ACMG Mountain Conditions Report

[MCR] Rockies -- Ha Ling, EEOR and area, 4 May

2016-05-05T16:11:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/rockies-ha-ling-eeor-and-area-4-may.

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Rockies -- Ha Ling, EEOR and area, 4 May

Posted on Thu, 05/05/2016 - 00:00 by Carl Johnston

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Took advantage of the July-like conditions yesterday to climb Ha Ling via Sisyphus, and to have a good look around the valley. The Ha Ling approach trail was almost entirely dry except for a couple of problematic snow patches right where the trail is steep and scrappy at the base of the route. Given their size and aspect, I expect they'll last for a bit yet, but that's easy to see from valley bottom. It's possible with a bit of exposure to detour low around them for gaining the shoulder and the NE Buttress. Otherwise, traversing the moat to the start of Sisyphus would be spicy with a firm freeze or light footwear. Beyond that, the whole NE face of Ha Ling was bone dry as is the descent. On the route there are plenty of early-season handhold souvenirs still hanging about, of course, and a feast of ticks that must have hitchhiked up somehow, but otherwise the peak was in fine shape and it felt like mid-summer there yesterday. Looking across from Ha Ling to EEOR, there was still a bit of snow lingering on the summit shingle (mainly above Generosity area) and a couple of small seeps on the face, although the descent looks basically dry already and more typical of 6-8 weeks from now. Still, with the signs of moisture up there, I'd be expecting plenty of rockfall from those soupy scree slopes up top, and for that reason, we gave it a pass yesterday. However, with today's rain and a few of the warm days in the forecast, I'd be surprised if the snow isn't melted and the seepage dried up very soon. Elsewhere in Spray Lakes, anywhere shady above 2200m had some kind of snow coverage and above 2500m still looked pretty white. Enjoy, Carl Johnston ACMG Alpine & Rock Guide Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

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[MCR] Sunshine Ski Touring Trip Was On May 4th

2016-05-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at https://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/sunshine-ski-touring-trip-was-may-4th.

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Sunshine Ski Touring Trip Was On May 4th

Posted on Thu, 05/05/2016 - 13:35 by Jordy Shepherd

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Description

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[MCR] Snow Conditions - Sunshine Backcountry March 4th

2016-05-05T11:50:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at https://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/snow-conditions-sunshine-backcountry-march-4th.

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Snow Conditions - Sunshine Backcountry March 4th

Posted on Thu, 05/05/2016 - 12:49 by Jordy Shepherd

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For those of you still hunting for snow, I was ski touring out of bounds yesterday (March 4) at Sunshine ski resort with fellow guide Fred Amyot and a group of Thompson Rivers University students. There was a light freeze overnight making for reasonable ski travel. At noon the air temperature was +11C at 2200m. Some broken cloud cover helped reduce the solar effect. By 3:00pm we were breaking through the crust below 2300m as we skied back inbounds. There was up to 115cm of snow at 2200m, but lots of bare patches showing!

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[MCR] Cornice Failure, Mons Rappels, Mons Icefield, Banff National Park

2016-05-05T11:06:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://mountainconditions.com/reports/cornice-failure-mons-rappels-mons-icefield-banff-national-park.

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Cornice Failure, Mons Rappels, Mons Icefield, Banff National Park

Posted on Thu, 05/05/2016 - 00:00 by Parks Canada

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Heads up to folks still travelling in the high mountains this spring: A team of Parks Canada visitor safety specialists responded to an incident involving a skier who was struck by a cornice as they were descending the West Glacier of the Mons Icefield on May 4th, 2016. The skiier was part of a group of seven that were on the southern half of the Great Divide Ski Traverse in the northwest portion of Banff National Park. The skier had finished rappelling down the final rock band on the established rappel route when he was struck by debris from a cornice that released overhead. He travelled approximately 40 meters in the debris, landing on the surface and sustaining a back injury. The skiers were descending the rock band one at a time and no other individuals were hit by debris. The group had knowledge and experience travelling in avalanche terrain and had done thorough route planning before commencing their trip. They were on the rappels around 10 am on an overcast day, but there had been no freeze the night before. Although it is spring in the Valleys, there is still snow up high with all of the associated hazards of avalanches and cornice failures and thinning crevasse bridges. Have a safe spring! Parks Canada Visitor Safety Banff, Yoho & Kootenay National Parks www.facebook.com/ParksMountainSafety

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[MCR Regional Summary] ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued May 5th, 2016

2016-05-05T10:44:00.001-07:00

A new Regional Summary has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://www.mountainconditions.com/regionalsummary/acmg-mountain-conditions-summary-rockies-and-columbia-mountains-issued-may-5th-2016.

