| Like reading the White Mountain Report every week? Why not get it delivered to your e-mailbox every Thursday? All you have
to do is subscribe. It's fast, painless, and best of all it doesn't cost you
a dime! |
| CLICK HERE... |
October 30, 2025
Hi Folks,
Well it’s most certainly been pretty consistently colder over the past 10 daze. I took the cue and took down the screens and gutters, put away the deck furniture and the hoses and shut off the spigots. I had my front storm door, main door and stoop replaced this fall, thnX Ryan Jean for a great job, and now the front of the house has fewer drafts. [woo woo]
It’s getting to be time to swap out the lawn tractor for the snowblower, but I’m really reticent about doing that. That will signal to the weather gods that it’s time to give us a serious dump of early season snow! And frankly I’m not QUITE ready for that to happen. Yes, I know it’s almost November and I’m not asking for an actual Indian Summer. I just need another week or 10 days more of bike time in the woods - PLEASE...
The weather changing up in elevation, as well as in the more moderate terrain, has brought a pretty significant increase in the number of (shall we say) incidents that have required assistance/rescue. The most significant being almost 2 dozen "hikers" getting themselves into trouble on the Cog side of Mt Washington. It's pretty crazy the number of people requiring rescue this month. While most are generally folks who are unprepared, a few have actually been related to accidents! The mountain is generally unforgiving, and in many ways more so at this time of year. Lots of people really assume that what's happening in the Valley is what's happening above treelike. But we know that's not the case, right? I was talking to a friend who was hiking a pretty moderate mountain recently, was very well prepared and still was surprised as to the difference in conditions when she poked her head above tree-line. I vividly remember a hike up Valley Way around this time of year with one of my kiddos. We had a very nice chatty walk up the trail, and as is usually the case, shedding a few layers as we went. I clearly remember him being pretty thankful that I had made him schlep the warm puffy and heavier pants to put on as soon as got above tree-line. Go figure...
For all those interested in how things are doing, here's just a few pictures. I'm not willing to commit to posting pix every week, but I know how you peeps get about the pending ice season. Basically, if there is anything even remotely possible to climb, it's in the higher elevations of course. That said, we are starting to get some water back in the system. And of course that's a GOOD thing. Here's a few pix from Wednesday since today, Thursday, is pretty crappy. Notice the water on the slab right of LHMW on the Willard Upper Tier. While I didn't see water in Frankenstein, there was some on Willies. Stay tuned...
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/elephantHead.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/silverCascade.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/dropline.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/fang.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/MtWillard_UpperTier.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/MtWillard.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/numberedGullies.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/standardRoute.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/willies.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/MtWashington.jpg
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/Frankenstein_Amphitheater.jpg
Here's also a picture from yesterday of a party on one of the lines on Mt Willard near Cinema. It was a nice sunny day and I gotta figure it was some fun climbing.
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20251030/MtWillard_climbers.jpg
A strengthening low-pressure system will impact the region throughout the forecast period, producing highly changeable and dynamic weather conditions. The system will track northeastward through the Midwest today before moving overhead tonight into tomorrow, bringing moderate to heavy rain and strong winds. As the storm pushes northward and moisture levels increase, cloud cover will rapidly overspread the region during the morning, with rain showers beginning in the afternoon. The approaching storm will also tighten the pressure gradient, allowing the winds to strengthen out of the east throughout today. Near-freezing temperatures this morning are expected to increase to around 50 by later in the afternoon.
The system will move into the Northeast early tonight, bringing widespread moderate to heavy rain that will last through the night into tomorrow morning. As the low deepens further, winds will ramp up more tonight, with gusts up to 35 mph. Widespread rain in the morning will taper to scattered showers in the afternoon as the storm moves overhead and a dry slot moves in. During the late afternoon, the low will move north of the region, shifting winds out of the west and ushering in a colder airmass. As a result, temperatures will drop back down to the upper 30s Friday night. Meanwhile, the low-pressure center will continue to rapidly deepen over southeastern Canada tomorrow night as high pressure builds in from the west. The resulting tight pressure gradient across the Northeast will likely generate strong winds overnight. With abundant low-level moisture in place, scattered showers will continue throughout the night.
https://mountwashington.org/weather/regional-weather/mount-washington-valley-weather/
https://www.rainwise.net/weather/wdc
Jim McLaughlin, Tim Gilmore and I will be playing some trio funky stuff at the Majestic Cafe this Saturday, 11/1 from 7-9pm. We're never sure where the music will take us or what tunes we will be playing, but I know it will be fun.
If you are at all interested in what else is coming up with me musically, you can always see my schedule here: http://www.alhospers.com/?PageName=2
I've sone some riding over here in the hood that's been fun. Having the eBike has been nice. I can generally ride more, which is the name of the game. I have to drop the car off at 8am to get some work done on Monday at a place up by the Chimney Man's shop on 16. It was very chilly morning, 34 degrees, and I really did bundle up to ride home. I was sure glad that I did as well. Just like climbing or hiking, you want to bring some warmer clothes in case something happens. It's easy to get further away from home than you think, with little or no cell service, and have a mechanical or even a medical issue. I had that happen 2 years ago in January on Mt Clinton Road in Crawford Notch right near the Edmands Path trailhead. It was around 1pm and I was on my fat bike. It was snowy and pretty cold, and I broke a derailleur hanger. I was very happy that I'd brought a warmer jacket, warmer gloves, had some hand warmers and was wearing warm boots. Fortunately it's slightly downhill from there to the parking lot and I was more or less able to "paddle" back. Just a word to the wise...
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:
http://www.neclimbs.com/mobile
Check it out and if you have issues on your specific phone, please feel free to let me know.
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:
http://www.facebook.com/NEClimbs/
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 far as I knew, he had never taken a photograph before, and the summit of Everest was hardly the place to show him how. |
| Edmund Hillary, referring to the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay |
|
