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So why did I go up to Crawford Notch this morning & take pictures? Well, certainly not because I thought I might find any climbable ice! HA Pretty much just for consistency I gotta say. I'll probably go up the next two Thursdays as well, for the archives.
BILL KING HOUSE:
As I often do, I drove up the Arethusa road to see how many folks were hiking up to the falls. There are half-dozen cars at the top, but needless to say I was a bit surprised to see a pair of Forest Service trucks parked in the driveway. I walked over and saw Erik Nelson and another FS employee chatting by the open garage door. I have mentioned that Bill is 89 and has moved into town, I think with his daughter. He had told me last fall that there were some plans regarding the State Forest and the property Erik confirmed that! Apparently the transfer was just finalized and the state now owns the house. Interestingly Bill's family has owned that small piece of property for many many years. There used to be a smaller house nearer the tracks and they had lived there for some time. I'm not sure what is going to happen, other than the house remaining in use. Since all the land surrounding the house is owned by the State, this makes perfect sense.
INCIDENTS:
I'm sure many of you have heard about the sad incidents in Tucks last Sunday. With the very poor conditions in Tuckerman Ravine, it was somewhat unsurprising that there were accidents. And in face there were three serious incidents, one fatal!
In addition there was a rescue when, according to Fish & Game on Friday, a 23-year-old hiker from Kentucky went off trail and into the Ammonoosuc Ravine. The hiker “fell and hit his head and face, lost one of his sneakers, and eventually became hypothermic,” the agency said in a statement. “He was given boots, food, warm drink, proper winter gear, and a headlamp. He was then escorted back to the trail and then to the Cog Railway parking lot,” the agency said.
NOTE THE MENTION OF SNEAKERS!
CLIMATE:
All of you have seen my posts RE the AAC movie Freeze|Thaw and probably seen the movie. Recently the Adirondack Explorer web site posted a story also bringing up the impact the changing climate is having on ice climbing and our winter outdoor activities. The title is a bit over the top but it's worth the read.
https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/the-end-of-ice-climbing
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
Of course the usual pictures will be on NEClimbs.com and FaceBook if available.
VALLEY CYCLING:
Even tho Bear Notch and Sawyer RR were groomed after Sunday's snow, it's very soft now. I'd just pass on riding for the time being, unless you try getting out at night!
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
Here I was working away and always this mumbling and bitching from below, and finally the shocking ejaculation "This is a lot of shit." From then on I felt I was battling two opponents, the wall and Peterson.
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.
