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Native Americans were here.

Wandering through the property right now is like floating through a sea of pink flags. Fifty feet in any direction is another pink flag and a little pile of dirt.

Our Edge climbing gym manager, Adam Catalano, arrived at the site on Monday around lunchtime to catch up with the archaelogical survey crew. After wandering for 15-20 minutes, he finally found them, nearly finished with what seems like several days worth of work.

Tracy, the foreman on the project, revealed that the test pits had uncovered three chert flakes, evidence that Native Americans had spent some time here making cutting tools and hunting as animals came down to the creek for a drink.

What does this mean???? Well, fortunately, the site is in the corner of what will be our parking lot, so if we give that area a 25' buffer and leave it undisturbed, we can move along with clearing land and erecting the building.

"The Edge - Halfmoon" on Facebook

Wow. This is a huge project. You never really realize how large a building project is until you get into the thick of all the hoops and contracts of it all.
Right now we are on the CUSP of cracking that throttle wide open. This morning I dropped off a contract to the folks who will do the archaelogical testing. That will go down next week.

Once they clear that there is nothing of significence there, we can start cutting trees. Then it will be a huge rush to get in a foundation before the ground freezes, but I'm confident that it will happen. Once those first trees come down, it is going to just all go by in a blurr for me. I'm sure y'all will be "edgy" waiting for the opening, but I'll be rushing around like crazy.

I just put up a Facebook page for the gym (The Edge - Halfmoon) so you can "like" it and keep up to date on the progress.

Here's to hoping for clean dirt!

The Notch is AMAZING!

The Shiloh's Edge crew got our first taste of Smugglers' Notch bouldering this weekend, with a trip up from Thursday night to Sunday morning. We began our climbing on Friday morning with some amazingly cool temps and incredible excitement at the boulders which where littering the notch.
As you drive up, you are literally swerving around unbelievable climbing boulders on a tiny 1.5 lane street. As you park the car, you can barely get your seatbelt off before you bolt over to the nearest incredible line that is staring you in the face. The rock quality is unbelievable, the angles superb and the climbing so varied.
JP, Izzy, Evan, Morgan and I got on tons of problems of all different grades. There are just too many to list. Evan, in typical Evan-style, got psyched on one very hard problem and spent much of his energy focusing on it. The Impossible Problem was a V7, but a critical hold broke three weeks ago, making it more like V9. Evan quickly sent that, but then set his eyes on a sit start into it. It has gone once or twice since the broken hold incident, and Evan really wanted to send it this V11/12 gem. He made some great progress, linking into the Impossible Problem, but had to throw in the towel late Saturday night as his fingers were bleeding from the sharp crimps.
Here is a video of Evan's best attempt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMz0q9Se2Ek

July closed out with a great weekend up at Rumney for some sport climbing. It had been quite a while since I tied into the sharp end, but three days of throwing myself at tough routes really recharged my affection for roped climbing.
JP, Charlie and I made the journey up to NH for the final weekend of the month. We were excited to run into Murph, Jut, Michael and Sandra up there and get some of the spray down and the psych from the Rumney experts.
The weekend didn't produce any super-hard sends, but it did get the blood flowing and both JP and I are excited to do some more sport climbing here this fall.

Last weekend, I was back to pebble wrestling. On Friday, Ben and I ran up to Snowy Mtn to polish off a few things. The Cure is a short V8 that I had tried a few times before. The topout had always stifled me but this day was quite different. After just a few attempts, both Ben and I topped it out the first time our hands hit the lip. .....Really don't know why it was so hard before.
I then worked on finishing the V7 Never Been to Hueco. Several jumps to the topout produced the same disappointing result, however, with just a slight shift in the right hand crimp, I was able to snag the jump move and topout casually.
On Saturday, JP, Tyler and I visited the Hideaway and Happy Valley in Western Mass. It was great to see these new areas and sample some of the amazingly gneiss rock. We had a ton of fun working on problems of all grades, however, nothing big went down this trip. At the end of the day we ventured over to Happy Valley and were BLOWN AWAY by the beautiful gently overhanging walls. We threw ourselves on Sleeping Giant and after numerous attempts at jumping to the slot, we were forced to trek back to the car without a send among us.
We will surely be back for this route (if nothing else). It is one of the most fun V5s in the Northeast. Beautiful and varied holds, tall and committing, with a safe landing. Can't be beat.

