Featured Stories Archives : Page 13 of 21 : North East Ice

Mountainfest 2014 Wrap-Up

January 23, 2014/1 Comment/in Events, Featured Stories/by NEice Admin

Another Adirondack Mountainfest has come and gone. As always, it started with a joke from Vinny and ended with many things to toast to with some good bourbon. What happened in between? Well, all weekend, clinics were going on, gear was being demo’ed, ice, snow and rock was climbed and kegs were tapped.

Photo by Andrea Charest

There were an array of classes going on from an Avalanche Intro Course with Chuck Boyd, Slide Climbing with Jeremy Haas, Colin Loher and Chad Kennedy to Climbing a 1,000 Feet of Ice with Jesse Williams to Snowshoe Mountaineering with Carl Heilman. And of course there was learning steep ice, thin ice, hard ice and every kind of ice with great guides and overall great people like Ian Osteyee, Don Mellor, Matt Horner, Matt McCormick, Jim Pitarresi.. need I say more? We were excited to welcome Vermont’s Andrea Charest, fresh out of Ouray to attend her first Mountainfest! She took both beginner and advanced climbers out for clinics on both days. I’m sure she will be back!

Some interesting lines for everyone to learn on!
Photo by Andrea Charest

Friday night kicked off with Aaron Mulkey’s presentation. He is a Wyoming based climber and Rab athlete. He is also the owner and author of the website Coldfear. Check it out and you’d wish you’d been there for the show!

On Saturday, the temperatures warmed up, the sun was out and the winds were calm. I had grabbed a pair of Altai Hok skis from our friends at The Mountaineer to demo that day and the only decent snow cover I could find was at Whiteface Mountain! Very un-Adirondack like. I was really impressed with the skis. They are a snowshoe/ski hybrid with built in skins. The universal bindings resemble snowboard bindings and they fit my climbing boots perfectly. I took a few laps on the bunny hill and was surprised how well I could maneuver them. They will be great approach skis. The Mountaineer is the only shop on the East Coast of the US where you can try these out before you buy!

Doug took advantage of the calm weather and headed to Cascade Pass to fly the NEice air fleet. He came with three helicopters and left with two! Yes, a big crash and his “power model” had disintegrated to a pile of broken electronic parts. But not before getting some footage! And with another more reliable chopper in his quiver, we had fun buzzing the ice around the Pass.

[iframe src=”http://player.vimeo.com/video/84831066″ frameborder=”0″ width=”640″ height=”360″]

Press Play!

Saturday night was Vince Anderson’s show at the Beaverdome. After some awesome free stuff was thrown around and raffle prizes given away by The Mountaineer and the sponsors, Vince chatted about his time on the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat with Steve House. They summited the 8125m peak via a 4,100m route in one single non-stop six-day ascent, followed by another two days of descent. The climb took place in 2005 and they were awarded the Piolet D’or for their ascent. Badass.

Eric and Jason ready for the rappel down.
Photo by Naomi Risch.

Alex laughs through this first experience with screaming barfies

After the clinics left to climb on Sunday morning, Outdoor Research guru, Naomi Risch and I had a day out with three other company reps in Green Gully. For the Patagonia rep, Alex, and Marmot rep, Jason, this weekend was their first time ice climbing! Also joining us was Eric with Scarpa. Everyone was psyched to get out and despite the scrappy ice conditions, we had a blast climbing a couple of pitches before we had to get back for demo returns.

While we had a party of five in Green Gully, Kevin Mahoney returned to Exit 30 crag with Doug Madera to give the Fecalator another go. The Fecalator in the Adirondacks, possibly the country’s first trad M10 WI6, was put up by Chris Thomas almost ten years ago. As Emilie Drinkwater reports, it’s only seen a few ascents by very talented and very determined climbers. Kevin and Bayard Russell had spent some time on Saturday flirting with it. On Kevin’s first try on Sunday and third overall attempt, he fired it! Yeah Kevin!

Kevin Mahoney on The Fecalator. Nice work! Photo by Bayard Russell

Sunday night was Doug’s presentation on the history of this great website, NEice, and appropriately titled “Oh What a Long Strange Trip it’s Been!” Starting from the beginning, through the Festiglace years and to today, Doug’s photos and wild stories had everyone laughing through the whole show. Thanks to Tom Yandon’s donation, a fresh keg sat at the front door of the Keene Arts Center. He wanted to thank everyone for “littering”.

Monday morning we woke up to big snowflakes and dropping temperatures. Yes! With no snow cover on the ground at the beginning of the weekend, it was great to see it start piling up once again. Winter was back.

