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So I got in my annual week of R&R on the Isle Of Shoals last week and now I'm back here to tourist-city... That's right, crazy times are here now. It's after July 4th and town is totally and completely full. There's so much traffic that it's hard to get from one end of town to the other. [YUCK]
CLIMBING AGAIN:
So I was on Star Island on the Isle Of Shoals last week. 3 1/2 days of 90+ totally bluebird days and 3 1/2 rainy and blustery days & nights. Go figure. But I did get out for some great bouldering on a couple of days. One of which I took a friend along who had never climbed. I brought him a pair of shoes to make it easier, he did great and it was a gas to see him enjoy the feeling of moving on stone. Here's a couple of pix.
When I came home on Sunday it was rainy, but that tuned around the next day. I got all excited to get out and do something bigger so I hooked up with my buddy Jeff. We decided it was a good day to sheck out Chris Graham & Bob Ahearn's new offering Kettle Call, just left of a mossy strip left of their other new climb Creepy Cowboy. Tho only rated 5.6 I gotta say that it's pretty "R-ish" to my mind. One of those 5.whatever, but not for 5.whatever leaders. The first bolt is 50' of climbing where every move is at that grade. Just saying... But regardless the climbing is fun. I think you can do it as 1 long pitch with a 70. However there is a nice stance about 80 or so feet up, 30' right of the Beginner's belay tree. Pitch 2 goes up, over or right by a small overlap and a single bolt (you will be happy is there) and then steps right to a crack. From there you continue up to the same belay tree as Cowboy. Here's a couple of pix...
PS - So why "Kettle Call"? Apparently there were a bunch of hawks circling while Chris & Bob were doing the route. And the name of a group of hawks is a kettle! Who knew? Apparently one of them did... And if you're really interested in the names for various groups of birds, check this out:
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THOSE DARN CATERPILLARS:
After being away last week, I'm not seeing a lot of caterpillars now. But I AM seeing a ton of gypsy moths! If it's not one thing, it's surely another. [HMMM]
SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION:
Looking for something fun to do this summer? Check out these musical events. I promise you won't be disappointed.
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
INSTANT BUG REPORT: 3
Sure some mosquitoes and definitely the ticks, but I'm not seeing/feeling the blackflys, so for the most part life is GOODER!
SOME LOCAL/NATIONAL PANDEMIC THOUGHTS:
Only one comment this week - BE NICE!
New Hampshire:
0 new death reported
236 new cases reported
212 Active cases
15 patients are currently hospitalized
1,374 total deaths
United States:
Confirmed: 33,787,057
Deaths: 606,439
I find JHU's Daily COVID-19 Data in Motion report to be very informative. It shares critical data on COVID-19 from the last 24 hours in a short 1 minute animated video format.
OUR ONLY WAY OUT IS IF YOU GET VACCINATED, WHERE RECOMMENDED PLEASE STILL WEAR A MASK, WASH YOUR HANDS!
REMEMBER - WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
VALLEY CYCLING:
Not any cycling last week and only a 5 mile ride here in the hood this morning, so nothing new to report on.
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.
