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So I watched the regional weather last night and then again this morning at 6:15. It looks as if there is a very minimal chance of rain this morning, so I make plans for a run up the little cliff at the top of Cathedral. 7:30 rolls around and it's cloudy and DAMN if it doesn't start drizzling. It stops and I figure, OK I'll go for a road bike ride. Just to get the old ticker running. And DAMN if it doesn't start drizzling again just as I get the bike out of the garage! And of course I look at the radar and it looks like it's going to be OK. But should I take a chance? Unclear... Maybe a bit later, but not right now.
That said all prognostications by those talking head prognosticators are for Friday being the pick of the next several days. I've got a big concert that night, but maybe I should get out to do something fun in the morning. Just to get the ticker rate up. As long as it doesn't require a lot of grip, so maybe Whitehorse, that might work. Maybe...
I did my annual fall pilgrimage to Star Island on the Isle Of Shoals last weekend, Friday through Monday. We were fortunate to be able to get out there on Friday, before Dorian came by on Saturday as all boats to the islands were cancelled on Saturday due to high seas. They were running a moderate 3-4' on Friday, but 10' plus on Saturday! No way I would have wanted to be out there in anything other than maybe a Coast Guard cutter! The winds on Saturday were coming from the East and were really howling. My cottage was on the ocean side of the island and when I got up to go outside for coffee at around 6:30 AM it was very difficult to even open the door outward. I would guess some of the gusts were well over 30 MPH. There is a lighthouse just southwest of Star and I spent some time watching waves breaking over the height of the light! It was quite intense. The predictions were for heavy rains on Saturday, but surprisingly we got hardly any at all the whole weekend.
I was planning on doing a bunch of bouldering while I was there, as I usually do, in between the music sessions I am a part of. However this year the music was even more intense that usual, with a Frank Zappa tune and the entire side 2 of Abbey Road requiring many hours of rehearsals. Thus I only managed to work in an hour or so on Monday morning after breakfast. Regardless, it was a truly spectacular day with the ocean like glass and temps up in the low 80's in the sun. I did find a new spot that had a 25 or 30 foot wall that was a real find & quite entertaining. There were even horizontals that would probably even take gear! Maybe I'll bring a short rope and a couple of small cams next time. I'd have to bring an extra harness and teach someone to belay, but that would be pretty cool none the less.
For the full current conditions report, CLICK
HERE
ACCIDENT ON CATHEDRAL LEDGE:
A pretty significant accident took place on Sunday when Maine climber Sean Goodrich fell and was severely injured. From what I have heard he was climbing Retaliation (5.9), thinking it was Upper Refuse. He did not belay at the top of the 30' 5.6 pitch, continuing into the 5.9 dihedral where he fell, pulling some of his gear. Retaliation is an old-school grade 5.9 which presents significant difficulties in placing good gear in the angling crack/flake. There have been numerous incidents on it over the years.
Fortunately there were other climbers nearby to provide assistance. Local Mountain Rescue Service members and other local emergency personnel were called in and helped lower him to the middle ledge, litter him across and up to the top where he was taken to Memorial Hospital. As a result of the fall he sustained multiple bone breaks, fractures in his back, pelvis, neck, ribs, arm, tore his aorta and has a concussion.
A Go Fund Me page has been setup to help with his expenses.
Lizzy Ragan is a AMC Boston climber and Rock Program Assistant that had an accident in August while climbing at Echo Crag in New Hampshire, resulting in ground fall. She sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury and is now paralyzed from her T4-T5 vertebrae down! The AMC Boston climbing community is supporting a medical fundraiser for Lizzy to help her afford the necessary long-term rehabilitation she will need through this life-altering injury. Please consider donating to support her care, and check out the site to hear more about health updates:
Quite honestly, this kind of thing could happen to any of us. We pay attention, we practice safety, we do all the right things, and then in an instant something happens that is truly life altering. Please consider making a donation to help support her recovery. Whether or not you’re able to make a donation, please consider sharing this fundraiser outward within your community.
VALLEY CYCLING:
The local trails are in great shape right now. The mountain biking is fantastic right now, and with much less cars on the road prior to the leaf peepers arriving, even riding on the road can be OK.
INSTANT BUG REPORT - Bug CON 1:
While there are still some mosquitoes out there right now, they are about as minimal as you could ask for before the first frost. Just keep your eyes out for ticks and you will probably be OK, unless you are out in the deep woods in twilight hours.
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.