To be noted, Don Mellor and Drew Haas are working on a second addition to Blue Lines and any information or photos should be sent to Don, emailed to Drew or dropped off at the Mountaineer. They are looking to have it ready for next winter.

NEice would like to thank Ed Palen and all the staff at Rock and River Lodge for their unrivaled hospitality and of course, Vinny and all our friends at the best climbing shop on east of the Mississippi, The Mountaineer.

Steve and Vin enjoying “a thousand feet of ice” with guide Jesse Williams

Check out some more great photos of the festivities here:

18th Adirondack International Mountainfest – Photo Recap!

By Courtney Ley / NEice.com

Featured Cover Image: Doug Madera on “The Fecalator”. Photo: Kevin Mahoney – Mahoney Alpine Adventures

Smugglers Notch Ice Bash – 2014

January 21, 2014/0 Comments/in Events, Featured Stories/by NEice Admin

We are Psyched to Announce!

Coming this weekend, January 24th-26th, 2014, is the 8th Annual Smuggler’s Notch Ice Bash! Don’t miss the Friday night kick-off party and dry-tool comp at Petra Cliffs, and be sure to attend the presentation by guest speakers Lindsay Fixmer and Whit Magro at the Smuggler’s Notch Inn and Tavern on Saturday night. And all throughout the weekend there will be an array of clinics and great demo gear to check out. It’s sure to be a superb weekend of camaraderie and climbing.

Check out the Smuggs Ice Bash website for a complete schedule of events:

Schedule of Events

Conditions in the notch are shaping up nicely!

“Smuggs has improved drastically since earlier last week. This past weekend groups were out in full force taking advantage of the mild weather and good ice. Large groups from neighboring Colleges and Universities were out, saw the Mtn. Warfare School up there training and multiple personal climbing partners playing around on Jeff’s, ENT, Grand Confusion, and several other spots throughout the Notch.

Seems the ice held in there just enough, and the cold weather returned quick enough to deliver us a good rebound. Much of the Notch’s classics are in fine shape to climb. Sounds like with the exception of Doug’s Route and Prenup, the South wall is in climbable shape as well.

The road is definitely ski-able with a couple inches of snow on it these past couple days.” –Tim Farr (1/20/14)

There are still some open spots in some of the awesome clinics that are offered:

Saturday

January 25 – Clinic Offerings

Intro to Ice Climbing – 1 Spot Available
Steep Ice Climbing Technique – 4 Available
Learn to Lead (two-day) – 2 Spots Available

Sunday

January 26 – Clinic Offerings

Women’s Ice Clinic – 3 Spots Available
Intro to Ice Climbing – Spots Available
Skill Building: Using Double Ropes – 2 spots Available
Learn to Lead (two-day) – 2 Spots Available
Intro to Mixed Climbing – 2 Spot Available
Ice & Snow Anchors – Spots Available

Last Update: 1/21/14

Please call to book your reservation in a clinic! Call Petra Cliffs Climbing Center: (802) 657-3872 or toll free: 866-65-PETRA.

NEice can’t wait to be apart of Smuggs Ice Bash. We have hot soup ready to go and helicopters tuned up for flying. See you there!

The Northeast’s only Dry Tool Competition!

Ouray 2014 – Elite Mixed Climbing Competition

January 14, 2014/0 Comments/in Featured Stories, Front Page, Video/by NEice Admin

The annual Elite Mixed Climbing Competition was held Saturday, January 11 at the Ouray Ice Festival in front of a record crowd of enthusiastic spectators.
Only three competitors completed the challenging route to the top!

2014 Ouray Ice Festival – Elite Mixed Climbing Competition from Outside Adventure Media on Vimeo.

Results of the 2014 Ouray Ice Festival Elite Mixed Climbing Comp:

Top 5 Men:
1 Jeff Mercier
2 Mauro Dorigatti
3 Will Mayo
4 Sam Elias
5 Kyle Dempster

Top 5 Women:
1 Stephanie Maureau
2 Jen Olson
3 Dawn Glanc
4 Emily Harrington
5 Kendra Stritch

Video created by Barry Stevenson, OutsideAdventiureMedia.com.
Music, “Running”, composed and performed by Moby, courtesy MobyGratus.com.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow!

January 12, 2014/1 Comment/in e-guide, Featured Stories, Front Page, Ice Climbing News, New Ice Climbs/by NEice Admin

One Reckless Youth, an Ice Devil and several Polar children

Times like these don’t come along often, I mean, when was the last “Polar Vortex”? But when they do, you better be ready. The conditions were ripe for the picking last week on Whitehorse & Cathedral Ledges, North Conway NH. Peter Doucette – Mountain Sense Guides – along with IMCS guide Sam Bendroth, Erik Eisele, and Adam Bidwell had “Mountain Sense” and dropped everything to take full advantage of these rare conditions. With plenty of ground water and a “Polar Vortex” to bring in some great “Streaks”, they hit the jack pot.

