Historical info on cannon first ascents?

After my first trip up cannon this past weekend, I was amazed to learn the first ascent of Whitney Gilman was done in 1929. Does anyone know where I can find more info about this first ascent (and others on cannon) and if there are any first hand accounts anywhere? Maybe Yankee Rock and Ice would be a good source for some of this? After reading a book on Hans Kraus a few years ago, JFK's Secret doctor, (highly recommended) I'm still blown away what people were going in that era.

FWIW I did try googling before posting this but it was not super fruitful. The MP page for the route is a good teaser, but I'd enjoy more detail.

Old issues of Appalachia Journal. 

Yankee Rock and Ice is definitely the best easily accessible resource for this information--and a good read as well. What is particularly notable about the FA of the Whitney-Gilman was that it was accomplished with no pitons or other protection, though was done in many (17) short pitches, similarly on the second ascent. The famous 'pipe' for protection on the crux was placed by Ken Henderson on the third ascent. The technical level of the early New England ( and the few US climbers in general) climbers was quite high ( though still not as high as that in continental Europe and the UK), and the boldness  of all climbers, given the equipment and techniques of the time, was very impressive.

Thanks Alan. I will definitely be picking up that book. When you say no pitons or other protection, does that mean they were just climbing ledge to ledge with a hemp rope around their waists and no other protection? The boldness is indeed impressive. It blows my mind thinking about it.

Daniel Navarrowrote:

Thanks Alan. I will definitely be picking up that book. When you say no pitons or other protection, does that mean they were just climbing ledge to ledge with a hemp rope around their waists and no other protection? The boldness is indeed impressive. It blows my mind thinking about it.

Basically, yes. While we don't know the exact details, at the most they had their rope running around any projections ( on Cannon---often potentially loose blocks!!!) for belays, but it was primarily 'body belays' from unsecured stances--which was the norm for the era. Very bold indeed.

Interestingly enough, the third route on Cannon was the Black Dike done in the summer of 1930. ( "Old Cannon was the 1st, W-G the 2nd) 

These, of course, do not count the 1919 winter ascent along the far right edge of the cliff, between the Lakeview slabs and the bushes, done by a bunch of ( Dartmouth??) college kids, one of whom would go on to be the governor of NH.

The AMC maintains a library and archive (and I think maybe has a full-time archivist on staff?). They might be able to point you in the right direction.

AMC library is a great idea. Totally forgot about that. Thank you. 

Earl Whipple wrote an article in, I believe either the June or Dec 1965 [ maybe 1964 ? ] Appalachia that covered the route descriptions and a little history of the then-known Cannon climbs.

I then wrote 2 articles updating his work in 1971 and 1972 Appalachia.

All 3 articles are mostly route descriptions, not so much history.

I would imagine that the original FA-ers of these early routes would have sent at least a note to Appalachia “ way back when”.  There is a section in the back called “ Various Notes -Alpina” where you’d most likely find these original reports.

I suppose it is even possible there might be something in the Journal of the American Alpine Club. I believe it started in 1929 ( which would have been for climbs in 1928 and earlier) so look in AAC 1929-1932 or so.  AAC ( Golden CO ) has a great library and a great librarian / archivist.

Too bad Ed Webster passed away. He was a great historian of NH & New England. I think Ed’s 1st and 2nd editions of White MtnRock Climbs covered Cannon. For his 3rd edition he split the White Mts into East ( No Conway, etc) and West ( Cannon, etc) but he never finished the West section.

You also might try The Notches by John Sykes, I think some of his info came from Ed; in any event he does have a command of Cannon and WhtMt history.

Bob, Whipple's article, and your two, 'got me up' my first routes on Cannon BITD!!!! Though on the Whitney-Gilman we didn't use any 'guide' ---we just climbed up what seemed to be the most obvious line on the Ridge, sometimes following old fixed pins ( definitely NOT from the early ascents!!!) and managed to unintentionally bypass the 'pipe pitch' by staying entirely on the left side of the ridge ( never entered our minds to step around that exposed corner onto the other face!!!). 

Robert Underhill, and others, did write up the early Cannon climbs, as well as the other early White Mountain routes, in Appalachia at the time---some very interesting reading ( the accounts of the FAs of Whitehorse Ledge and, particularly, Mt. Willard are particularly notable!!!). I don't believe that there are any such articles in the American Alpine Journal ( no snow or glaciers were involved!!!).

I used these materials as primary sources when I wrote the historical section of the Paul Ross and Chris Elms guide to Cathedral, Whitehorse, and Cannon published in the mid-70s ( still partially reproduced and updated in the current North Conway book by Jerry Handren). Other potential original source materials are the Harvard and Dartmouth Mountaineering Club Journals of the period. But, again, this material is all very well 'packaged' in Yankee Rock and Ice.

Al, …yup a “Roger” to all that!   I think the “ left variant” to the pipe pitch departed the Mtn about 40 yrs ago. I had heard about it, and even looked once, but never got a chance to climb it.

