MOUNTAIN GUIDES ALLIANCE INC.

603-356-5310

Ice Report

February 2 - 9, 2007

For the second week in a row, below freezing daytime temperatures in North Conway and below zero night temps in the Notches are expected, so ice MAKING conditions are good. The ice CLIMBING conditions are harsh, making extra gloves, warm layers, chemical heat packs and a thermos of hot drink useful add-ons to make these single digit climbing temperatures bearable. Cold ice is brittle and routes take longer to climb than is usual. It's difficult to sink screws that have been dulled from the thin earlier season ice, so now is a good time to re-sharpen your ice screws. Send them to a Grivel re-sharpening machine ($10+/-), or do it yourself with a round 3/16" chainsaw file to deepen the gullet and then use a chainsaw "raker" file to smooth and sharpen the cutting edges of the tooth. Get these in Ctr. Conway @ Wood N Saws, 447-3424. A rat-tail file will take away an overdriven point that has curved into the tube

Conditions:
Franconia Notch: The Black Dike is good, bring rock and ice gear.
Kancamagus Highway: Champney Falls is good.
Cathedral Ledge: North End is good. The Goofers are in. More?
Crawford Notch: The Ampitheater and Texaco Slabs are in, but bring some short screws.
Arethusa Falls: Good. Watch for open water in center and at the base. Frankenstein: Pegasus, Hobbit Couloir, Chia, Cave Route, Bob's Delight, The Trestle Cut Climbs, Lost and Walk in the Forest, Waterfall (thin top), Standard, Penguin, Dracula, The House of Blue and Practice Slab North are in.
Mt Webster: Shoestring and other gullies are in, bring rock gear, headlamp. Willey's Slide: Good.
Top of the Notch: Elephants Head Gully is good. The Cascades are in, use care on thin ice.
Mt. Willard: The line of Gully #1 is there. Cinema Gully is very thin, long runouts, use care.
Mt. Washington:

Tuckerman Ravine has ice climbing. Check avalanche report.
Huntington Ravine has good ice climbing. Avalanche danger may increase.
The Lions Head summer Trail is open – this may change with more snow
The Sherburne Ski Trail has snow. Some ice and bare spots.
The Harvard cabin is open. Sign up at AMC Pinkham Notch Camp.
Check the latest avalanche updates at the A.M.C. Pinkham Notch Camp or call the Forest Service 24 hr. avalanche hotline: 603-466-2713 (ext. 4) or log onto: http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/avalanche/