Peter had a few days of training earlier at Cathedral Ledge before his Whitehorse rampage. And as Bayard said, “Peter, now fully warmed up and ready for the next event, takes it to the next level. In the next three days he proceeds to climb everything. I mean everything!” See more on Peter’s warm up from NEice Ambassador Bayard Russell of Cathedral Mountain Guides on his Blog Post Sending Streaks

Blue is Endangered Species, Black is "Ice Devil" and Red is the "Reckless Youth" finish to "Endangered Species".

Whitehorse Ledge – South Buttress, North Conway NH / Blue is Endangered Species, Black is “Ice Devil” and Red is the “Reckless Youth” finish to “Endangered Species”.

“Taking a page out of the Russell/McCormick play book, during the nearly unrelenting deluge today, Erik and I followed “Endangered Species”, (Webster/Winkler ’82) and branched out on a slight variation to get into the Children’s Crusade finish up ice glazed corners yielding “Reckless Youth” (M8 WI5+) shown in Red.- Peter Doucette

Its technical crux was pulling into the base of the upper corner on micro hooks to establish a stem

Reckless Youth - Peter Climbing 2 - Erik

Peter on P1 of Endangered Species – Erik Eisele

” We were soaked to the bone, used umbrellas for the approach and first belay, and reached the ground just as a thunderclap ripped through the valley. Pete led the crux pitches, one and three, both of which were incredible to watch. On the Eradicate Dike he was looking at huge falls into ledges, and in the upper corner he was climbing a six inch vertical smear while clipping bad fixed pins. It was raining so hard water filled my boots. I went through four pairs of gloves. To watch Peter work in such conditions was pretty amazing.” – Erik Eisele

Ice Devil (Right) Reckless Youth in Red (left)

Peter on “Ice Devil”. Reckless Youth to the left (red) – Adam Bidwell

“Ice Devil” (WI5+ M6+) shown in blue, followed a smear right of the rock route “Seventh Seal”, up “Scare Tactics,” then angled left into the upper reaches of “Beelzebub” with some variations. Brilliant climbing both days, full conditions today. Who know’s what will form in the next couple weeks if the “Polar Vortex” kicks back in.” – Peter Doucette

The Myth of Sisyphus

Sam Bendroth on The Myth – Peter Doucette

The Myth offered some rare and spectacular climbing.

” The Myth with the absent top-out sadly apparent from below…sometimes you have to see it in person to believe it :-)” – Peter Doucette

Dresden South

Peter topping out on “Dresden-South” – Sam Bendroth

Winter Asylum

Peter climbing “Winter Asylum” – Sam Bendroth

The routes are as follows:

Dresden South NEI5 Peter Doucette with Sam Bendroth 1/10/2014 / Cathedral Ledge, Left margin of the Barber Wall.
Winter Asylum NEI 6- R (thats 6 minus) Peter Doucette with Sam Bendroth 1/10/ 2014 / Cathedral Ledge, The Barber Wall
Ice Devil M6+ NEI 5+ Peter Doucette with Adam Bidwell 1/9/2014 Ice Whitehorse Ledge, South Buttress
Reckless Youth M8 NEI 5+ with Erik Eisele 1/11/2014 / Whitehorse Ledge, South Buttress ( through the upper corners of Children’s Crusade).

So all I want to know, when is the next “Polar Vortex” due? – Doug Millen

A few more photos

Source:

Peter Doucette

MountainSenseGuides.com

IFMGA/AMGA Licensed Mountain Guide

Phone: 603 616-7455

E-mail peter@mountainsenseguides.com

Address: 84 Skyline Drive
Intervale, NH. 03845

Photos as noted, click to enlarge

Ouray Ice Festival – 2014

January 7, 2014/0 Comments/in Featured Stories, Front Page, Video/by NEice Admin

The Biggest Ice Festival in North America is happening this weekend, January 9th – 12th, 2014! Start making your plans now for the 19th annual Ouray Ice Festival!

Schedule of Events

The Ouray Ice Park is one of the premier ice climbing destinations in the world. But the amazing walls of ice are not just the work of Mother Nature. The Park is a non-profit organization that relies solely on memberships, sponsorships, and donations to exist. It is home to more than 200 man-made ice and mixed climbs and, despite the high cost of operation, remains free and open for public use. Join the Ice Park team by visiting the Membership page at ourayicepark.com/about/membership.

