| Summary | |
| Owner | MITOC Gallery Administrator |
| Creation Date | 2005-03-07 23:32:11 UTC-0500 |
| Description |
Willey's Slide Ice Climbing and Protection Practice Trip March 6th, 2005 Dan Walker, Max Cohen, Christiaan Adams After several weeks of Extreme Avalanche danger in the Whites, the warnings finally came down, and our snow & ice protection trip finally materialized. Unfortunately, half of our original crew (which had included Paulina V., Chris G., and James D-F.) was not able to join us, so it was just the three of us that got up early on Sunday and took the long ride up Rt93 to Crawford Notch. After stopping in Lincoln to stock up on thermoses and hot drinks, we arrived at the trailhead around 9am. The weather was quite mild... it didn't feel much below freezing, and there was almost no wind in the Notch! By the time we arranged our gear, put on our boots, hiked up the ~1/2 mile approach path, stopped for a photo op on the RR tracks, and arrived at the base of Willey's slide, it was nearly 10 am. Willey Slide is a long, sloping scar in the mountainside, which is covered in low-angle ice during the winter. This day, there were a number of patches of deep snow, including the first 100 yards up. We walked up the first bit, and set up a belay station just below where the steep ice started. After some snacks, Dan headed out to lead up the first pitch, with Christiaan and Max sharing the belaying. After placing two screws, Dan disappeared over a big lip, and we assumed that he would stop and belay us up. But the rope kept pulling up, until there were only about 10 feet left. We shouted up, and the rope stopped moving. 10 minutes later, the ready signal was given, and Christiaan headed up the pitch, cleaning screws as he went. By this time, the wind had picked up, and it had started to snow a little. Dan had climbed 2/3 of the way to the top, and placed a good 3-screw anchor in the ice. Christiaan clipped into the anchor and threw the rope back down for Max, who tied in and climbed up. By this time, the snow was thick in the air, nearly obscuring the view across the valley, and making the surrounding mountains seem ominously larger. With the weather deteriorating, we decided to forgoe the short pitch to the top and instead traverse the slope to the trees, where we could practice placing snow anchors. Max led across, anchored to a tree, and was followed by Dan, mid-rope. Christiaan cleaned up the anchor, and joined the others, stopping along the way to "fall" on the picket protection. Interestingly, it did not hold at all, and came popping right out. We'll have to work on placing those! In the trees, we had some food and greatly enjoyed our various hot drinks (Dunkachino's rock). We walked about 50 yards into the woods, where a trail descended parallel to the slide. Trail is a relative term. This one was more like a 20 inch deep rut in the snow that resembled an alpine slide or luge track. It was a quick descent, initially attempting to walk, but soon giving in to temptation and simply glissading down on our rears. Lots of fun! On the way back we stopped in Plymouth for some Pizza and a small helping of fried treats, and made it back to Cambridge around 9pm. We all had a good climb, and gained a lot of experience with snow and ice protection. Thanks to Dan for leading and bringing us all back safe! -Christiaan Adams 3/7/05 |