I've grown up in the Boston area, we've just had the warmest November on record since mid 1800's, the first totally snowless December in modern history (more or less), I used to always sled on my birthday December 8 when I was a kid, and a record warm December. Now by the time early January rolls around winter should be settling in pretty hard as cold and snow goes. For the sake of the local ecosystems I hope it does but last Saturday it hit 60° during a woods climb!

We picked two tall American beech with close proximity so we might have some traverse potential. My slingshot was working fine due to the warm temps but I really like to get hand throws in if possible, if only to keep skills alive. The crowns on these trees are high but I was able to set throwlines over good limbs in one tree while my friend Paul worked on the second tree. Two climbers Åsa and Nancy installed their ropes, tied up their systems and started climbing. Then my hand throwing died so I sent a bag up with the slingshot, oops, overpowered, forgot how warm it was. Bag sailed over the highest possible tie-in in the tree. Which caused me to whine since I would have to do a 95' SRT ascent which wasn't the work I was expecting at the moment. I set my 150' with a cinched TIP, climbed up and then converted it over to DRT. Meanwhile Paul was having a seriously jinxed throwing day ending up with a stuck bag and other delights (not). Traverse would have to be another day. Hanging out in the tree we watched a pair of Cooper's Hawks fly past, red-tailed hawks, and as the sun went down listened to a coyote pack howling/yip-yapping. Good times.

Climbers going up DRT


Two climbers below, one in a second tree




-AJ

Happy afterbirth day Andrew!

Gorgeous Beeches, dreamy down-crown shot.
We are experiencing the same kind of extended warmth here in Ohio. It is a little unsettling, but one must take advantage of the weather and get out to climb.

Very nice pics as usual Also, Happy belated Birthday ! Unfortunately I've been too busy to enjoy this strange weather at height but still enjoying the temps non the less. I see what looks like a large rock wall in the picture looking down. I find them interesting. Especially when you can find one in the middle of the woods that looks out of place that most be over 100 years old. Makes me wonder how the forest have changed since then till now.

Thanks for the "afterbirthday" wishes, appreciate it.

Can't go more than few hundred yards in most New England woods and not run into a stone wall. The wall below us represents one side of 60 yard wide slice of land that was deeded access for a colonial era property owner to reach a salt marsh where a small boat could be brought in at high tide to move goods in and out. Probably access to harvest saltmarsh hay as well.
-AJ