The EDGE update

Deposits have been sent to both the building company and Rockwerx, the climbing surface company.

Clearance has been granted to start clearing trees and preparing the site.

We are on the move!

Projects don't come together overnight though. So be patient and pray for no more glitches.

When will it open? I can't say for sure, other than 'early 2011'

Weekend update by JP

Last week, we ventured up to The Stables in Saratoga for a quick Monday evening sesh. This is a long and interesting wall along the mountain bike trails up there. It has some decent lines, but many are super crimpy (so Ben loved them) and the topouts are the hardest part.
Although it is close to home, I'm not sure if it is worth many repeat visits.

Friday was a trip up north to MacKenzie with Aaron and JP and Saturday JP and I headed south to finish up projects at PKill. JP blogged about the weekend, so I'll just let him do the rest: www.weekendbouldering.blogspot.com

Happy Fourth. Careful with your digits.

Izzy nabs a Gnarnia FFA

JP and I had the pleasure of showing a few new folks the incredible lines at Gnarnia. Evan and Izzy joined us on a hot summer Friday for a great day of sending. With the "Patio" complete and the Gnarwal as safe as can be (inherent dangers excluded), I was really excited to give it my best shot (at least from the Patio start).
We began the hot, sunny day at the Wardrobe boulder and I was able to get the first ascent of Flesh Failures (V6). Izzy gave great goes on the namesake V3 arete but wasn't able to mantle the topout. Evan ripped a hole in his tip while showing us the possible crimp-line between F.F. and Wardrobe. It will go, but may be hard (V8/9?)
We then moved up to the Gnarwal and both Evan and I topped it out from the Patio (V4/5). It is a super fun problem with a commitingly high heelhook and reach move.
After chilling in the shade of the Patio for a bit, we moved over to one more boulder where Evan got psyched on a HARD slopy arete (for a day with better temps), JP and I worked a new easier arete, which I sent first and called Chilled Soup (V5).
Izzy recorded Gnarnia's first FFA (first female ascent-yes, its a real climbing term) as she styled her way up Stuff of Dreams (V4). Her ascent was more smoothly done than ANY I have ever seen on it previously.

June has proven to be VERY WARM, but we must still climb. Evening sessions seem to be the way to role.

Find shade.

~ The Edge

New Gym Update

Yesterday there was a Town of Halfmoon Planning Board meeting and public hearing. We were approved to go ahead with construction. So...trees will begin to come down, a steel building should be erected late summer, a climbing facility installed this fall, and if all goes well...opening an unbelievable new Rockwerx gym early to mid winter.

Pray for smooth sailin'

Summer Mank is upon us

"Is that the new term?" asked a fellow climber as we handed him an excuse for falling off the wall.
The hot summer days seem to be upon us and with it brings the humidity that we call mankiness. When things just won't seem to stay dry for five minutes, even with an entire brick of chalk on both you and the intended hold...that's Mank.

This past weekend we made trips to MacKenzie on Friday and Peter's Kill on Saturday.
Ben and I had our hopes set high for MacKenzie, he with his eyes on Cartwheel and Shut Up Machine; me looking at finally polishing off Star Chores. The bluebird sky and blazing hot sun however, did not set up optimal conditions for these tough sends. We gave our best efforts, hid under boulders quite a bit and ended up only sending one new problem, a v4 that felt more like a V6 due to it's strenuous top out.