Thank you for supporting the Ouray Ice Park.

Ouray Ice Park: Behind the Ice

Ouray Ice Park: Behind the Ice from Outside Adventure Media on Vimeo.Video created by Barry Stevenson, OutsideAdventureMedia.com.

“Ice”, presented by the Ouray Ice Park

Video produced, directed, photographed and edited by Barry Stevenson, Outside Adventure Media. Visit Outside Adventure Media for more information, or contact him at bsvideo@gmx.com.

Stingray and a new climb at Poko "Ruination" WI6 X

January 3, 2014/0 Comments/in Featured Stories, Front Page, New Ice Climbs/by NEice Admin

by Ian Osteyee

Ian Osteyee on “Stingray” 12-27-2013

Mark Meschinelli and I had a good day at Poko on Friday the 27th. Things looked to be shaping up a bit when I was there on Thursday, so I brought in a substitute guide and played hooky with Mark. We looked at “Stingray” from the road and it looked intriguing, so we went for a look. It still didn’t look certain from the ground, it seemed less formed than when I did the second ascent with Chris Fey years earlier. I climbed up and across the “Sting” ledge and down to the belay. Once Mark came up, I went up to take a look, and although thin, the ice quality was good and attached.
The ice formed a bit left of where it had before, and reaching the “Sting” anchor was difficult. No gear, and 50′ above the “Sting” ledge, I took care getting to that anchor with an off balance kind of iron cross move. 30 seconds of awkward, careful chipping allowed me to clip and have a piece of gear. It gets a little steeper right after that anchor, but the ice also got a little better. The last time I did this route I climbed from that spot all the way to the dike ledge with no more gear. On this ascent I was able to avoid the 150′ run out, finding a bolt frozen in the left side of the smear about 40′ up from the “Sting” anchor. Mark had told me the general whereabouts of the bolt – a good partner indeed. This time I used a set of Blue Water 70m doubles and easily reached the anchor point, better than the scary rope stretching super stubby/bad rock anchor of the last ascent. Mark came up and we headed up the upper pitch. The upper pitch was fun, sticky ice through the small roof above and to the big tree/rappel anchor.

Ian on “Ruination”

That would have been a great day all by itself, but as we rappelled down we couldn’t help looking over at another smear that had formed from the middle of the “Sting” ledge straight up between the rock routes “Easy Street” and “Unforgiven.” We rapped and Mark and I discussed our options. Mark cautioned that it looked much thinner than “Stingray.” I agreed, but the ice was climbing well that day, and I decided to have a look. I climbed back up the “Sting” ledge, tucking the ropes behind the ledge as “gear”, and shimmied toward the smear. I could see an overlap about 50′ up, that might take a TCU placement. The start was very thin, and crampon purchase had to be carefully managed. Already being up on the “Sting” ledge created a substantial distance above the ground. The new Cassin Blade Runner’s shined. I reached the overlap, and was disappointed. I fiddled with a blue TCU, but I should have brought the little purple one. I left it, but it was as useful as a Christmas ornament. I knew the “Unforgiving” anchor was up there somewhere. At about 100′ I saw a red sling frozen in, and 30 seconds of chipping revealed the top bolt of the “Unforgiving” rock anchor. That was good timing as it steepened right there. Having Mark Meschinelli as my partner can’t be underestimated.
Mark is a calm, cool guy, and he neither incites this kind of mischief, nor denies it. He simply inspires calm, and that is a great climbing vibe. Another thing Mark is good for is telling you where hidden bolts may be, as he’s spent a lifetime climbing at Poko. Another 40′ up above that anchor clip and I remembered Mark had said “keep your eyes open, there are a few bolts up there,” and there was a bolt. A little chipping, clip, and my mood improved markedly. Another 40′ and the angle decreased, I placed a 10cm screw just before the ledge, but the ice still wasn’t quite thick enough. From there it just links up with the same upper pitch of “Stingray.” The new pitch is a hair longer than the “Stingray” pitch, but the line is narrower, and the ice thinner. We both thought it a bit pumpier. The name is Meschinelli’s favorite new brew, which we enjoyed curbside. “Ruination” WI 6- X

New Hampshire’s Grade IV

December 30, 2013/3 Comments/in Featured Stories, Long Days/by Courtney Ley

By Courtney Ley

As we know in the climbing world, one woman’s Grade V is another woman’s Grade II. We try to define the difficulty of the route, the time it takes to climb it and level of commitment it requires by funny little symbols and acronyms.. but ratings will forever be subjective. I even hesitate to say the agreed commitment rating for the longer gullies in Huntington Ravine is a Grade III. Damnation Gully is described as 5 full length pitches of 60 degree ice and snow with a few short ice bulges. Last November, this gully took me all day to go from car-to-car. Last April, it took me less than an hour to climb during my one day enchainment of all the gullies in Huntington. All of Huntington Ravine’s gullies change drastically as the ice season ticks on but the grading remains the same. Damnation Gully is a classic line that gets a lot of attention. And well deserved. So are there Grade IV ice climbs in New Hampshire? What about a route that is twice its size with three times the amount of ice? I would imagine it would get the Northeast’s spotlight. Or at the very least, some vague description on SummitPost.org.

