Originally intended as a backcountry Adirondacks mountaineering trip, warming conditions and recent snowfall increased avalanche danger forced a rethink; with solid ice to climb in the frontcountry, the choice was easy.

Chapel Pond and its canyon still had solid climbs, so after an early morning Saturday departure, we arrived in light snow just after noon in the Keene Valley area. A quick hike over a still very solidly frozen Chapel Pond took us to several lines, including Positive Reinforcement, in the canyon. Before we knew it, everyone had in three successful solid climbs, including Ashley, our first time ice climber, who was soon having no fear or difficulty on WI3. With many smiles, we adjourned to the Baxter Mountain Tavern for a very leisurely and clothes-drying dinner.

Afterwards, we returned to the Chapel Pond area to hike about 1/3 mile into the Giant Mountain Wilderness Area and set up a winter camp for the evening. The snowbase was about three feet thick, but the trails were well consolidated by day hikers -- it also wasn't difficult to find spots where others had consolidated the snow from previous camps, so setting up tents was a breeze.

The next morning dawned to occasional flurries and a clearing trend, with temps in the upper 20s. Since our camp was located only a few hundred yards from the base of Roaring Brook Falls, we did a quick reconnaisance and found it still empty. We hurriedly exchanged camping equipment for climbing equipment and made it back to send Rayko up on lead just ahead of another climbing team.

Two rope-stretching pitches and 350 feet later, all five of us were on top to astounding views just as the clouds started to clear. An easy hike down, and the area was in full sun.

Our ambitions fulfilled, we hit the Noonmark diner for a hefty lunch (there had been no breakfast) and epic quantities of coffee. A little more sightseeing and we were on the road back to Ithaca.