfall. However, I noticed that the RR track trail in Bartlett had been groomed this morning and spotted the groomer itself coming down from Sawyer River Road as I was going up toward Frankenstein. If it gets cold all of the groomed snow machine trails should be good. Plus of course there is always Whittaker Woods.
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.
