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July 27, 2023
Hi Folks,
After 2 months of rain, we may possibly have turned a corner...into fall! Well not really of course. But with overnight temps in the upper 40's to low 50's over the past few days, and with the Observatory talking about possible hypothermia, it sure has felt like it. I know it's not completely unusual, but it is strange considering how things have been this summer.
Regardless, after June and July I'll take every dry day we get thrown our way. FYI I have heard that worldwide July was the hottest on record EVER!!! [yikes] You'd hardly know it was that way considering what we've been having. On the good side I haven't had to water the garden hardly at all, but overall the garden is a couple of weeks behind.
I was talking to a friend today and he asked why I haven't been climbing much rock this summer. A reasonable question, and there actually are a few reasons... The main one has been the weather. Every time I make a plan to climb, the weather seemingly goes to crap and hopefully that will change as we move into Fall. It's also because the couple of friends that I climbed with a lot over the past 6-7 years are either not available or have retired. But mainly it's because I am much more protective of my hands than I have been in the past. This summer I have had more music gigs that I've had in many many years. I know you have seen my occasional postings about concerts and gigs that I'm doing. This summer I started out with 50 gigs on the books, and I've played half of those and added another 20! The majority are of these are not classic rock bar gigs and many are jazz or jam-band gigs with my own groups with great players. I have arthritis in my hands and at times get twinges of tendonitis in my elbows, so I tend to baby those parts of my body these days. And since most of these gigs are with MY bands, if something happened to me it would impact 3-5 other folks. I used to love thin face and friction climbing, but those are hard on my finger joints. Plus, as someone who plays the bass exclusively with my fingers, I don't want to mess up my calluses. Fortunately this isn't a problem for ice climbing, so I'll be back in that saddle as soon as the time comes. And hey, maybe once the weather stabilizes and gigs slow down, I'll be out climbing some fun rock before it gets cold. I still go to the gym 3-4x a week so I'll be ready to swing and pull-down when that time comes. ;-) And that's the "rest of the story..."
This 3-day grassroots climbing festival brings climbers from all over New England to Rumney, one of the oldest premiere sport climbing destinations in the United States. Challenge yourself on the schist and get after some of the most iconic routes in New England.
Come spend time with your community, give back to our local crags, and learn new skills. We pride ourselves on the fact that the Craggin’s are a party with a heart, so these walls are also hosting climbing clinics taught by professional athletes and skilled certified climbing instructors and a chance to make the Earth a little better with a stewardship project hosted in partnership with The Rumney Climbers’ Association.
Of course, it wouldn’t be the epic celebration that it is today without our Vendor Village, local craft beer and food, gear giveaways and demos, games, raffles, and an epic bonfire by the river. What makes these events truly exceptional is the community of friendly folks who show up to celebrate our shared love of vertical pursuits. Rain or shine, we’re going to have a great time.
https://americanalpineclub.org/rumney-cc
Salewa USA Recalls Wild Country Superlight Rocks Cable Wire Chocks Used for Climbing Due to Fall Hazard
https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Salewa-USA-Recalls-Wild-Country-Superlight-Rocks-Cable-Wire-Chocks-Used-for-Climbing-Due-to-Fall-Hazard?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery&fbclid=IwAR05E6UwpgdjcDTcfune7FEpeiQ6u9FUTTf5nKf5z0WPGUJQ6t599dQ00W4
There are still mosquitoes, but mostly they aren't as bad as they have been. I still spray up when I'm going to be in the deep woods, but overall it's not too bad.
Trails overall are in good shape. I rode at the Marshall a few days ago and it was generally OK. Other than the back side where it is often wet, Lucille's was fine. T-Bone was good and Shumway was OK as well, except for a tree angled across the trail in one spot. Fortunately yo could just ride around it. The downhills at Cranmore are good as are most of the Hurricane Zone ones. A friend was at Coos in Gorham a day or two ago and said it was OK, but muddy here & there. I need to get up there soon.
Remember - climb hard, ride the twisty stuff, wear a helmet, stay safe - and above all BE NICE.
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
| It doesn't have to be fun to be fun. |
| Barry Blanchard |
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