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So here we are in day 3 of the latest hot spell. 90+ degrees for 2 daze and mid-80's and very high humidity today. At least it's not the week-plus of upper 90's we had last summer. Well, at least not so far anyway. Tho it is supposed to cool down tonight. Frankly I'm not sure if I'd rather it be really hot or wet.
I'd made a plan to climb on Wednesday, but I bailed due to the heat. As it turned out that was a good idea on many levels. Tuesday evening I was out working on stuff in the garage, yes with the door open, when it was still 90+. I started feeling wonky, was sweating a lot and very tired. So I went inside where it was cooler, tho I don't have AC, and drank some iced gator-aid. However I still felt crappy and hot. I went to bed very early and didn't sleep well at all, which is very unusual. I felt better in the morning but it took much of the day to get back to normal. I figure I was close to heat-exhaustion. It's the kind of thing that will creep up on you when the weather is like this. I grew up in Georgia and Florida so I think I'm immune to the heat, but obviously that's not the case! I did see some folks out on Thin Air around 4pm and I gotta figure it was darn hot in the full sun.
DAKS - AVALANCHE PASS TRAIL CLOSED DUE TO LANDSLIDES:
The video in the second link is pretty amazing.
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
NOT ABOUT CLIMBING:
After several of my buddies have bought eMountainBikes I started to feel as if I had to keep up. Actually literally... After riding several brands and pricing them out, I started thinking this was not for me. But then my mechanic, Chris Krugh, let me try his Yamaha Moro 5. He bought it at the end of 2024 when Yamaha was blowing them out. Turns out that they were trying to distribute the bikes through their normal network of dealers. Obviously nobody would think to buy bicycles (eBikes or otherwise) from a motorcycle, outboard motor, snowmobile, music instrument, ATV dealer. HA...I was very skeptical too - even after riding Chris'. But I watched a bunch of reviews on line and started to change my b=mind. That prompt3d me to see if there were any for sale. As it turns out all the ones at dealers were gone. HOWEVER I did find one on line down in Rode Island. I got in touch with the guy, got a bunch of pictures taken right then and found out he had bought it in November but never ridden it. I checked with the shop that sold it to make sure it wasn't stolen, tagged a friend to make the ride with me and drove the 4 hours down there on Monday to pick it up. It looked absolutely perfect and he had all the paperwork, receipt and warranty info. PLUS he knocked an additional $100 off since I drove so far! Go figure... So I ended up with a brand new $5800 bike for $2k. Sweet... I'm still tweaking the setup, but honestly I think this was a good move. The bike rides great and I can pound up stuff like Hurricane Mountain Road without killing myself. Hell, if it gets me out more and longer, what's not to like? If you're interested, here's a Yamaha promo video...
MUSICAL NOTES:
After 7 gigs in 10 days, things are a bit more under control this week. I'll be at Tuckerman Brewing this Saturday 4-7 and then on the boardwalk at Weirs Beach on Sunday with Rob Ames Quintet. Both are different, both fun...
VALLEY CYCLING:
I rode a bunch of trails on the east side on the regular MTB and then half of the Electric Loop plus stuff around echo Lake today on the eBike. It's all good. PLUS the long bridge on the Electric Loop has been replaced. I kind of wish they had widened it a skonch, but it's still a lot better. Check it out...
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
When the slab cut loose, my mind calculated trajectories, analyzed terrain, and fed me its conclusions: no way out, you are going to die. This conclusion seemed to free me to experience the fall. Tumbling, catching air, then the loudest sound I've ever heard - probably the sound of both legs breaking or how to get hit by a Mack truck.
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.