Last year I climbed the Ammonoosuc Ravine solo and wrote a short tale in the conditions section. It was a long day with more ice than I’ve ever seen in one place (at least in the Northeast). It was beautiful and challenging. The approach was miles, as was the descent. After I wrote that short blurb last year, I thought about this route more and more. This year, I brought a partner and a rope and I realized how massive this gully truly was when climbed in traditional pitches. After this years outing, I decided the Ammonoosuc deserved its time on the front page.

One of the reasons there aren’t climbers flocking to this route may be that getting the Ammo in good condition requires perfect timing. Too late, you are slogging in waist deep snow with barely any ice in sight. (Yes, I’ve done it.) Too early, you’ll find gushing waterfalls off steep wet and snow-covered rock. With such varied weather from day to day during early and even mid season, it is a requirement to obsessively watch conditions. Even then, it’s a crap shoot what you’ll find. In a way, the Ammo demands commitment even before you reach the trailhead. But when you nail it just right, there’s nearly 10 solid pitches of ice and a little under 3,000 feet of elevation gain with almost all of that on the ice. There’s also three short headwalls that are no give away. Despite this, I’m surprised an ice climb of that magnitude in New Hampshire hasn’t received much attention at all.

To add to the commitment of 10 ice pitches, being in this gully means you are in. It’s very difficult in most places to bail out or work your way around the steeper sections. The walls on either side of you are serious. But if you look and are creative you can find good exits. Although once you exit, you enter the thick alpine spruce midway up Mt Washington. Now what? Rappelling doesn’t seem appealing, but that’s probably just me, because it never seems appealing.

I’ve climbed this route three times so far. No one told me about it and I didn’t read about it anywhere. One day while cyber-vacationing on Google Earth instead of being hard at work in my office, I noticed it and wondered what it would be like in the winter time. I thought I should explore it before too much snow fell, so around the traditional early ice season time, I went for it. The ravine is a spectacular place. It gives you a big-mountain feeling as you continue to climb further up with no end in sight. You won’t see anyone else in there. It was a climb that made an impression on me in many ways and I couldn’t believe climbers weren’t talking about this route. This last time, as I was making the descent out with my friend by headlamp, I realized we had stumbled upon a long, committing and classic line in the Northeast. Yes, what I’d consider a New Hampshire Grade IV ice line.

What a SummitPost entry might tell you:

The approach is about 2 miles and the descent is a little over 4 miles. The elevation gain is 2,900 feet and almost all of that is on the ice. You’ll encounter WI2-/+ for the duration and WI3-/+ ice up and over the short headwalls. Once above the ice, you’ll have a snow climb for a few hundred feet until you reach the Westside Trail.

Happy Holidays from the Harvard Cabin

December 24, 2013/0 Comments/in Featured Stories, Front Page/by NEice Admin

Happy Holidays!

I hope this message finds you well and in good position to share the holiday with Friends and Family. Marcia and I send our warmest wishes for you and yours this holiday season and our hope for the very best in 2014! Thanks so much for being part of our family over the last 4 years. It’s sure has been fun. We’re are looking forward another awesome winter filled with our Harvard Cabin Friends!

Mountain Conditions – A Winter/Spring Mix!

Well, what can I say? Despite this past weekends weather, it has been a great start to the season! While being a bit less mobile then normal, so far this month I’ve been able to enjoy a great day climbing the Tuckerman Headwall, another day in Pinnacle Gully, and a few fantastic powder days! It was full-on winter for about a week….super cold too! It was so good to have winter back again! But, don’t take my word for it. Check out this sweet little trip report authored by Harvard Mountaineering Club Member and grit stone climbing extraordinaire Dr. Dave Leonard. He very eloquently summarizes the wintry weekend of December 14-15, 2013!