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ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued May 5th, 2016

Posted on by Larry Stanier

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It seems to be a wet and chilly day in most of the Rockies and Columbia Mountains. Snow is probably falling somewhere in the Alpine but a quick survey of the Parks Canada remote weather stations in Glacier and along the Rockies Divide made me think it would be a grey, damp just barely freezing sort of day up high. Yukk! The snow line will be getting pushed even higher up and it would be prudent to assume that the remaining snow around treeline will be soggy and poor traveling till we get a good overnight recovery again. Big greasy wet slab avalanches, glide slabs and rockfall should all be happening today as the rain carries on. This rain soaked snow could get strong quickly with clear overnight skies and cool temperatures. There may be some stiff windslabs in the alpine but I don't imagine there is too many people currently in the alpine making direct observations. Access into the alpine is improving as the snowline recedes and is way ahead of "normal" by at least a month throughout the forecast area. Along the divide of the Columbias the snowline is generally lower than the Rockies. It is possible to drive to the turnoff for the Bugaboos parking lot but there is still some snow in the forest down low and lots of snow above the moraines and around the hut. Glacier Park has received 50ml of rain so far and it currently appears to be well above freezing there at 2000m. What does all this mean? Well, the bad news is that skiing is becoming an increasingly more desperate act with longer and longer approaches. The good news is that alpine climbing is becoming much more reasonable from the roadside attractions like the Columbia Icefields and Rogers Pass. Wise sources at Rogers Pass figure that routes like the West Ridge and South Face of Tupper and the NW ridge of McDonald could be climbed with an early start and a willingness to deal with some snow on the approach and the ledges. At the Columbia Icefields, moderate routes like the W Shoulder Direct on Andromeda and the ESE Face of Athabasca looked great. Steeper routes like the A-strain, Asteroid Alley ,Shooting Gallery etc are difficult to see but looked lean for ice. The bottom of Slipstream looked melted out last Sunday and is very unlikely to have improved. The whole East slopes of the Rockies are very scrambler friendly for this time of year and East slope peaks close to the valleys in the Columbias would be worth considering but I don't have any direct observations to confirm that. As usual in these transitional periods, it is all about the weather. Keep an eye on the forecast and on the sky if you are going out. It could be good and it could be bad. How is that for an expert opinion?:) Larry Stanier ACMG Mountain Guide

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[MCR] Columbia Mtns, Asulkan/Illecillewaet drainages closed

2016-05-05T09:03:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/columbia-mtns-asulkanillecillewaet-drainages-closed.

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Columbia Mtns, Asulkan/Illecillewaet drainages closed

Posted on Thu, 05/05/2016 - 00:00 by Parks Canada

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The access to the Asulkan and Illecillewaet drainages at Rogers Pass is currently closed due to several grizzly bears in the area. Parks Canada staff are working on radio-collaring these bears to better monitor their movements throughout the spring and summer. Once this work is complete, we anticipate the area to be reopened to the public. Thank you for your patience and cooperation in avoiding this area. Parks Canada Visitor Safety

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[MCR] Rockies, Columbia Icefields. May 1st to 3rd, 2016

2016-05-03T15:20:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/rockies-columbia-icefields-may-1st-3rd-2016.