On Saturday, JP joined us for a trip to Peter's Kill and again we had our eyes on some the prize v7s of PKill. The day was cooler and overcast, but the clouds held in the humidity and it felt a bit like a rain forest under that canopy. After a quick warm up, I gave Village Idiot a few goes, but the crux move was off a slimy, wet slot and was not to be had that day. Ben gave goes on Mad Lion, figured out a great sequence, but the tiny crimp was too mank for the full send. Next on to Delicate Soul, a project of mine for several years. Today was the day for me though. First Ben got the send (after scumming all the best beta for the long lip traverse.) Then I finally rolled through all the moves in smooth style. JP also had great work for it, but ran out of gas before the send. Ben then repeated Tiger Style, a problem which continues to baffle me.

Here's to hoping for a nice cloudy summer. OR some great evening sessions

ADK season (despite the bugs)

Since returning from the South, we have made a few trips up to the Dacks. We have been developing at Brant Lake just about every weekend and have established nearly a dozen quality lines. There is so much to be done up there, we are just getting started really.
Wardrobe Boulder so far - V2, V3, V6 and two projects cleaned.
Treeboob Boulder so far - V3, V4, V5 and two projects cleaned
White Chocolate Chip so far - V0, V1, V2, V3 and two projects cleaned
Gnarwhal - V4/5, V8/9 and three projects (only one cleaned thus far)

And there are still 6-8 other large boulders to get to work on.

We also made a trip to 9 Corners where Evan sent Thorazine and Bearded Arnie. I sent Bearded Arnie also and Power of Belief. Ben sussed out all the moves on Rip Curl and repeated a few lines.

The bugs have taken hold, but we're not going to let them stop this send train.

Choo Choo Baby. It's On!

HP Slopers - WHAT???

Yesterday we ventured down to Alabama to slap the crazy slopy holds of HP 40. For us northerns, it was a truly humbling experience. We entered the incredibly condensed boulderfield, getting turned around in every direction to try to find our intended routes. However, because of the uniqueness of the wall, we recognized the Millipede wall right away.
All of the guys threw themselves at the classic V3 called BumBoy and got thrown off continuously. Evan and Luke were able to send in a few goes because of their long reaches, but the rest of us needed some extra time. I actually walked away for a half hour or so and tried something else and then came back to send with the next go.
A local helped unlock the beta for the remainder of the sends there and we moved on.
Everyone spread out in small groups trying lines that interested them.
Several of the classic moderates were sent but nothing very difficult. Some of the sends were: Uniball, Sideline, Bumboy, several V2s, and an epic hour+ session of Mortal Combat at the end of the day that ended with Aaron's last-go send.
We all decided that you would need to spend quite a bit of time down there to really get used to the style and climb some hard stuff.

This morning we woke up to a thunderstorm and took the day off. But tomorrow we'll do one more session (our third) at Little Rock City before heading home.

Been a great week down here...despite the 80+ temps.

The Rocktown Oasis

Yesterday we tried to get an early start and beat some of the heat up at Rocktown. Things always take a little longer than expected, but we were hiking in by 9:30 and went straight to the Orb area.
Everyone did some nice warmups and a few of us began working the Orb, others tried Soap on a Rope, Double Trouble and a number of the other super fun problems right there. With shaded boulders and a nice breezy, the day seemed very pleasant. Aaron made incredible progress on the Orb, but with fried tips, Luke and I quickly decided that it wasn't the day for us on that problem.
After we had lunch, we made our way down the hill to Croc Block. As we walked down the hill, it quickly became evident that we were in for a scorcher. The face of Croc Block is over hanging and shaded, however, there was little place to retreat to while you rested or observed. Many of us got up to a cruxy slot move, however, it was Luke's big move beta that unlocked it for him and gave him the only send on it. He was able to latch a wide left hand pinch and launch for a right hand incut sidepull that many use as a left hand gaston.

As we were working the problem, Jess had been exploring a bit and found an incredible pool of COLD CLEAN WATER tucked into a cave. She began shuttling people down to the Oasis and eventually we were all taking turns splashing our faces and dunking our heads and feet. It really refreshed everyone and gave us new life to continue on for another hour of climbing.