It really should come as no surprise What a difference a week can make. It can be discouraging at times, but I’ve learned to appreciate my time at the cabin no matter what the weather brings. In the last 36 hours we’ve seen over an inch of rain combined with the mid-mountain warming layer that seems to be haunting us winter after winter. The combination of the two sent the ravines into Considerable avalanche danger rating across the board all the way back down to Low. Over this past weekend outside air temperatures at the cabin hugged the 40 degree mark at night while the lower elevations stayed at or below the freezing mark. Given the amount of rain and warm temps I’d say the trails did okay. However, for the near future you can expect very slick conditions on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail as the mercury heads back towards more seasonal temperatures.

Visibility hasn’t allowed for a recent glimpse into the ravine. Despite being only days away from our first avalanche cycle of the season, I’d expect lots of bare rock and very little snow left in the fan and gullies. Still, I’m sure the ice will be doing quite well and is going to continue to grow throughout the week. Once we dry out up here and get some well deserved Christmas sunshine, the ice climbing should be outstanding! Come willing to chop for good ice placements and be aware of the potential for ice dams to form in the immediacy of such a substantial rain event.

The John Sherburne is still skiable but you’ll expect late spring conditions for the time being. If it’s any indication, I hiked down to Pinkham today. With that said, I wouldn’t anticipate much uphill ski travel this week either. There is only some light snow in the forecast this week with the most potential not expected until Friday. Of course, we’ve been surprised before….keep your finger crossed, your skis waxed, and traction on your feet! One things fore sure, Christmas is looking like a Bluebird day!

Roof Avalanche – What Can We Learn?

Well, the warm-up did allow me to take care of some chimney repairs on the cabin over the weekend. Of course, this was after both sides of the metal roof avalanched within a few minutes of each other. It was a hazard made known to all guest and thankfully the super-saturated death slab that covered the cabin roof came down early on Saturday. Indoors, away from the perpetual rain, looking through the windows everyone took pleasure in observing the incredibly quick pace at which the slab crept over the eaves. With the steep pitch of the cabin roof, it was amazing to observe how far from the eve the overhanging sheet of saturated, cohesive slab could creep before failing. I have to say, I’ve seen this every season I’ve been at the cabin, but this time it was different because of the speed at which instability progressed, measuring from only a few hours prior when we had a very cold, relatively stable snowpack. While we were enjoying the observation of avalanche phenomena far from avalanche terrain on Saturday, it turns out that Lead Snow Ranger/Avalanche Forecaster Mr. Chris Joosen was doing the very same thing down in the valley. Of course Chris could offer-up color-commentary in addition to a wee bit more technical analysis. You can check out his expert review and summary, including video, by clicking here. Very Interesting!

Upcoming Events

New England Ice Festivals
Mountain Fest: January 18-20, 2014 – Keene Valley, NY
Smuggs Ice Bash: January 24-26, 2014 – Smuggler’s Notch, VT
Vice Fest: January 24-26, 2014 – Franconia Notch, VT
Mt. Washington Valley Ice Fest: January 31- February 2, 2014 – North Conway, NH

Eastern Snow and Avalanche Workshop – Continuing Education Series
A new program offered by the USFS Mount Washington Valley Avalanche Center and the Friends of MWAC. Free and open to the public the talks are geared towards recreational backcountry users who’ve already taken an avalanche course or who have significant experience traveling in avalanche terrain. Held monthly at IME and spearheaded by USFS Snow Ranger Jeff Lane. For more details Click here for a flyer .
We Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!

Rich Palatino & Marcia Steger
Harvard Cabin Caretakers

NOTE – Harvard Cabin is not affiliated with the Appalachian Mountain Club. Harvard Cabin is maintained by Harvard Mountaineering Club for use by the general public. The cabin is operated under a special-use permit granted by the USDA Forest Service. Cabin space and tent-sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis between December 1st and March 31st each year. Specific instructions for staying at the cabin can be found online at http://www.HarvardMountaineering.org

Big Wall Fun in Baxter

December 12, 2013/1 Comment/in Featured Stories, Front Page, Trip Reports/by NEice Admin

The Tabor Wall - Early season in Baxter State Park

The Tabor Wall – North Basin, Baxter State Park, Maine – 12/3/13

by Doug Millen

We arrived in Millinocket early Saturday evening with bare ground showing but woke to snow plows and about 2 inches of fluffy snow. Not good sledding snow to cover the gravel road that would take us to Roaring Brook. Sizing up the situation, as I filled my wagon tires at the gas station, Kevin ran across the street like a kid to buy a wagon at the tractor supply. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to the mountain and the wall he had dreamed about.

Early season in Baxter is a crap shoot. You never know what the conditions will be, for the road or the ice climbing. Most years the ice climbing is great, but the way in, not so great. How you get in is the question. Wheels are usually involved. Many times it is a ski in with a sled to Roaring Brook. Some years we have driven in. Mountain biking in before the snow covers the road is popular. We had sleds, wagons, skis, a mountain bike and Kevin Mahoney. Everything we needed to get to Chimney Pond and back. We were well-prepared.

