Why am I smiling?
I'm climbing in North Conway, New Hampshire, that's why.
North Conway is just south of the White Mountains, and the capital of New Hampshire's not-so-wild wilderness. The town itself? Kinda touristy.

Just out of town, though, is some of the best granite climbing in New England. And the Mount Washington valley, where the town is located, is just gorgeous, especially in the fall.
Cathedral Ledge is the first of North Conway's main attractions.
Cathedral's main feature is The Prow, seen here. Recompense, (5.9) a climb I'd love to do if I ever get good enough, takes on this amazing buttress.
One of my first major rock climbs, Thin Air, is at Cathedral. (It's still a favourite.) Here's Luke, after we first climbed it.
The view from the top isn't bad at all. In the distance, the foothills of the Presidentials, and in the foreground, the Saco River.
Among the many people I climbed at Cathedral with were Emma...
...and Chrissy. (For her first rock-climb ever, she did pretty well.)
Cathedral Ledge also marks my closest call with injury whilst climbing. This innocent-looking piece of rock is Black Lung (5.8), a climb which I could never master. On my second attempt, I was just able to pull over the crux before my arms gave out. My foot clipped a ledge on the way down, resulting in a sprained ankle, and a nice view of my belayer as I hung upside-down in my harness. I didn't push my climbing quite so hard after that...
The flip-side to Cathedral's steeper climbing is the vast, undulating swell of granite slab that is Whitehorse Ledge, a half-mile to the south.
If you can get used to runout friction climbing, Whitehorse is fun, fun, fun!

Here's a side view of the Whitehorse slabs, from the top of Cathedral.
Don't climb here when it rains! (The names of climbs such as Sliding Board should give you an idea why.) But a cool breeze and a sunny day can make this place sublime.
Here's Luke, belaying me on Wedge. (5.7. He lead the crux. :) The climbs on the slabs do have bolts, when you really need them. Although I complained about their sparsity, it's probably a good thing.
More slab. Here's me on the second pitch of Standard Route (5.5), a wonderful ramble which goes on, and on, and on!
Did I mention the slabs? :)
I only climbed here a handful of times, which is too bad. A day at Whitehorse can be pretty idyllic.
As is my habit, when I find a good climb, I usually drag a bunch of my friends up it! This time it was Barney, an old Uni friend visiting from Australia. We did Standard Route.
My last visit here was two days before I left Boston. I climbed with Kate, and we went up with Susan and a friend of hers.

Here, Susan belays on Sliding Board (5.7), a climb I never got around to tackling. (I think the name scared me off...)
My all-to-brief climbing buddy, Kate Smith, after our only Whitehorse climb. (I miss you Kate.)
Alas. I spent but one brief climbing season going to North Conway. (Although I count at least nine trips in that half-year.)

From spring...
...to fall.

I hope I'll get back there, someday.