I'ts been good getting back into the swing of things this winter. Our friends Amanda and Trip from AL (formerly Newport, VT) had a weekend planned at Jay Peak, which also happened to correspond with a major winter dumping of new snow. We carpooled up with Mark & Joanne and got a room at the Hotel Jay for an epic weekend of riding and skiing in feet of the fresh stuff, and catching up with everybody. It was a great time. Unfortunately some fun in the woods cost Joanne 3 ribs, but I'm sure she'll be back at it in no time.
Last weekend I spent a couple days ice climbing over the Adirondacks with my friend Tom. Conditions on the first day were laughable......raining and near 50 temps made Multiplication Gulley more of a river than an ice route. We swapped leads and were both completely soaked. The rope practically made a hose to crotch, funneling all water straight to the harness of whomever was seconding. Then our ropes got stuck in a tree on the rappel, and I had to ascend them again to free them, only adding to the sog-fest. Luckily we had a room in Placid to dry gear, and temps crashed that night opening up some new thin routes the next day.
We climbed with Tom's friend Ian near Keene Valley on Saturday, doing a bunch of awkward 'different' stuff, one particular 'First Ascent' was high on Ian's TMB rating = "Thin, Mixed and Bushy". I was glad he lead it.
While cleaning a screw I awoke an ice Yeti in a small cave, and he threw a chunk at me, leaving a nice cut and shiner. It was a one Peroni clean-up back at Ian's.
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