This year it was a mix. We were able to drive in to the game preserve gate, saving us about 6 miles of sled and wagon hauling. We dropped the gear at the gate and Kevin took the van out to the winter parking area with the bike for the return journey. We made short work of the 5 miles to roaring brook over about 1 ½” of snow. Kevin caught up with us after about an hour. Wagons or sleds, it was not much of a difference. They both worked well with the thin snow cover.

Arriving at Roaring Brook early, we took advantage of our spare time and ferried loads up to Chimney Pond for our week-long stay. On our return to Roaring Brook, a light snow fell and the temperature was dropping. Our spirits were high and the liquor flowed in the cabin that night.

The next morning we brought the rest of our gear up to Chimney Pond…with foggy views of the north basin, our minds ran wild. What would this next week bring? Our proposed ice line up the wall looked in! Were we ready? Would it go?

We settled into our new home. We had the cabin all to our selves. Tools were sharpened and we readied for the battle ahead. At 4am the stoves roared and we packed for the day. Kevin and Michael broke trail over the newly fallen snow to Blueberry Knoll, and then we began the ¾ mile bushwhack to the base of the Tabor wall. The day was clear and still as the sun came up over the vast pine forest to the east.

With the sun peaking though the early morning clouds we could see the biggest alpine face in the northeast in front of us. Bayard said “good thing we get the foreshortened view from here.” This face was huge, over 1000 feet high, and we needed to get to work.

The ice did not come all the way down to the base so we looked for a way up to the ice. Bayard and Michael took a line to the left and Kevin and I took the direct line just to the left of the ice. The cliff was full of rime ice and reminded Bayard of Scotland.

Kevin starting up the big wall

Kevin forced his way up and into a chimney. He was too big for this icy entrance that would take us higher. He removed his pack – not good enough. He removed the rack, then a layer. But the chimney was still too small, despite such determination to get up this climb. Looking for another way he climbed out onto the arête for some spectacular climbing on thin flakes to a good stance above. I followed the pitch. One down and how many to go we could only speculate. From this belay we could see the ice. It looked thick enough, but how to get to it? Kevin headed up a thin corner placing a single gold cam on the way. From there he headed up into no-mans land. Struggling for pick placements and protection, he finally got a small hook in a crack 30 feet up. With the pump meter going, he headed for the ice. Moving right on very thin friction moves, his feet cut loose and he was left hanging by only his tools. Struggling not to fall, he gained control and moved quickly and deliberately onto the ice.

He fell 20 feet in a blaze of sparks from his crampons and tools scraping over the frozen rock

The ice was not what it looked like from below. It was delaminated, dry and brittle. Every swing and kick just breaks the ice away. I see the determination in Kevin as he heads up and then down, taking the pulse of the ice and the risk involved. Kevin wanted this climb so bad. But the ice only got worse and no gear in sight. With good sense he made a plan to come down: “I am going to down climb as far as I can then jump.” OK, I said and prepared to catch his fall, wondering if the gear above would hold. Kevin down climbed until both feet cut loose and then his tools popped. He fell 20 feet in a blaze of sparks from his crampons and tools scraping over the frozen rock. Rolling over once and swinging towards the belay he landed just 5 feet above me with a smile saying “The hook held!”

With no other way up, we rappelled to the ground to regroup. There must be an easier way to the top. Kevin started up a ramp system to the left with easier ground. Fun climbing lead us to a stance near where Bayard and Michael were doing battle. They were not having much more success than we had. Bayard took 3 whippers on the first pitch alone. They forged another ½ pitch higher then rappelled to the ground. They had had enough for the day.

Kevin climbing out of the chimney

Kevin and I committed to another pitch. Some fun climbing took us to easier ground, but with a steep head wall above, the end of daylight coming fast, and no real hope of getting to the top, we rappelled. As we hiked back to our comfortable home at Chimney Pond, we were treated with views of the cliff as the fog moved in and out. What a spectacular wall. That night we nursed our wounds with Scotch, Fireball, and Moonshine. We gave it a good a shot, as well as anyone, but the conditions were not right. We probably missed the window by a couple of days. No mater what, it was a good effort and great to be with friends in this special place with no one around for over 20 miles.

