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April 16, 2026
Hi Folks,
So I had my fried egg and sausage breakfast Boissant sandwich at Bagels+ and then drove over to the North End of Cathedral this morning. I was a bit surprised to see that much of the ice that had slid down from the slab several days ago was still there at the bottom! This, in spite of a bunch of 60+ degree days, followed by some pretty amazing torrential rains over the past few daze. I normally don't put videos directly on the NEClimbs.com web site, but I thought you might find these interesting. The rain one is from Tuesday and the ice from Thursday.
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20260416/rain_tuesday.MOV
http://www.neclimbs.com/wmr_pix/20260416/northEndSlab.MOV
Since I have 10 days off from gigs, it's time to put up the screens and gutters, rake the yard and flower beds, weed and till the garden, plant some bulbs and generally get the house all set for summer. And if we have some warm dry days, get out on some fun rock. I'm thinking that the upper slab on Jockey Cap might be just about perfect to get my rock on. If you haven't been there, definitely check it out. It says very quickly and is very well bolted. Just want I need to start the season off.
Every ski season, Mount Washington sees an average of 25 life-threatening sliding falls. The Proving Ground is a short film from Warden Co., produced in partnership with the Mt. Washington Avalanche Center Foundation, exploring the dangers of recreating on the mountain that go beyond avalanche risk alone - told through the stories of those who have survived, and those who tragically have not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN8coLjWOzc
Forest Service staff have documented a pair of actively nesting peregrine falcons on the Main Cliff of the Rumney Rocks Climbing Area. In order to protect the birds and climbers, parts of Main Cliff and Main Cliff Right will be closed until August 1. This closure only pertains to second pitches/extensions from "Via Ferrata" through "Free Bird" (including both of those routes).
By August 1, we expect chicks to have fledged (i.e., left the nest on their own) and the closure will be lifted. Until then, the birds need plenty of space. They can also be very territorial during this time period and may even attack climbers who get too close to their nest. Therefore, this short-term closure is important to protect both the birds and people.
We thank the climbing community, New Hampshire Audubon, and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department for continuing to work together to protect this very important peregrine falcon nest site!
From the Western Mass Climbers Association - Farley Ledge is temporarily CLOSED. One of the private land owners has asked that no one trespass or climb on their property. Since it is not possible to access any of the climbing from the wmcc parking lot without crossing their land, we are temporarily closing our lot.
We understand that this is very sudden and last minute and assure you we are doing the best we can to communicate clearly to climbers and follow the land owners wishes. We will have more updates soon. Please share and thank you for your cooperation as we are working this out.
https://linktr.ee/climbgneiss
Low pressure will approach from the west on Thursday, then pass overnight as a trailing trough swings through on Friday. Thursday will start with a warm front lifting north across New England. This will provide cloudy skies and scattered rain showers. As the front passes, widespread showers will taper to isolated rain showers and drizzle. Patchy fog could slow a few commutes prior to mixing out mid-morning. A dry slot could allow for some partial clearing overhead prior to a moist flow returning in the afternoon ahead of an approaching cold front. As warm air moves in behind the passing warm front, highs will rise to well above normal. As the low and a trailing cold front pass, showers will spread back in for the afternoon and evening. Increasing instability will lead to the formation of convective cells, which may develop into thunderstorms. Model soundings indicate some cells could become strong to severe, bringing heavy rain, hail, damaging winds, and even a slight chance of tornadoes.
As the front passes Thursday night, rain will taper, and convective cells will exit. A moist flow, along with a trailing upper-level trough, will provide a continued chance of showers and drizzle, with patchy fog forming after midnight. Wet and unsettled weather lingers on Friday before tapering as the trough moves offshore. High pressure will then build late in the day and into Friday night, allowing for a clearing trend to develop. Temperatures will dip a bit Thursday night, then rebound to above-normal levels during the day Friday before dropping back into the 40s Friday night.
https://mountwashington.org/weather/regional-weather/mount-washington-valley-weather/
https://www.rainwise.net/weather/wdc
We will be updating our General Bulletin on Mondays and Thursdays by 7:00 AM, and when storms significantly impact the avalanche hazard outside of those days.
Continued rainfall and above freezing temperatures will further accelerate melting snow and increase the presence of mountain hazards like open holes, undermined snow, icefall, and small loose wet avalanches. Choose a route that mitigates your exposure to these hazards. Always be prepared with crampons, an ice axe, and the skills to use them to help reduce your risk of falling on steep slopes.
A section of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail through The Lip Area is now CLOSED to all use. This section extends from Lunch Rocks to the top of the Headwall where it meets the Alpine Garden Trail. Only this section of the trail is closed. This annual closure is due to the magnitude of the crevasses and undermining, along with the severe consequences of a fall in this area. (36 CFR 261.55(a))
More than half of the Sherburne Ski Trail has melted out and is now CLOSED below the yellow rope. Please help preserve the ski trail by removing your skis and walking down the Tuckerman Ravine Trail trail at the rope.
https://www.mountwashingtonavalanchecenter.org/
I have been doing a bunch of riding in between the raindrops this past week. I think it's going to be a great season this year and the trails will be great. Just be aware that things will be soft for at least a day after the rains we have been getting. So if you see yourself leaving big ruts, just don't do it. I don't think it will take much time to dry out after any given rain, considering just how dry it's been. After all we are still officially in DROUGHT!
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 had a great string of gigs over the past few weeks and now I'm off for a few. I have some great shows coming up this summer, so stay tuned...
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
| Climbing may be hard, but it's easier than growing up! |
| Yogi Sklarananda (a.k.a. Ed Sklar) |
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