Updates
This great alternate approach to Frankenstein was recently brought to my attention and I just wanted to share it with you all. It’s faster and more direct than the Frankenstein Cliff trail, and still allows one to stay off the tracks for a good section of the approach. It’s so fast it might even be faster than walking the tracks! Start out from the lower lot and hike straight, past the outhouse, crossing a dry stream bed. As this trail starts to bend back towards Route 302, there is a small sign for the Frankenstein Cutoff on the left, take this, it is a blue blazed trail. You can follow it to connect with the Frankenstein cliff trail, and then gradually contour up towards the tracks. You’ll pop out beside the tracks at a small cairn, within sight of the trestle. Also wanted to let everyone know that on the days when the train comes through (Saturdays, Sundays of MLK and Presidents weekends, and February vacation week) it does so at around 11:30am and 1:00pm. Pretty much right in the middle of the day, so it should be fairly easy to avoid being on the tracks when it comes through. However there have also been a fair number of maintenance vehicles passing by on random days/random times. Ice climbing in Crawford Notch is in full swing, and I’m noticing tons of trails broken out to avoid the tracks, and folks being really aware and courteous out there — Thank you all so much! Our ice climbing survey will be up soon, hoping you’re all getting ready to share it far and wide! Happy climbing! - Molly
Happy Winter Solstice! *This is a long one, please read to the end.* We wanted to reach out with an update on access to Crawford Notch climbing as we move fully into ice climbing season. As you may know the Conway Scenic Railroad is running trains into Crawford Notch this winter. Currently our traditional access to Frankenstein and Mount Willard is tenuous. A committee of local guides and community members under the umbrella of Friends of the Ledges has been working to establish a cooperative relationship with the Conway Scenic. We are also working on long term solutions to keep our access to these ice climbing areas. Here’s what you need to know: The Conway Scenic Railroad has a train scheduled once a day on Fridays and Saturdays from now until Jan 4th, through Crawford Notch from North Conway to the Highland Center. It will leave N. Conway at 10:30, returning by 2:30. Thus it will be in the tracks in that timeframe. There may be maintenance trains on the tracks at other times/days as well. After January 4th, the railroad plans to run trains into the notch on weekends and during February vacation week. They hope to go “as far as conditions allow”. It’s hard to know what this will end up looking like. The railroad has agreed that we can cross the tracks at areas that access the climbs. ~ We understand that the current access issue comes with some grey areas, and we acknowledge that we don’t currently have all the answers. We are asking you to use your best judgment to avoid potential conflict.~ In the meantime we’re working with experienced researchers to do an extensive economic impact study that can eventually be used to enhance advocacy and if necessary, secure funding for trail building, parking lots and plowing. We plan to have a survey to gather data for this study up soon, keep an eye out! And please help by: 1. Demonstrating considerate and careful use of this resource. Help break in trails to avoid the tracks, spread the word, be polite and respectful if you encounter railroad employees, and don’t leave anything on or near the tracks. 2. Filling out the survey once it’s up! Thank you for your understanding and help.
Hello all! You may have heard that we have another fun stewardship project planned in collaboration with @heyflashfoxy this weekend at Cathedral Ledge! The weather looks beautiful and we’re all excited to get out there and take care of one of our favorite places. We’ll have several trail projects going on, including installing a new retaining wall in the recompense approach trail, and putting in a couple more rock steps on the Ventilator Area trail. We’ll also do our usual mega-trash-cleanup to leave Cathedral and Whitehorse looking nice as we head into fall. So come join, EVERYONE is welcome - whether you are attending the festival or not. The stewardship project and cliff cleanup will be Sunday September 29th. We will meet at the cliff at 9:30 and work until 12:00. The parking area will be busy so please carpool if possible. Huge thanks to @arcteryx for providing snacks for everyone! 📷 by @themegallen from our stewardship day two years ago. 📍Abenaki, Pennacook, Pequawket, and Wabanaki land.
