Brian Irwin

Remote, unknown and protected by a scarcity of information, Maine's Mount Katahdin, with 4,000 feet of elevation gain, arctic weather and big, bold alpine and rock routes, may be the Northeast's best-kept secret.

Climbing early-season ice is always a humbling experience. Despite dry tooling up blocks on my home woodie, I find the first ice climb of the year wakes my hibernating tool-swinging arms.