Cloudsplitter Mountain Guides

Colin knows that the goods are in the trees.

Jason works over a steep smooth bulge of dense ice, high on Weeping Winds.

President's Week(end) is almost upon us, and with the conclusion of the first serious thaw-freeze cycle in over six weeks, it seems that we've reached the climax of the winter season. I just got back from three days of 'big ice' climbing with John G. at Lake Willoughby in NE Vermont (post to come.) Emilie just got back from a week in NH, getting in some classic climbs with friends and fellow guides (she's been posting photos at NEice.com), and guest guiding two ice climbing clinics at IMCS' Mt. Washington Valley Ice Festival. So that's it for the climbing festivals this year, which leaves just the upcoming Adirondack Backcountry Skifest March 7-8. Visit Mountaineer.com for the info on this unique and intimate community event celebrating natural snow and natural terrain.

Dave enjoying (almost!) alpine style ice on Roaring Brook Falls.

The passage of the season means we're into the warmer and more pleasant side of winter as we slide (literally and figuratively) into spring. Late season ice climbing is often fat and plastic, with moderate temps and sunny days making mixed climbing feel like rock climbing and turning belays into pleasant scenic rests rather than frozen huddles against the weather. Days are noticeably longer, and while the ice on north-facing aspects continues to grow with daily melt-freeze cycles, south-facing ice is pretty suspect (if not already gone.) Despite the loss of snow in this recent thaw, it surely sorted out what had been actually a very unconsolidated snowpack that had accumulated since December, with pockets of of depth hoar/temperature-gradient snow crystals on top of December's ice layer and a more recent 'trap-door' crust on top. Whatever snow is left now- it will be bombproof now and make for good mountaineering and spring skiing when it thaws.

Adam and Colin crampon up upper Slide 1.

That's why the call it 'Iceface.'

So what to do now- climb or ski? It depends on current conditions and micro-locations. Before the thaw I found some great snow and mountaineering on the Whiteface Slides with fellow local guides Colin and Adam. While the exposed grade 2 ice flows keep the slides closed from the ski area, it is state land open to anyone with the necessary self-sufficiency, skills, fitness and inclination to grind out the ski up the toll road and descend into the slide (and then climb/ski laps on the slides.) Cramponing up the exposed ice and snow makes for easy progress up, but we headed for the trees on the descent and found great protected snow and interesting terrain in the narrower drainages. At the end of the day it's an easy ski down (only!) and out through the ski center's trails. It's not for everyone, but since we're climbers AND skiers, we think it's fun.

Adam makes a mental note to head to skier's left at the top of this bulge!

Hard to imagine you can ski this in the spring....

Colin, daddy's day off.

Adam enjoying the challenge of 'natural snow and natural terrain.'

But now with the thaw/freeze cycle, the backcountry skiing has taken a hit. So it's back to climbing and mountaineering until we get a little more snow again. The accessible ice climbs that survived the thaw at Chapel Pond, Cascade Pass, Pitchoff, Hurricane and even Poke-O-Moonshine (hopefully) will be healed and scuplted into new and fresh formations, and certainly more plastic than during the mid-winter deep freeze. We'll deliberately avoid routes that were cut heavily or undermined by rain during the thaw. The good news: mountaineering routes like Mt. Colden's Trap Dyke and Gothic's North Face will be in excellent shape and trails will be fast and packed for efficient approaches/descents- on snowshoes or skis. The best ski turns (and nordic skating) will be at the groomed ski areas (Whiteface and Mt. Van Hovenburg), until we get some more snow- March is usually our best ski month. For those avid backcountry skiers still inclined to mix in some skiing with their mountaineering right now, there's always the option of ski touring in and out to the base of the climbs, climbing and descending in ski boots, and touring back out. It's the best of both worlds really and makes the most of conditions. That's what I'm doing this weekend. To climb or to ski? That is the question- 'Whatever's best' is the answer!

Jason on Weeping Wind's opening slabs, North Face of Pitchoff.

Jason likes ice climbing!

North Face of Pitchoff, Weeping Winds final pitch.

Jason raps down a wall of golden ice.