Thank you all so much for filling out the Crawford Notch winter use survey! We've received around 400 responses and we're deeply grateful to all of you for helping us collect this information. If you ice climb in Crawford Notch -- especially if you travel from somewhere else to do so -- and haven't filled out the survey yet, please consider filling it out. And if you have already filled it out, please consider sharing it with others who use this resource. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyvnS1muwug8Kv53XR6vot2zLNmqYtE8kmwgoTs6MPtaLIEA/viewform?usp=sf_link A note on the survey: Questions can be left blank. If a question does not apply to you just leave it blank, thanks!
I know it’s hard to think about winter right now, but we need your help. Do you ice climb at Frankenstein Cliffs and/or Mount Willard? Access to climbing areas involves the coordination and cooperation of different land owners and stakeholders. As you know there is still the potential for access to ice climbing in Crawford Notch to become restricted. In order to facilitate continued cooperation Friends of the Ledges is gathering information about the use of these venues by ice climbers, which we hope can form the base for an economic impact study. We need your help and input! FOTL and a committee of invested local guides have put together a questionnaire designed to gather some information (link in bio). We would greatly appreciate you completing the survey and submitting it. Please share it wide and far with anyone who ice climbs in these amazing areas. Thank you! If you are the owner of a guide service that operates in Crawford Notch in the winter and have not yet done so, please take the time to fill out the survey for guided winter use in Crawford Notch (link also in bio). Thank you in advance for your help!
Thank you to everyone who showed up for an awesome trail maintenance day and cliff cleanup in the rain on Saturday! Despite the less than optimal weather, we had a great turnout, picked up a lot of trash, tidied up the trail corridors, and removed some graffiti! And also had a super fun BBQ complete with a nut shaped piñata (thanks @bam_sendroth for your artistic piñata making talents!) Although it was too wet to replace the retaining wall under Recompense, we’re still planning on accomplishing that project on a dryer day in the next couple of weeks, and we’re super thankful for all the work that did get done at the cliff! 📷 And thank you @spindrift303 and @mister.dirt for the photos!
Hey there everyone, it’s Stewardship Project and Cliff Cleanup season, and we’d love to have your help out there! Saturday, June 22nd. Meet at the Cathedral Ledge picnic tables at 3:00pm. We’ll work from 3 - 6, and then we’ll move on to grilling and hanging out! We will be replacing some broken wood steps on the trail to Recompense, and removing some graffiti at the top of the cliff. We’ll also have trash bags and gloves available for picking up trash and getting it looking nice over there! Wear sturdy shoes, and bring work gloves, snacks, and plenty of water. If you can’t make it, or aren’t interested in doing trail work, please stop by at 6 for the BBQ, this is a community event for everyone! • • • #nhledges #cathedralledge #cathedralledgenh #climberstewards
Join us for a Reel Rock screening and raffle at @ledgebrew! Bidding on fun raffle items to help us raise money to continue to replace old bolts and maintain climbing access, AND watching inspiring climbing films that will get us all psyched to go send? How can you go wrong! Saturday, March 23rd, 6pm - 9pm. $10 at the door. See you there!
This year's MWV Ice Fest Silent Auction is supporting FOTL. That's us! With 56 items including jackets, ice tools, crampons, ropes, and more there are some great deals to be had. All proceeds from the auction support FOTL's efforts to replace aging hardware, and address other stewardship needs at climbing areas across the Mount Washington Valley and into Western Maine.
Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new folks at @mwv_icefest this afternoon! We’ll be tabling at @ledgebrew today and tomorrow, please come say hi! And don’t forget to check out the auction going on right now! A handful of exciting new items were added last night! Follow the link in our bio to register, and bid.
As the ice finally begins to form in Crawford Notch we just wanted to put out a quick update on access at Frankenstein and Mount Willard. Although the railroad has been quiet for the past couple of weeks and is currently covered with a couple of feet of snow and ice, the Conway Scenic does still have plans to be active in Crawford Notch throughout the winter months. Friends of the Ledges and other interested user groups are in ongoing conversation with the railroad, and are doing our best to advocate for continued access to these awesome ice climbing resources. For now, if it makes sense to, please consider using routes that avoid the tracks, and please continue to use your best judgement if you do decide to walk on the tracks. Also just a friendly reminder to be mindful of the possibility of railroad crews on the tracks this winter and to be polite and courteous to railroad workers if you do encounter them. More updates to come!