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July 20, 2017
Hi Folks,
I keep wondering if we're going to get into a string of consistent dry weather this summer. So far it's been really up and down. A couple of hot and dry days, a day of cloudy & humid and then a major league thunderstorm. We've sure had all that this week for sure. And I gotta say that the storm we had blow through was a real doozy! It was one of those really evil storms with major thunder and lightening and a real deluge. Certainly not what we need for gardens and lawns folks...
I've had to cancel a couple of climbing dates due to weather this week, but I did manage to get out on Wednesday with Brad. It was going to be very hot, but it was my only shot for the week, so I put on the full court press and he gave in. We decided that the slabs were not an option and that the Geriatric Walls on Humphrey's were in the shade and probably the best option. Turns out that was a good guess.
Neither of us have been there for a while this year and there was a tree down just as you start up the trail past the boulder problems. Pretty likely from the storms we've been having. You can step over it, but it would be nice if someone with a chain saw would trim it out of there. We walked past the main wall area and things were looking somewhat dry. As we dropped down into the Geriatric area there were a couple of guys on the routes on the easy slabs on the far right. We wandered on down and settled on High Stepping, which looked completely dry. I led it, and it was as good as it always is. I did notice that the nut on the right-hand bolt on the anchor was loose. I finger tightened, but we didn't have a wrench with us to cinch it down. If someone is up there it would be nice if you took care of it.
Brad took a run and we pulled the rope. I wanted to lead Old Crow, to the right. I hadn't done it in a year and thought it would be fun. I remember doing the FA in the early spring when temps were crisp and the rock very dry. It was quite different yesterday, but still not bad. As you might expect, the crux is getting over the headwall. And, as is often the case, there is a trick to managing it. [wry grin] It took me a couple of try to unlock it, but once mastered it was actually quite easy. Having lost 8 pounds over the past 2 weeks certainly helped my cause as well. Brad took his run and after a couple of toys he managed it as well. Interestingly he pulls the crux moves in a completely different manner that I do, go figure.
I'm heading down to Boston with my 17 year old in tow for a couple of days to see Tom Petty on Thursday night. Their bass player Ron Blair and I were roommates and band mates for several years when we went to school at the University of Florida in the early 70's, so I try to catch them when they are in New England. It should be fun. Between that & my own music gigs this weekend, no more climbing for me this week. Oh well...we do what we can do.
I was told that the parking situation at the top of the cliff in the roundabout has been posted as 1 HOUR PARKING ONLY by the State. Phil, the Echo Lake State Park Ranger, has apparently been running off the climbers parking up there. IME, Friends Of The Ledges and others are trying to get this resolved, but in the meantime PLEASE park on the side of the road BELOW the toilet and pull fully off the road.
At this time I don't know any more about this than what you see here. However, if you see Eric Nelson or Phil, please express your displeasure - in a respectful manner!!! Thank you for your consideration.
My ride to remember so far this week was actually the bog-standard East Side Loop. It starts at Thompson Falls where you park for Sticks & Stones. You ride up Peaked, across Sidehill, up Rattlesnake and across to the Quarry, back on the Muffler Trail, to Pillar To Pond and then the right side of Sticks & Stones. For some reason I got on a tear and managed it in 1 hour 5 minutes! That's my best time ever!!! I'm not a racer, but now I'm looking to see where I can knock off that 5 minutes. [wry grin] I also got in a nice ride on the Marshall Trails, checking out some of the new additions as well as a good ride back from Redstone to Cathedral Ledge after dropping off my van at the mechanic. Gotta grab those opportunities when you can folks.
Getting better, but it still depends on the location. Mosquitoes pretty bad, bring DEET no matter what!
I'm doing a Sunday Brunch gig at the Sea Dog Brewing Company in North Conway for my jazz trio. It starts at 10 AM and goes 'till 1 or 1:30. I have a variety of guest soloists, this week being the brilliant saxophonist Mike Sakash. I promise it's excellent food, great music and a fabulous Mimosa Bar!!!
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
| 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. |
| Carl Tobin |
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