We split the group, one to Pythag and the other to Blue. Kyle was able to send his Pythag project that he began on Saturday, but not much progress was made on Blue. On our way out, we returned to the Orb area for Aaron's last few goes and Carly's chance to finish a project from the morning. With absolute style and grace, Carly floated up her project first try and then came down and repeated it. After which she stood atop the boulder and proclaimed, "I own this problem!"

Twas a great day.

It's HOT AND SUNNY down here

Some might enjoy the blazing sun and 85 degrees, but climbers are not quite so fond of it. Yesterday we chased the shade and today we'll do the same back up at Rocktown.
Some great sends went down at Little Rock City and some super progress was made (Evan and Luke on The Chattanooga V12)

We've been enjoying every drift of wind and every whisper of a cloud. Pray for more.

More to come...

We have arrived in the South

After an uneventful 17 hours of driving, we have arrived and the sending has begun.

This morning we woke up to a beautiful VA sunrise, hoped in the vans and rolled straight on down to Rocktown. We completed the twisting, turning hill climb at 1pm, grabbed a quick lunch and then made our way in for some amazing sendage.

Some of the routes that went down for folks were: Nose Candy, Sherman Photo Roof, The Scoop, The Anti-scoop, Pythag, The Hobbit, and Golden Child,

The day was warm and sunny with a few nice cloudy breaks here and there.

Tomorrow we'll head up to LRC

Happy Easter, y'all.

DACKs are BACK

On Saturday, JP, Kyle and I rolled back out to 9 Corners for the first time since the snow fell and spit me off. Well, this time, I had three months of training under my belt and was ready for this plum of an Adirondack line. On the most beautiful face in the entire area, lies the most natural line, Thorazine - V8.
When we arrived, a few of the holds were damp from some seeping. We chalked and dried them and then went to warm up. Kyle had had his eyes on this hanging death flake called Sudden Death - V3, for quite some time. With a little inspiration from the guys already trying it, he jumped on and showed them how its done. He inspired me to do the same. HOLLOW!

Then onto slay the dragon.

It took a few goes to prime the holds for sending, but after about 3-4 tries, I polished it off. JP gave his goes as well, putting together a few more moves, but still unable to stick the bump move mid route. Next time, I'm sure.

We then moved up the hill to Kyle's project from last fall, Ice Cold - V7. He proved that he's got the moves locked down, all the way to the strong shouldery move to get to a resting jug. I gave it some goes as well, moving through the jug once when starting two moves in and then also getting to the shouldery move from the sit start. It should go for the both of us next time.
We also worked on Absolute Zero - V8, which starts three moves left of Ice Cold and traverses in and finishes the same. The opening moves were worked out pretty quickly, but it will be an endurance finish, even more-so than Ice Cold. We also did some fun variations on Nippin' Out - V3 to train on a slopy finish, and then we called it a day.

We are SUPER PSYCHED for returning to the ADKS after a long winter spell.

Spring Day at Lincoln Woods

Before I had ever even been to 'the Woods' I had heard of its gym-like qualities. "It gets mobbed there" and "There are so many variations, you should probably use tape" are the kinds of comments I'd received. And on this beautiful spring Saturday, I began to see the reality of these descriptions.
On our two previous visits, we had nearly the whole place to ourselves. One was a frigid winter day and the next was just a bit warmer.
This past Saturday began calmly enough. We started at the Tombstone Boulder and had it to ourselves for about 90 minutes, before Paul Robinson rolled in with two others to warm up. We had completed our routes, so we moved over to the hilltop boulders with Iron Cross V4 (which everyone sent quickly) and the Cave. That is when the mob scene began. The Cave Boulder is one with about 15 routes in a 30 foot section of wall. We took our turns on things like Rump to Jump, The Clutch, Neil's Lunge and New Dimension. We all got Neil's Lunge but despite good work, didn't finish any of the others.
We then scouted out a few other boulders but ended up down at the Try Again wall, which is another 15 problem wall in 30 feet of space. The crew there was working a cool V8 called Diesel. I took one go at Try Again but the ledge was just too painful for that late in the day. Kyle tried again, and again and again. The most fun route on the wall looked to be Loadies Zen V6, so after cruising to the jump move and flying right past the hold, I decided to try it statically. Although the prescribed method is a cool jump, I much prefer slow and in control, so I pinched, perched and moved slowly to the top, completing the classic route in three tries.