The next day we wanted something different. Bayard and I headed to the Pamola Ice Wall. Michael and Kevin had their eye on the ‘Cilley Barber”. At 9am when we signed out at the ranger’s cabin, they were already 9 pitches up. They were back at the ranger’s cabin in no time. 4 ½ hrs round trip. Rob the ranger commented, “they smoked that climb”. Kevin said they were greeted with 40-50 mph winds and blowing snow as they topped out and headed to Baxter Peak. True alpine conditions. This was Michaels first time on the Cilley Barber and first time summiting Baxter Peak. Does it get any better?

Bayard and I found some great ice on the Pamola Ice Cliffs. We climbed “Frost Street” and “Walk on the Wild Side”. Bayard made the grade 5 ice look so easy. But I guess, compared to yesterday, it was.

The next day was our last climbing day. The conditions had not improved but the boys wanted to give the Tabor Wall another go. I elected to take a rest day in preparation for the long journey out tomorrow. Let the young lads have at it!

Bayard on “Walk on the Wild Side”

We partied late into the night (8pm ;-)) and consumed the remaining liquor. Bayard and Michael tried to sneak off to bed earlier but Kevin and I would have none of that for our last night at Chimney Pond. With a few choice comments about masculinity and heritage they felt the pressure and joined us for a night cap, and we all reflected on our trip and laughed into the night.

At 4am the routine began. Off they went for another adventure. I enjoyed being able to sleep in and spend the day doing chores around the cabin and preparing for the hike out.

The boys were back early. The conditions limited their 2nd attempt on the wall. They tried working a line right of the main flow. The warm weather and sun was just eating the ice making progress difficult. All and all they had a great day of mixed climbing and got to know the wall a little better. They vowed they would return!

Big Loads

After some hot soup we packed up and started down with our heavy loads to Roaring Brook. The wind picked up and it started to snow. The trail was icy but snow covered and we made short work of it. 5” of snow lay on the road at Roaring Brook. Looked like a good ski out the next day.

In the morning we woke to rain and 2” of slush on the road. Again, wagons or sleds, it really didn’t matter. Kevin headed out an hour early so he could pick up the bike and ride out to get the van, another 6 miles. He is the man…taking several good diggers on the snowy, icy road before reaching the van.

It poured rain on us the whole way out and we hesitated to stop – the wet & cold kept us moving to stay warm. We were soaked to the core. We passed the gate and within 500 yards, Kevin showed up with the van, a welcome sight. We packed the van, and toasted with PBR’s: A Great Trip. We will be back!!! Off to Millinocket and we were having breakfast before 10 am.

Photos by Doug Millen – Click to Enlarge

More photos from our trip

Photos by Bayard Russell Jr. Kevin Mahoney, Michael Wejchert & Doug Millen

Area Map

Interactive Map of Baxter State Park – Zoom & Pan. Click Icons for Info

The Crew

Doug Millen

Kevin Mahoney – Mahoney Alpine Adventures

Bayard Russell Jr. – Cathedral Mountain Guides

Michael Wejchert – See his blog post of the trip

* Many thanks to Ranger Rob Tice and Baxter State Park for all the hospitality and a well run operation.

Relates Stories

Early Season Luck On Katahdin

Katahdin Tales

Mt. Katahdin Maine – A trip Report

The UP Footage: First Takes

December 10, 2013/8 Comments/in Featured Stories, UP, Video/by NEice Admin

It all started one night just this past October over a couple of beers. We looked at the ‘Mammut 150 Years Peak Project: Trango Towers’ video which used radio control helicopters to capture amazing aerial climbing footage. After the two-minute video was over, Doug looked at me and said, “Hey, we can do that!” If it had been anyone else, I wouldn’t have believed a word of it. But it was Doug Millen, and a short two months later, we were taking his first custom built helicopter out for its first test flight.

It has been nothing short of a journey getting to where we are right now. It started off by learning how to build them and then to fly them. If that wasn’t enough challenge, we ran into seemingly endless electronic issues, big crashes and the subsequent repairs and re-builds. Eventually we faced the inevitable video problems, worked through how to get good footage and then learning the video editing software. And we are still at the beginning of this journey because there is so much more to learn and troubleshoot. I wish there was a camera constantly rolling during these past months to film all that has happened up to this point. It has been an intense labor of love for Doug and it’s been an incredible experience being able to work with him and seeing our shared passion and vision turn into a reality.

The UP Footage: First Takes from NEice.com on Vimeo.

I’d like to present the film we showed at the Adirondack Mountainfest and the Vermont Smugglers Ice Bash in a new edited format to everyone who is a part of NEice. I hope you enjoy a collection of the very First Takes!

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of making the UP Project such a fun experience so far and to Luke Cushman, Chuck Drew, Adam E. and all the climbers that let us buzz by.

-Courtney Ley

Mountainfest 2014 Wrap-Up

Smugglers Notch Ice Bash – 2014