Poaching Routes Outside of Official Climbing Season

The weather this November has been top notch... and still we have another solid week of Sun in the forecast. With the temperature today reaching 5-6 degrees, I wanted to get a few pitches packed into what was absolutely an excellent weekend. This cries afoul of last week's Facebook announcement by the UNB Rock & Ice club that rock season has come to an official end as of Oct. 31st. Write me a ticket!

Climbed a number of good pitches and worked a little closer towards a send of Dihelio. Dom showed me a small but key chip in the rock that I didn't know about before. I will put it all together soon. I think if I was in the same shape I was this spring I might have it - so I'm getting back on the running - and off the cookies. 

It is cold tonight. Icicles persisted the entire day today at Sunnyside in a few spots. I'd bet a beer that Parlee has started to form. Who will get the first NB ice this year?

Dom on Stairway to Heaven

Dom's pics of me working Dihelio

Looking swole? 

Melissa on Smells Like Rain...

Topping out the red-point!

- psyched -

Sh#t-Show Direct at Cedar Pt.

Climbed Monday at Cedar Pt. with a van-load of kids. Got a few images of the affair. Actually... I missed the real affair on camera. Tony decided to adventeneer himself a new gully route: 'Sh#t-Show Direct 5.4 R'. Climbing in high-winds after sunset he finds himself scrambling 35' off route up the loose gully to the right of the easy escape route. Brian winds up having to second the thing wearing 2 packs and without a headlamp in the dark. Way to turn a well-bolted 5.6 sport line into an adventure lads... well done.

Climber's Trail Day

Saturday was perfect November weather for working on trails. Cool enough to make hard work bearable and wet enough so that nobody was doing much climbing. A plan hatched on the climber's forum to work on the climber's trail up Cochrane lane worked well. Tool loans, wood donations, a crew of 10 solid workers and a small amount of anonymous cash made a lot of good happen.

Dom got us permission to drive the truck to the trail-head. Gold.

Once the trail heads up hill past the stream erosion has made quite an impact. Water runs directly down the center of the trail. Over time the trail has also gotten wider from people hiking around the water, which only makes matters worse. Also the stairs on the final steep 50' leading to the first aid box were getting in rough shape with many rotten treads and little goat paths leading off on all sides.

Over the course of the day, the crew put in 7 well built water-bars with french drains and did a lot of work on the staircase replacing rotten treads, smoothing the soil, and even installing some new granite steps. Everything looks great and works well. I really hope it rains next time I'm there just to see how much water it's all able to handle. Please use the intended pathway rather than skirt around side of it. This should go a long way towards controlling the erosion in this location.

Franca swears that she didn't just stand around drinking beer all day.

Adam's fort. Water does not get past this. 

Staircase in the process of being fixed. 

Would very much like to work similar projects at Sunnyside and the steps up to Lower Dawn Wall. If you missed your chance to work yesterday you'll probably have another opportunity.