Lincoln Woods is a very nice and compact boulder field, which I believe is best kept for the dead of winter. I'm pretty sure that we won't return there until the crowds have dispersed and Thanksgiving has passed us by. Have a great summer RI.

Great day at Gunks before the big snow

Monday I was able to get out randomly (usually I'm home with Nora on Mondays) with Evan, Kyle and Billy Joel. It was a decently warm day for February, about 35 degrees and we began the day in the pass with Lorax and Jackson Pollock. Usually it is too windy to stop here in the morning, and we never get to try Jackson until the end of the day when we are tired.
Everyone made quick work of the Lorax (new sends for Kyle and Evan) then we worked Jackson. Evan completed in just a few goes, while the rest of us are still stuck controlling that swing.
Next we stopped at Winters Agony where Evan flashed and Billy gave it just one try. Then all the way down to Boxcar for Kyle to work that and Evan to work Bizmark V10. I also gave a few goes at Bizmark. No one sent but it feels like progress can be made so I'll be back when the snow melts.
With just about an hour left in the day, I hopped on a longtime project, Merrakesh Express V6. I enjoyed my visit to the city of Merrakesh in 2007 and since then have always wanted to do this crimpy traverse on the Nameless Boulder. After a few quick tries figuring out the foot beta, I was able to dispense with this cool line.
Finally, with 30 minutes left, Evan was getting frustrated with Enlightened Buddha, so I figured I'd give a go at the Gunks ultra-classic V7, The Buddha. With the guys spraying great beta and encouragement, I was finally able to send this project and complete a very fun day.

AHHHH! Why does it have to dump snow like this every time the climbing gets good?

Edelrid Mantle pad review

Gotta give a shout out to Edelrid for the new Mantle pad. Just one day on my new Mantle and I'm sold. The foam is similar to the stiffness of the Organic pads. The accessories are awesome: carpet emblem for clean shoes, zippers two ways for 4'x4' or 2'x8', closure is bomber with pulling straps spreading force over a large surface and metal buckles. The sit pad that comes with it is great 2'x3' and carpet emblem again.
I was a bit nervous about fitting my backpack in the hinged pad. Would there be enough room with the sit pad as well. YES there is. Foam flexes nicely to carry it all (but I wouldn't leave it packed like that at home or it may kill the foam over time).
The ability to switch between traverse and normal pad seems like it may be gimmicky, but in the first day I had it I used it twice in traverse mode and three times normally.
All said...highly recommend.

Gunks Sending Spree

The last two Saturdays we have made our way down to The Road to work out our projects. Day One saw lots of progress, but no sends whatsoever. Day Two, however, was a much different story.

February can be an amazing month for climbing or a despicable one. Because we are nearing Spring, it is possible to see the beginnings of warmer temps. By this I mean still below freezing but not the bone-chilling teens of January.

On the 6th, it was chilly in the low 20s with a constant breeze that made it feel like the low teens. The guys knew my project was Boxcar Arete, so we headed there first to warm up on the nearby moderates and give me some goes. I dialed in all of the moves to the sloping lip pretty quickly, but just could not manage to send. I even did just the top out moves in isolation, but the next go, didn't have the gas to finish.

From there JP and Kyle went on to work The Following. This usually chilly problem down in a hole was actually the nicest place to be that day, as it was sheltered from the unusual NE wind. Again, Kyle and JP did all of the moves to the problem but just couldn't manage to put the sequence together.

