High and Wild

This high and wild stuff is what attracted me to northern New England in the first place. It was 1987 or so, I was a distracted television reporter hating all the egomaniacal ramifications of climbing the small-city journalist ladder, when my brother took me ice climbing near North Conway, New Hampshire. I was hooked from the moment my crampons hit the ice. It was a moment of epiphany that would catalyze a change in my career path, how I spent my spare time, and ultimately, where I lived.


I moved to North Conway in '91, then moved away a couple years later to take a job editing for a small television program. In the short time living here I met my wife, and also consolidated my plans to meld adventure and exploration into my career path as a documentary producer. I also practiced long and hard at being adequate on steep ice and rock.

Twelve years later, married with two boys, my wife and I made the decision to move back up here in '04. It's a good place to raise kids. Gym class for my boys is skiing at Attitash every Thursday. They shut the school down and every kid skis, like it or not. That is a cool way to grow up.

My regret is that kids, a career, a mortgage and so on, keep me from my appointed rounds on the ice. It's been awhile, to say the least. But, every day I drive by pinnacles of ice hanging from the cliffs and can sense the thrill of air under my feet.

Last Friday I asked a couple of friends to join me up in Lake Willoughby, Vermont for some climbing and filming. We chose the New England Ice Grade 5+ route called Promenade. Hanging icicles, rock moves, vertical ice and a mossy finish over wet slab are some of the features we expected to encounter. It was a spectacular day.

All I know from the experience is that I need to get out more. Follow your dreams, live where you want to live, investigate your inner workings...and CLIMB!