Daks Feb 2007



I was finally able to juggle things, while Mother Nature was smiling, and as such I was able to get up
to the Daks for a couple of days of ice climbing in early February. This ended up only being my second ice climbing
trip of the season. I headed up to Keene Valley Thursday afternoon, and I climbed Friday (Feb 9th) and Saturday (Feb 10th). 
I climbed with Ian on Friday and then with Justin on Saturday, and had two great days of climbing.

As usual I stayed at the Mountain Meadows B&B.   Again very nice:  great room, nice folks, good dogs
(Cliff and Sam), and of course the B&B cat.  He’s gotten bigger, but he came in around 5 AM to explain
to me how he wanted to be entertained!!  It certainly had the feel of home.

Ian picked me up Friday morning a bit past 8 AM, and it was COLD!!!  It was somewhere between -5 and -3 (F)
down in the valley, with a projected high in the Valley of around 16 (it didn’t make it).  We went down
Cascade Pass (where the "Sisters" and Pitchoff Right & Left are).   The wind was HOWLING across the lake and
road (at least 35-40 mph), and the climbs in the Pass have no protection against the wind!  We both agreed
it would be dismally cold climbing there, so we went to Chiller Pillar.   This is VERY close to WhiteFace
(ski) Mountain, and although it is at a high elevation, should be both in the sun, and relatively
protected against the sun.  The approach is also, a very easy and flat 100 yard walk through the woods. 

                 

It reached a whopping -3 (that's a NEGATIVE THREE) for a high at the climb and where we parked we had at
least 30 mph winds.  However, as soon as we stepped into the woods and out of the wind, it felt 20 or more degrees warmer.

Chiller Pillar is a really COOL climb, which I hadn’t done before.  It’s rated a steep NEI 4 and is about 70
feet high. It is steep and sustained.  There is an easy approach up to set a TR (which is quicker than
leading it).  Since it was cold, Ian dashed up and set a TR.  I then did 3 different variations on it.   I
was a bit sloppy with my foot work the first time up.  However, the second time I did a smarter line, and
focused on my technique more, and it was a lot better.  For a third variation, I tried a hard (and thin)
start variation way to the left.  Very nice climbing, even though the cold temperatures did make the ice VERY hard and
brittle.  It was a day in which mono-points would be best (but I climbed in my dual point crampons).

After this we went back to the jeep, and decided to head over to Roaring Brook Falls (see below).  This is a cool
three pitch NEI 3+ climb.  Its one of the overall nicest/enjoyable climbs around.  Also, it’s in the sun
(and usually fairly well protected from the wind), and is without a doubt the warmest climb around.



This was again just a great climb.  Met a couple of Canadians (from Toronto) who were just ahead of us
(compete with lots of hockey stories) and a fellow (Bob Martin – former guide) in a group below us.
Excellent climb.  The above picture shows the Canadians, and Ian (in the middle).

We got back to the jeep between 2:30 and 3 PM, so we decided to get one more quick climb in.  Hence, we
headed over to Chapel Pond Canyon, and did Hot Shot.  This is a 60 foot NEI 4 that’s a bit past "Lions on
the Beach".  As we walked past "Lions on the Beach", the couple that was climbing there, had their dog
(very small dog) wrapped up and in one of their packs.  The dog had its head out and was of course barking at
anyone that walked past.  Ian quickly led up this, and to save time he belayed me from the top.   This is a
fairly steep climb, but I think I was beginning to shake off some of the rust, so I felt pretty good on it.
After this we packed up and called it a day.

STUCK CAR: That night, I went to the Baxter Mountain Inn/Tavern to eat, and then stopped off at Ian and Shiloh’s to
see their new 11 week old puppy.  A gorgeous little border collie.  I actually got stuck in the snow
heading back to the B&B (you have to go up a little "dirt" road about half a mile – Owl’s Head road – to
the turnaround, and near the turn-around a truck was coming down the road a bit too much in the middle of a
very narrow road.  I moved a few feet to the right to avoid hitting him and of course hit the one snow bank
on the road.   However, the truck stopped, I got out my handy-dandy shovel and after about 30 minutes of
shoveling rocking, and pushing I got the car out.

Saturday – The next day I climbed with a fellow named Justin.  Justin is a cool guy.  He had a horrific
skiing accident last winter (SEVERE broken leg), but after 3 surgeries and a steel rod in his leg (and  a
really cool scar) he’s back climbing hard ice!!

                             

We decided to start off at Chapel Pond on a climb called Lilith (see above left).  This is long multi-pitch NEI 4+ climb
(about 250 feet), that I hadn’t done before. As it turns out the ice was thin (i.e., non-existent) in a
couple of places and required some really tricky mixed climbing.  There was a really weird/spooky traverse at
one point.  It wasn’t really hard, but it was all balance with essentially nothing solid.  The ONLY
place for a tool was a little bit of frozen moss.  Again, it really wasn’t hard, but if you slipped
anywhere there was no way to recover.  Pretty cool.   After this traverse, there was another cool, but
tricky corner of mixed climbing up to a great belay.  Then there was some more traversing and mixed climbing
up to a really cool and STEEP pillar.  Just excellent climbing, including a really cool move that require a
wide stem out left with a super thin placement for your right tool.    This was just a great climb!!!
Also, it had started snowing and once again gorgeous ambiance looking at frozen Chapel Pond.

 

After this I decided to do Chouinard’s Gully.  This is THE classic climb (NEI 3).  I did it the first time I
climbed at the Daks, but not since.  Hence, we headed there.  As it turns out the two Canadians we had met
Friday (on Roaring Brook Falls) were just getting ready to start it.  Thus, we decided to do Chouinard’s
Right.  This is a NEI3+/4- just to the right of Chouinards.  It’s a LONG route (about 300 feet), that
we did as TWO long pitches.  I had never done this one before.  It had a VERY thin (but fun) start, with
several nice sections, and one nice and steep section.  The top part had some long angle stuff (and iffy ice
and snow), and the low angle stuff is always a calf burner.  So by the time I reached the top, my calves
were "talking" to me.  We then did two double rope rappels to get down.  I had never done this climb
before, and it was another outstanding climb.  The above shots show me nearing the top of Lilith – right
after finishing the hard/steep upper section/pillar.  The next one shows me near the top of Chouinard’s Right. 
I’m moving through the tree gauntlet and entering the last section of low angle ice and snow.  The last picture
shows me rapping from Chouinard’s Right.

By the time we got packed up and back onto Chapel pond, it was pushing 2:30 PM.  Once again, I was sort
of caught in no-mans land.  I really wanted to be on the road by at least 3:30 (at the latest).  Even if we
did one more quick climb in the Canyon, by the time we finished and I got back to the B&B, changed and got on
the road it would be pushing 5 PM.   Hence, I decided to call it a day … and I made it home (in Jersey) just
a bit past 8:30 PM.

A great trip!!!    I did five different climbs,  12 pitches,  three climbs I hadn’t done before, hung out
with lots of nice folks ….. Just a great trip!!!

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