Ben and Aaron made great progress on Venus and Scorpio (V11) and Aaron also had some cool goes at Andrew's Roof, an insane looking V9.

But as I said, on the 6th, no sends.

Exactly one week later, JP, Kyle and I met Michael and Sandra down on the Road and again headed straight to Boxcar. This day was actually pleasant, despite the overcast sky. The wind out of the NW was blocked by the Trapps and after warming up, I never looked for my gloves again.

On my first go at Boxcar, I made it to the lip and about 4 inches from the jug finish hold, but I fell and cracked Kyle in the nose on my way down. (Deepest apologies again, bro). The gang was patient with me. Kyle continued to work the lower sequence and I took long rests between goes. On my third attempt, I finally completed the route, which is a nice V8 for me. It took three good days of work, but I was content to do anything people wanted for the rest of the day.

We then went down the hill to Bismark (V10) and spotted Michael as he got his first send on that gem. The Following and Merrakesh were both wet, so no work could be done on those. As we made our way back, we stopped at The Buddha where Michael completed his V8, 9, 10 day, topping out Illustrious and Enlightened.

For the final stop, we wandered all the way over to the Near Trapps for JP to send his project, The Pearl (V8). After some very quick work, both he and Kyle got the send.

The projects have begun to fall. As the weather warms to comfortable, I'm sure the sending will increase dramatically.

Beautiful Spring? Day on the Road

Every January there happens to be that one day that just warms up to like 50+ degrees and melts all the snow...well, that wasn't the day we climbed...that came two days later. However, Saturday the 23rd was a pretty warm day for January in the Gunks.

The greatness of the day began as we pulled into the parking lot, parking next to two friends already out climbing, we caught up to them quickly. And before leaving our car, we met some other friends (Murph and Mira) and some friends of friends (Sarah and Dan). The crew was ready to roll.

We slid up the icy path to warm up in the Gill Egg area. There are three classic John Gill V4 problems there, two of which I hadn't done yet. The Gill Egg is the pronounced Egg shaped boulder that nearly leans over the Carriage Path. I had never even come close on it but had to give it a go anyway. After one weak attempt, Murph showed me his beta for the jump problem (we are about the same height). Two goes later, I latched the jug ledge nearly statically and finally cracked the egg.

Next down the line is the Gill Crack which involves a big reach up from a solid hand jam. If you don't catch the jug, it is a frightening withdrawl of your hand as you fall. Sarah, who is shorter than I, floated up the problem and revealed the critical foot beta. I learned the lesson and quickly got the send. Murph and Dan put it away as well.

Around the corner is the third V4, Gill Pinch Roof. I had done this a few years ago, but JP had been projecting it for quite a while. This was his day for the send as he has gotten much stronger since his last go on it and walked it pretty easily. Many of us also worked the V7 variation called Ricans and White Boys. Good goes were had, but only Murph was able to hold the slopy pinch and finish the problem. A nice repeat for sure.

Moving on down the Road, JP got frustrated on Black Boulder AGAIN. But was super psyched to work Lynn Hill Traverse V8, a project for another day definitely. Next we passed Kyle at the Buddha and left him with some more pads and some beta. He later sent the ultra-classic V7. Great show.

I had my heart set on The Boxcar Arete, a Gunks testpiece V8. I had one day on it before with some decent work, but I felt the send was within reach today. On the second go of the day, I got through the heinous crimps to the slopy lip. The end was within site, but not within reach as I fell going for the jug, bouncing off the pad and into an icy puddle. Fun, Fun. I took about 5-6 more goes on it with sufficient rests in between, but never reached the lip again. It remains a project for another day.
On the way out we took a few burns on Jackson Pollock V8, but were out of time and energy for this crazy toe hook problem.

