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I don't have that much to talk about this week, but here's a synopsis: The weather has been VERY cold at times and then back up to moderate (but unfortunately not warm enough for things overall to refresh), we've had a few rounds of snow but not all that much (tho that will almost surely change on Saturday), the ice is IN in most places at last, I guided on Monday for the first time in 2 years (thnX COVID) and it was really fun, the music business has been picking up on several levels lately (yee ha) and my large band just picked up 2 concerts for July, for the past 2 months I've been taking a friend over to Sanford Maine for his radiation treatments and tomorrow is his last one (blessings). The main thing is that overall, in spite of the craziness, life is doing OK for me and I hope you all are OK too.
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 Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved New Hampshire's request to extend deployment of 30 paramedics as part of the state's response to COVID-19, Gov. Chris Sununu says. The deployment is extended another two weeks, from Feb. 2 to Feb. 16. According to the governor, the paramedics are assigned based on current hospital staffing.
FROM NHPR - Bills to broaden an individual’s power to opt out of vaccines, and to limit any entity that receives public funding from requiring COVID vaccines, were before the New Hampshire House Labor Committee Thursday. The most sweeping bill would direct private employers, colleges, and teaching hospitals to accept requests from workers or students to opt-out of COVID-19 vaccine mandates. It would also bar employers from requiring any medical treatment that only has FDA approval in cases of “emergency of experimental use.”
New Hampshire:
20 New deaths
2,274 New cases
14,542 Active cases
387 Current hospitalizations for COVID
2,193 Total deaths due to COVID-19
Since the start of the pandemic, New Hampshire has recorded 270,063 positive cases of coronavirus, and 2,193 related deaths. The deaths announced Thursday are residents of Belknap (1), Carroll (2), Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough (8), Merrimack (2), Rockingham (4), and Sullivan counties.
United States:
Confirmed: 73,373,545
Deaths: 878,220
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 Marshall trails were groomed on Tuesday and riding well. Other well traveled places like the Albany Town Forest and some of the trails on the East side have been OK. I had a tour of some XC ski trails near the old Darby Field Inn that were excellent. All this will change of course on Saturday. If we get anything like the amount of snow that's predicted, all bets are off for a while.
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
As I hammered in the last bolt and staggered over the rim, it was not at all clear to me who was the conqueror and who was the conquered. I do recall that El Cap seemed to be in much better condition than I was.
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.
