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Oh boy folks... Is it finished, over, completed, done-for? Should we "stick a fork in it"? [wry grin] The earliest known use of that classic expression was by American baseball player and commentator Dizzy Dean in the 1940s. He was referring to a pitcher who was doing a poor job: "You can stick a fork in him folks-he's done." Well, as your intrepid observer/commentator I gotta feel that we're pretty much at that point, or at the most we might get through the weekend...
There's still lots of stuff hanging out over the top of many of the early season rock warm-ups, and likely will be for a while. Here's what is on the Unicorn Ledge on Wednesday, just above the North End crack climbs:
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20230406/Unicorn.jpg
Needless to say it's not a good place to hang out. And yet I climbed Parasol Gully in Dixville Notch on Tuesday, and yes it was great. I posted some video on Instagram and FB of that. Here's some pictures:
FWIW I had climbed it with Brad early in the season and it was in great shape then, but there was no parasol! Go figure... I have been wanting to solo it for years, but just never had the time or opportunity, but this was actually a perfect time for it - balmy 45 degrees, a bit cloudy, NO running water, consolidated snow... There even was a little "parasol" for a change, just to keep it entertaining. I trailed my 8mm rope, rapped off from the tree at the top down to just above the little middle ice bulge on the left, down-climbed the snow to just above the starting ice pitch and then walked off climbers-right and down the gully. Couldn't have been better. It may have been my last ice of this year since I'm not much for the Ravines these days.
I have nothing more to say about this, it's simply too sad.
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
VALLEY CYCLING:
It's mud season now folks, so riding anywhere is a crap shoot. Just don't do things that will wreck any trails. The upper hillsides with a southern aspect like Rattlesnake and Swamp are probably your best bets. The local NEMBA group in association with the other area bike clubs is having a party and fundraiser for their grooming efforts. The fat bike trails here in the Valley and up around Gorham/Berlin are amazing. Please come out and support their efforts. A great band I play with is going to be there and I hope you can make it...
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20230406/GroomerBall.jpg
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
Boulder /n./ place close to the ground to practice falling. When climbers aren't climbing, they like to sharpen their skills by bouldering on large rocks located in places frequented by impressionable tourists. Because bouldering is done without protection, the rule is never to climb higher than you'd like to fall. That is why so many climbers stand around discussing boulder problems instead of climbing them.
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.