January trips to Lincoln Woods

Despite the January snow, we have made two consecutive trips to Lincoln Woods in Rhode Island. The first was on the 9th and we hit up the Try Again boulder and the Pond Cave boulder on a rather chilly day. The day was decent for a while as we worked Try Again and Straight Again, but by the time we made it to the northern end of the park, the chill had set in. We did the Pond Cave traverse and the Buddhist and worked the V8 prize for a while, but to no avail.

When we returned a week later on the 16th, we were met with a beautiful sunny day and about 40 degree temps. We began the day at the best moderate in the park, Heart of Glass, V4. After working it a while, another crew rolled over to give some goes on it and they had the actual beta. They told us we were starting halfway through the V8 section and could begin the V4 up higher. Hummmm. Soon after, every one of our crew sent the fun problem and we rolled on up to the Pond Cave for more goes on the dynamic Who Needs Hueco V8 and Leap Frog V7. Our group worked the V8 for a while, I gave some goes on the V7, getting to the jump move, but never sticking. Kyle and Luke had the best work for the V8 and after a number of goes, Kyle stuck the jump and continued on up the face. At the end he reached into a sopping wet hold and slipped off, but I think we are all giving him the send on that. He made it past all the hard moves and with a dry hold it would have easily been completed. NICE SEND KYLE. Video enclosed...

This weekend looks to be nice at the Gunks. See you on the Road.

New Feature added to blog

I have added a new gadget on the sidebar. It is a "Tough to Find Bouldering Topos" link list. With the disbanding of Dr. Topo guides, it may be increasingly difficult to find free topos. Here are the few that I have on my computer that are no longer available on Dr. Topo (or never were). Horse Pens 40 (hp40), Rocktown, and Little Rock City.

LRC isn't a free for all, so don't just show up and climb. You must respect what has been put in place for climbing there. Remember to check out www.seclimbers.org for info on how to register for the day there. There are a few steps to take, but it isn't too much of a hassle.

Have at 'em.

Christmas Break outings

Just a few little trips went down over the school break. Twas dampened a bit by CONTINUOUS snow that week.
On the 28th, Aaron, JP and I ventured north to the Adirondacks on a snowy morning to scope out a new area that JP had suspicions of greatness for. The day started out well when the business owner that we asked to allow us to park was very amicable and said, "Sure, lots of people hike back there." Good sign for future access :-)
Not ten steps into the woods, we caught a glimpse of our first decent sized boulder, from it we saw another, from that a 70 foot high wall and MANY more boulders. As we checked each boulder, we saw at least one line up it and sometimes several. The gem of the day was a 30 degree overhanging face that has a line on its left arete, one on its right and possibly a double digit line up the middle. We didn't even bring pads or shoes along, because of the snowy conditions, but we are VERY excited to return in the spring and clean the beautiful lines.
As we hopped in the car for the return trip, we were quickly engulfed in whiteout conditions, making the day that much more surreal and exciting.

On the 2nd, JP and I said, "we got lots of snow up here but lets go to the Gunks anyway." The weather forecast was for 30-40 mph winds and 25-26 degree temps, translating into about 8-9 degree wind chill factor. Ah, what the hey!
Getting out of the car was a bit breezy. The walk through the pass at the Steel Bridge was down right frigid, but by the time we got to Black Boulder, the sun was out and it was actually warm. We cleaned the top and did some warming up. We then moved on to The Following, which was very easy to brush clean and dried instantly. We played a bit but weren't psyched about the number of pads we had for such a jumbled and awkward landing. So no real committing attempts.
Next I hopped on Merrakesh and was able to go through the crux for the first time. So progress there.
Finally we walked all the way back over to the Near Trapps and JP worked The Pearl for a bit. He has dialed in the bottom section and just needs to stick the jump net time the rock is a bit warmer.

All in all, it was a decent day of playing on cold rock. It would have been nice to get some new sends, but hey, that's the game we play. And in the cold weather, I don't feel so bad about not hanging on long enough to top out. THAT ROCK IS NOT PLEASANT TO THE TOUCH.