Is there one day of ice climbing in the East that stands out?

One of my best recent experiences was going out to Frankenstein Cliff in Crawford Notch, New Hampshire. Peter and I waded through 2.5' of snow to get up to a Grade-5 pillar called Angel Cake. But then we realized there was a smear to the left. We decided to climb that instead. On route, we debated whether we were working on a first ascent, as the weather had been fickle lately, creating unusual lines.

When we got to the parking lot, longtime climbing guide Alain Comeu was there. We asked him: "Have you ever heard of anyone doing this route?" He stood there for a few moments and then replied, "Yeah, I think I put up that route 30 years ago."

That's the quintessential New Hampshire experience. Every day out is just a small piece of the grand, lapping history. And that smear we climbed—it may never form again in my lifetime.