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Goodness... Hard to believe but we actually got snow on Monday! YEE HA Here in the Valley we got between 7 & 10 inches and the Notch got closer to a foot. It's cool to be able to finally do a bit of XC skiing right out the back door, and be able to count on having enough liquid in the system for the ice to actually refresh for a change.
I had planned on doing Super Goofer with Matty Bowman this morning, but there were already people ahead of us at 8:15! Go figure... The road is now being plowed down to the kiosk and has a couple of spots winged-out for parking. There is a bit of a snow barrier on the road right there, but I'm sure it will be gone soon and you'll be able to drive right down to the North End. I wish they would just plow the whole thing down to the gate, but I'm grateful we have what we have. It's so much better than it was. I noticed that they aren't doing a great job at the pullout for Black Pudding. A reminder - if you're not fully off the road you may be towed or ticketed. And if it's snowing, off the road or not, you WILL be towed! WORD!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGE:
Today is the 87th birthday of my dear friend, mentor, rock & ice climbing partner, master guide climber extraordinaire and all around wonderful human - George Hurley. I can't begin to catalog the things we've done together over the 25 years I've known him: put up routes, climbed rock & ice, trips to the Gunks, eaten dinners, shared wine, drunk numerous cups of coffee and had many many memorable conversations on almost every possible topic. He and his wife Jean are truly special people, on every level.
ICE FEST 2022:
Mount Washington Valley Ice Fest is on the books for February 4-6, 2022. Stay tuned for website and registration updates, guest guide information, and party details. Plus, with any luck, there WILL be a party this year! If you have questions, call IMCS at (603) 356-7064. Remember, all attendees are required to provide proof of vaccination. So, be sure to bring your card and picture ID, or you won't be able to participate.
Ice Conditions Report:
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
SOME LOCAL/NATIONAL PANDEMIC THOUGHTS:
The positivity rate in New Hampshire is 22%. There are currently 183 confirmed cases of COVID in the Conways alone!
NH hospitalizations: Breakdown of patient vaccination statuses
Unvaccinated: 45.4%
Vaccinations fully up to date: 22.0%
Vaccinations partially up to date: 19.0%
Unknown: 13.7%
New Hampshire:
14 New deaths reported
3,190 New cases reported
20,026 Active cases
411 Current hospitalizations for COVID
2,123 Total deaths due to COVID-19
The deaths reported are residents from: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire (4), Hillsborough (4), Merrimack (5), Rockingham (6), and Strafford (3) counties.
United States:
Confirmed: 69,062,304
Deaths: 859,503
Global:
Confirmed: 339,690,871
Deaths: 5,570,909
From the Johns Hopkins Blog on December 6, 2021
In an essay recently published in The Hill newspaper, Chris Beyrer (Johns Hopkins) and Larry Corey (University of Washington) detail a 1905 Supreme Court decision that demonstrates the constitutionality of vaccine mandates imposed by governments.
"As the Supreme Court made clear in a 1905 decision, the liberty we enjoy in this country does not give us the right to act to the detriment of others in all circumstances,” Beyrer and Corey wrote. "One of those circumstances is when personal decisions threaten the health and well-being of others. COVID-19, like smallpox, is colorless, invisible, and even more contagious. Talking, eating, singing, and shouting are major modes of transmission; one cannot identify who is infected, and one cannot discern who to avoid.
"What is needed for control,” they added, "is essentially universal vaccination and masking, and even then, the results will not likely provide complete eradication. But our society and economy will be able to fully recover.”
In addition, they wrote: "Vaccine mandates are fully in-line with our best science, and our best hope to control the delta and subsequent variants. It is time to recognize our mutual obligations to protect our children, our elderly, and our neighbors from disease — and accept the emphasis that our government places on this obligation.”
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:
The snow made a bit of a mess of the trails. The Marshall was groomed yesterday, bit it's not firmed up yet. I'd give it a day. The east side trails aren't groomed or packed at all, but after the weekend tourist infusion I'm sure they will be. Stay tuned...
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.
