Top rope ice near St Johnsbury?

[graham]

Greetings, I was wondering if anyone knows of a place I could top-rope ice climb real close to St Johnsbury?  Other than Willoughby or beside the interstate that is.  Thanks, Graham.

[slacker]

Graham,

There are a few good places but the most obvious and best access is Crystal Lake in Barton.  As you drive along route 5 north towards Barton you will see the flows across the lake. Everything from 2+- 4 ice and no crowds.

[kenreville]

Take slackers advice.

IMO, Willoughby is not a place to be top roping.

[graham]

Greetings, I was wondering if anyone knows of a place I could top-rope ice climb real close to St Johnsbury?  Other than Willoughby or beside the interstate that is.  Thanks, Graham.

Thanks a lot guys!

[perswig]

Speaking of Barton and Crystal Lake, anyone know if the little diner across from Currier's Market in Glover is still there?  Always liked that place.

Dale

[slacker]

Yes the dinner is still there.  I have never been but if you find your self in Glover go check out parker pie!!!!!  The best pizza you will ever have in the middle of nowhere.


Matt

[pappy]

My biz is now in the old Purina mill in St. J, the ugly six story concrete thing you see when you get off 91 at US5. The six story section is made up of something like a dozen or more vertical silos inside the building that they used for the grain when they were mixing feed here. Unheated bare concrete. My landlord asked me if I thought running a hose inside of one and making an ice climb would be a good business; I told him that I doubted there were enough ice clmbers in the area to make that viable (besides, our insurance agent would sh!t). But maybe not, what to y'all think?

[Admin Al]

what is it, 30 minutes from Willoughby???

[sherbi]

On our way to Arethusa falls yesterday we made a stop to see Crystal Lake, where are you supposed to park ? On the other side and cross over the lake ?

[mopowers]

Nothing real close to St. Johnsbury except the interstate, Willoughby or Crystal. Next stop would be Franconia Notch.

Indoor ice in St J. would most likely be a bomb. Whats your business Pappy? Are you a St. J local? I heard a lot of work was done on that building.

Best place to park for Crystal Lake is alongside the road across the lake from the ice. The ice is typically not any good until the lake is frozen anyway. It is possible to walk around the lake of course but is frowned upon. You would have to walk through the dooryards of several residents.   

[perswig]

I used to gather kindling all summer and fall down the camp road on the backside of Crystal, stockpiling like a squirrel for the long winters (only wood heat in my house up the hill in Glover).  I thought it stayed open year-round, but maybe not?

First fall I lived there (have I told this story before?), the well went dry.  I collected drinking water from the roadside by Willoughby in drums in the back of my work truck, and after particularly messy days (calvings, cast withers) when I'd come home all bloody, I'd stop at Crystal and scrub off the worst of it before heading back to the house.  Pretty damn chilly in Sept and Oct, I tell you what ...

Dale

[Admin Al]

On our way to Arethusa falls yesterday we made a stop to see Crystal Lake, where are you supposed to park ? On the other side and cross over the lake ?

I always walked across the lake...

[sherbi]

I always walked across the lake...

By the way, are the ice flows on public land or private land ?

[Admin Al]

no idea... never heard of an issue tho

[mechanicalchris]

My biz is now in the old Purina mill in St. J, the ugly six story concrete thing you see when you get off 91 at US5. The six story section is made up of something like a dozen or more vertical silos inside the building that they used for the grain when they were mixing feed here. Unheated bare concrete. My landlord asked me if I thought running a hose inside of one and making an ice climb would be a good business; I told him that I doubted there were enough ice clmbers in the area to make that viable (besides, our insurance agent would sh!t). But maybe not, what to y'all think?

Yes, I would like to climb a six story silo. Maybe do it like Ouray, don't charge to avoid liability but rely on donations. Obviously if you refrigerate it, I'd be there all year.