Avalanche Lake

Went to Avalanche yesterday (4/8). It was still full on frickin' winter, we estimated mid-teens at best, probably lower, there was a good 10+ degree difference just between the lake and the Avalanche lean to. No worries about crossing the lake, Feb. conditions. Plenty of ice, we got a late start (seems to happen now that we actually live in Keene--don't have to drive far so in the morning it's 'we don't have to get up now' and then it's suddenly 'oh s**t, it's 9:00) and didn't want to have to fight for the Adirondike, which is still pretty fat, or Avalanche Gully, which looked OK, there was a party on it when we finally got around to looking. So we played around on some nice shorter stuff below Avalanche Slide (no worries about avalanches now) including a nice fat 70' 4-4+ pillar.
When we finally went down to the lake saw a lot of fat stuff up and right in I'm guessing the Undertaker/Coffin area (I'm not familiar enough with that area to know what was what), I was kicking myself then for not checking that out earlier. But the gem was farther down the lake: Gold Rush of '96 was totally doable, brilliant vertical arrow straight golden line extending all the way down past the traverse in from the left.

I know this is a rarity, and thought I'd throw it out there. Who knows how long it will be there--the latter part of the week looks like a renewed assault from spring--but it's still winter for now.
Photo in conditions.

 

Good to see Matt got on it--I hate still being a working stiff.