Ice
Conditions
Tuesday
December 29, 2009
Because
the ice season had just gotten started climbs have not matured
so conditions change quite a bit with the weather. Add to
that the fact that the weather has been going from seasonable
cold to warm rain and now today with brutal cold and wind,
ice conditions are very dynamic. For that reason I am trying
to do short frequent conditions report. I was out at Frankenstein
yesterday and below is my report.
Yesterday
I went climbing with Victor and we spent most of the day on
the Standard Route flow but we stayed off the typical lines.
Victor and I first climbed a thin Trestle Practice Slab then
went and climbed a thin line to the right of the Right Side
of Standard, when we topped out from that route we climbed
Standard again this time by going up the thin ice line out
the center of the cave. The word for the day was wet with
warm temperatures and wet snow falling in the afternoon. The
Center of Standard had a decent flow of water down it as did
the routes at the Hanging Gardens and the Trestle Mixed Routes.
Standard saw a number of ascents (at least 7-8 parties by
a number of variations) as did Dracula and I saw a party heading
toward Pegasus Rock Finish.
Routes
in the Amphitheater looked beaten up by the rain and most
would have been a little scary to climb but I think they will
heal quickly. Welome to the Machine looked the same way, in
fact all the climbs at Frankenstein look close. Given that
it is very cold and the forecast is for continued cold and
some significant snow Friday and Saturday my guess is most
climbs that typically form will be in this weekend. It seems
we are likely getting to a point where the climbs will be
getting mature and the conditions will become more stable.

Victor on the Thin Right Side of Standard
Dec 29th
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Kevin
Mahoney and his partner above the cave on Standard
Route
Dec 29th
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Ice
Conditions after the Rain Sunday
Sunday
December 27, 2009
I
went for a quick drive after the rain stopped this afternoon
and found that the ice held up pretty well. Routes that still
look good are Pegasus with the Rock Finish, Chia and Cave
for Amphitheater Climbs. Standard and Dracula looked good
as did the upper part of Penguin, Standard was being climbed
when I took the photo. Welcome to the Machine and Bob's Delight
were hanging in but might require a few days to come back
to good condition. Willard looked pretty good with Cinema
Gully holding together well as were the Numbered Climbs, a
couple of days should help them.
The
pictures were taken from the road in poor light so I apologize
for the quality but I hope they provide you some idea of conditions.
I will be climbing tomorrow so I will have first hand info
then.

Standard
Dec 27th
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version
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Dropline & Welcome to the Machine
DEC 27th
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version
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Chia
Dec 27th
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version
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Cinema Gully
Dec 27th
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version
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Ice
Conditions
Thursday
December 17, 2009
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Dracula
area
Dec 17th
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version
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After
skiing the Sherburne Trail a couple of times earlier this
week I decided today would be a good day to go ice climbing
for the first time this season. I wanted to get a good feel
for conditions so I figured I would go up to Crawford Notch
and climb Cinema Gully with a finish up Hitchcock. After doing
that climb I stopped at Frankenstein to take some pictures
and then I made a stop at Cathedral before heading home.
Cinema
was typically thin and although I wouldn't call it "in"
I have done it in thinner condition. The only reason I do
not consider it in is because of the difficulty of finding
an anchor at the top of the 2nd pitch. The upper tier of Willard
however has some good ice and many of the climbs there are
in. I have also heard that the lower Hitchcock Gully is good
and has been climbed numerous times over the last week or
so.
Frankenstein
is looking pretty good but nothing there is likely "in"
except for maybe Standard. I saw one party topping out on
Standard as I drove by. Cathedral has a number of things to
do at the North End and there was a party on Thresher today.
In short there are climbs to be had but you should expect
early season conditions. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Cinema Gully
Dec 17th
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version
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Last Pitch of Cinema
DEC 17th
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East Slab on the Upper Tier of Willard
DEC 17th
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Upper Tier of Willard
DEC 17th
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Standard
DEC 17th
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version
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Pegasus Area
DEC 17th
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version
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Chia
DEC 17th
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version
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North End of Cathedral Slab
DEC 17th
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Steep Bulge at the North End of Cathedral
DEC 17th
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Repentance
DEC 17th
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version
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Remission
DEC 17th
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version
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Frankenstein
Conditions
Wednesday
December 9, 2009
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Welcome
to the Machine
Dec 8th
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version
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Yesterday
I went for a short hike to Frankenstein to get an idea of
conditions there before this weeks snowstorm covered things
up. I wanted a base line condition so I could get a feeling
for what the climbing might be like this upcoming weekend,
I had an idea that there would be some info around about Mount
Washington and I knew with the new snow predicted that Mount
Washington would be quite a bit different and may have difficult
wallowing this weekend. It seemed that there would be a lot
of interest in easier to get at ice so getting a good idea
of conditions at Frankenstein before the storm seemed like
the best thing to do for a conditions report.
As expected
there are reports of the conditions on Mount Washington from
yesterday on NEclimbs.
I also had the inkling that the Black Dike maybe doable yesterday
and I had hoped there would be a report from there and as
I had hoped there is a report on NEice
of that climb.
My feeling
after walking around Frankenstein is that although everything
was thin and not really climbable yesterday, today's storm
with the cold temperatures forecasted there will be some things
to do there this weekend. I don't think anything will be "in"
"(climbable at its rating with typical protection available)
but I do think there could be some reasonable climbing. I
suspect the Right Side of Standard could be ok with a finish
up Penguin possible. Another area is the Trestle Mixed Climbs
may provide some entertainment, the plum could be Welcome
to the Machine. I don't want to sound too optimistic but I
do believe there will be something to do at Frankenstein.
It is possible that things could be even better but like I
said I don't want to send people on a wild goose chase. My
guess is that if temperatures stay seasonable or colder that
by the middle of next week climbing at Frankenstein will have
gotten started in earnest.
I won't
be able to do another report till next week because I will
be doing some continuing avalanche education for the next
two days and then down to Boston for a friends 50th birthday
over the weekend. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Standard
Dec 8th
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version
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Standard Left
Dec 8th
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version
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Dracula
Dec 8th
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version
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Trestle Mixed Routes
Dec 8th
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version
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Huntington
& Tuckerman Ravine Conditions