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Ice Report

February 9 - 16, 2007

For the third week in a row, below freezing daytime temperatures are predicted for North Conway. The Notches are warming up (!) to the single numbers at night, highlighting a slow rise in temperature that should continue. The climbing conditions are still harsh, making extra gloves, warm layers, chemical heat packs and a thermos of hot drink useful add-ons to make these low temperatures bearable. Cold ice is brittle and routes take longer to climb than is usual. Keeping your hands warm when they're always over your head (and in wrist loops still?) is tricky. Joe Josephson recommends taking a 325 mg dose of aspirin before a cold climbing day and Mike Hartrick will drink an extra quart of water during the approach drive to keep hydrated. Take the time to lower your hands and allow the blood to return. If you have a thumb hole (make one...) in the end of your long sleeved turtleneck, put a chemical heat pack over your wrist – right where you'd take your pulse – and trap it under the cuff. This helps encourage blood to keep going into your hands. Ice climbers certainly are a friendly bunch, they're always waving their hands.

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, The Forest climbs, Waterfall (thin top), Standard, Penguin, Dracula, The House of Blue and Practice Slab North are in. Lots to climb.
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: Gully #1 is there. Cinema Gully is very thin, long runouts, bad belays.
Mt. Washington:

Tuckerman, Huntington Ravines have ice climbing. Check avalanche report.
The Lions Head Winter Trail is now open for above treeline access.
The Sherburne Ski Trail has snow. Some rough 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/

Click here for last week's report