January 25, 2001

Hi folks,

It was "only" 12 degrees on the deck this morning at 6:30. Really not too bad out there. Right now, 1:45, It's in the mid-30's. Another perfect day for ice climbing - above freezing and sunny. I was climbing in my fleece and bib only! Almost like spring. <grin>

Riley and I went to Frankenstein around 8AM. After a ride up to the Notch to check on the gullies, we walked into Frankenstein. I ran up to the top of Standard Route via the right side & up the column right out of the cave. Man, the ice was really beautiful. I also got someone to take my picture up on the top of the 2nd pitch. That was great 'cause I'm never in any of the pix I take. <grin> Here's what Riley & I saw there:

Cinema
Great Madness
Frankenstein Upper Tier
Smear
Pegasus
Chia
Cave Route
Bob's Delight
Standard
Standard Right 1
Standard Right 2
Standard Right 3
Standard Right 4
Standard Right 5
Dropline 1
Dropline 2
Welcome to the Machine
Dracula
Hanging Garden

If you are thinking about Fang or any of the upper tier climbs, they are pretty much done for. We have had a lot of sunny weather and they are surely punked out. Machine and Penguin are looking to be a bit of a hookfest these days, but still OK. Get 'em while you can. Also, Cinema and the Willard gullies all look pretty thin. I was going to climb Cinema this morning, but decided against it. The East Face Slabs all are fine.

Brad White, IME guide and climber extroidaniare, rung me up yesterday morning on his day off and we decided to take a ride to Duck's Head for an busman's holiday on ice. It was a good choice. While ice conditions there were not as good as some other years, it still was a nice outing. I got to do a nice runnel lead and we toproped one of the better mixed routes around, Guido's Delight, a brilliant MI6. I was psyched to get up it in good form, tho my tools will need a bit of resharpening. Just as I was making my way through the crux moves at the top, I heard voices below. It was Mark Synnot and Jared Ogden who were there to work on a "sick" new route 2 lines to the left of Guido's. Talk about intimidation for me. <grin> Watching them for the next hour was a climbing lesson in itself. Here's a link to some cool pix of the afternoon's fun.

Ducks Head

Chauvin Guides site has some pictures of Duck's Head too. Some of the climbs look a bit different, possibly from a week or so ago, but they're still cool.

LOCAL'S NOTE: Areas like this are on private land. I'm not sure who owns it, but I believe it is the Iron Mountain House, and that means it is for sale. No one seems to mind us in there, and parking at the power transformer station has never been a problem. That said, respect our access! Don't block the entrance or the gate at the power station. And also please pack out what you pack in. I saw some discarded muffin wrappers right by the climbs that I picked up. Please don't discard paper, trash or even toilet paper. Bring a zip-lock baggie and take it out with you. Thanks.

Sometimes I bitch about the crowds on the ice. Well last weekend was almost out of control, and I was a part of it! The AMC Mountaineering Committee ran the first climbing-weekend of their annual Ice Climbing Program up here in the White Mountains. Saturday was at Lost In the Forest and Walk In the Forest at Frankenstein. everyone got to do 1, 2 and no tool climbing on Lost, plus some more entertaining climbs on Walk. Sunday was the traditional Willey's Slide day, starting with a self-arrest clinic and ending with a run up the slabs. At one time there were over 20 parties on the Slide. Amazing...

It looks like another weekend of wonderful ice climbing conditions. Get out there and do something!

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