Talk about “ sources” ….my 1971 description of the Muir was used by Peterson with my permission, then Sykes copied it from Peterson ( I guess with Howard’s permission) for his first guidebook, and I think he then carried over to Notches. There’s no hard feelings and I count him my friend, but it is interesting. More interesting was I asked Sykes about it once and whether he had done the Muir and he said he had, so I guess my description was pretty good. But the Muir would have killed me if it wasn’t for Dave isles’ advice and warning about “ lose blocks on the traverse ledge to the W-G.”

To think that the first winter ascent of the black dike was done not only on primitive gear, but also as an unintentional solo, is nothing short of amazing.  

Emory Clarkwrote:

To think that the first winter ascent of the black dike was done not only on primitive gear, but also as an unintentional solo, is nothing short of amazing.  

It was an amazing, ground-breaking climb for the day, but it wasn't an "unintentional" solo. Bouchard went up there without a partner with the intent to climb the route---and did so---nothing 'unintentional' about it, and all the more impressive for it.

Ahhh, my understanding is that he went up to take a look at it and then realized he was too committed to back off and fired it.  Thanks for the correction!  

Also, those of us dinosaurs who ice climbed before the advent of Chouinard’s drooped-pick ice axe ( 1969) and ridged frame crampons would also not call John’s gear “ primitive”. He could hang from his axes and the ridge-frame, chromoly-steel crampons so reduced vibration and “ creep” that there was no comparison to previous really primitive gear.

When we looked at it ( the Black Dike) closely from the Cannonade terrace in Dec 1967 we felt it would be “ 100 years” before it was climbed. 

At that point was the standard a chouinard zero and a north wall hammer?

What do you mean creep?

Of course, I can't say what was going through John's mind when he set out that day, and know that 'having a look' means different things to different people, but once he actually started up the ice, he was doing more than 'looking'. Undoubtedly at some point he felt committed and that it was easier to continue up instead of down, but that is true of most solos.

Like Robert, I, too, am a dinosaur, one who actually attempted to climb the Dike with that truly primitive gear ( though not sure either of what he means by 'creep')---we didn't get far. Made a couple of other unsuccessful attempts ( or trips up to Franconia) and had actually arrived in North Woodstock one Friday late that December for another, when stopping in the Skimeister store in the village we saw John's sketch topo on the bulletin board of the 'Cannon cliff icicle' and John Porter, who worked there, confirmed that, yes, Bouchard had climbed the 'last great problem' of the day---and solo. We were 'impressed'!!!!!

I assume that creep is what happens when your boots are too soft and your crampons too flexible. certainly when I go have a look at something it most often gets climbed..  having a look gives you a way out and takes some of the pressure off but  really means your probably going to climb it. 

When you front pointed (without cutting steps) with old Stubi or Gravel 12 pt crampons ( which were hinged ) even with the stiff boots of the day ( I.e. Super Guides, or Lowa Double boots, but with softer boots even worse) the crampon would bend a little at the hinge. When this happened the front points would move a little bit, I.e “ creep” a bit. Really tightening the straps ( yup, crampons were held on with straps* that went over the top of the boot) might reduce the effect somewhat. [ At a “ cost” of colder feet due to reduced circulation.] Chouinard in his experiments also noted this effect, which he attributed as vibration. By making the crampon completely ridged, and virtually requiring a very stiff boot, he eliminated this effect.

The trade-off “ cost” was that if used extensively, especially for hiking / walking with the boot flexing, the crampons were subject to fatigue cracks developing. ( I. e. “ Failure” ). SMC semi-solved the problem by making their crampons thicker, but hence heavier.  

It wasn't until much later ( late 1980’s ?? 1990’s ?? ) that the now-standard  “ adjustable / semi-hinged “ crampons took over, I think, essentially when the mono-point came “ in” with the mixed climbing revolution, although the mono-point is now passé.

* Re straps - There were 6 posts on the crampons. You had to put the crampon on your boot ( just like today) but then feed the strap through these 6 posts. This required dexterity, and usually couldn’t be done with gloves, certainly not with mittens. Depending on what the wind-chill-cold was, you got to feed the straps through 1, 2, 3 or more posts before you had to warm your fingers. In Huntington Ravine I used to measure the coldness by how many you could do before you had to warm fingers!

As Robbin Williams said in “ Dead Poets Society” …” Thanks for the Walk down memory lane.” 

As far as JB soloing the FA of the dike - I thought the story was that he was rope soloing and near the top the rope jammed and he either untied or cut it and free soloed the finish

According to Rick Wilcox’s “An Ice Climber’s Guide to Northern New England”, the story is that, “On the first pitch his rope jammed, so he dropped it. Then the pick on his axe broke, and he dropped a mitten. Just as darkness was about to overtake him, Bouchard clawed his way to the woods…” Bouchard returned the next winter to climb it a second time with Henry Barber, John Bragg, and Rick Wilcox.