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Rockies, Columbia Icefields. May 1st to 3rd, 2016

Posted on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 00:00 by Larry Stanier

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Fine June skiing from May 1st to 3rd at the Columbia Icefields. WARM, CLEAR and not a dry snowflake in sight. Good freeze every night and good skiing up high. Getting very lean or dry below the glaciers. We had good skiing above treeline at Parkers Ridge on Sunday and it was "manageable" skiing below treeline at 3pm. Today we skied up the Boundary Glacier and down the Hilda Glacier. The Boundary Glacier moraines were easy to get to but we walked with skis on our packs all the way from the Hwy. Good ski travel above there for now and excellent corn on the Hilda Glacier side at 10:30am. It was much more rugged than Sunday getting down the last 100 vertical meters on the lower Parker's Ridge to the Hilda Hostel as it is melting fast. A couple of bare sections had to be crossed and the snow in the trees now has a nasty selection of frozen ski trenches, human sized craters, variable crusts and wet weak snow. Yesterday we skied from the toe of the Athabasca Glacier to the summit of Snowdome in excellent early summer conditions. The 2nd Icefall can be passed on the left of center but it does require some fancy ski walking or cramponing on bare ice in a few places. Snow was fairly shallow at the top of the Athabasca glacier and on the upper south face of Snowdome. Good, easy roped travel going up but I thought it would be a terribly lonely place in bad light unroped. It felt reasonable skiing down unroped on Monday but we had perfect light and it was still a solid snowpack with a good fast corn surface all the way down to the flats where the Snowcoaches turn around. Somewhat sticky from there down at 3pm. 25c in the shade in Canmore at 4pm. Hard to believe it was great skiing 6 hrs ago:) Larry Stanier ACMG Mountain Guide

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[MCR] Mount Columbia, Rockies

2016-05-02T15:30:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/mount-columbia-rockies.

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Mount Columbia, Rockies

Posted on Mon, 05/02/2016 - 00:00 by David Lussier

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Hi all, We guided and ascent of Mount Columbia over 3 days from April 30th to May 2nd. We skied in and out of the Columbia Icefields via the Athabasca Glacier and camped just East of the Trench for two nights. We had a mix of sun and clouds while skiing in on our first day and mostly clear skies for the remainder of the trip. Temperatures ranged from -2.0C overnight with calm winds to 10.0C during the day with variable light winds. The snow coverage was thin on the lower Athabasca Glacier, deep spots were in the 70cm range and many bare ice areas were starting to show. We had to walk from the parking area to the toe of the Glacier before putting skis on. We ascended the first icefall on the right side, the second via a snow ramp ¾ of the way across the left side and the third via the usual snow slope. As expected snowpack depth increased with elevation; we measure 150cm at the base of the third icefall and upwards of 300cm on the Columbia icefields. Despite the warm daytime temperatures, the overall travelling conditions were excellent. Surfaces ranged from hard supportive crust in the AM to 5-10cm of moist corn snow in the PM. We toured up to 3400m on the Southeast shoulder of Columbia and boot packed the last 300m to the summit. Crampons, ice axe and conditions made for secure steps up and down. There were several hard crust in the top 30cm of the snowpack, this helped maintain mostly stable avalanche conditions. Let's hope these great ski mountaineering conditions persist, enjoy! Cheers, David Lussier acmg Mountain Guide & Kenton Lambert acmg Apprentice Ski Guide www.summitmountainguides.com

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[MCR] South Coast Mountains. Currie to Wedge Traverse.

2016-04-30T10:08:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/south-coast-mountains-currie-wedge-traverse.

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South Coast Mountains. Currie to Wedge Traverse.

Posted on Sat, 04/30/2016 - 00:00 by Dave Sarkany

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I guided the Currie - Wedge traverse over the last 4 days (with Altus Mt Guides). Generally travel was on a good crust and corn snow. Cool cloudy wx allowed some new snow (up to 20cm) to accumulate above 2000m. This was sluffing up to Sz 2 on steeper slopes. Glacier coverage is still thick although crevasse sags are becoming quite noticable. Water runnels are evident and rock outcrops are prominent. Very spring like! We skied down to 1400 meters on the Wedge trail. The new start to this trail is now really good walking :) Dave Sarkany DSK Guiding

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[MCR] Mount Monashee, Northern Monashees

2016-04-28T21:22:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://mountainconditions.com/reports/mount-monashee-northern-monashees.

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Mount Monashee, Northern Monashees

Posted on Thu, 04/28/2016 - 00:00 by David Lussier

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Hi all, We guided a ski ascent of Mount Monashee (3275m) in the Northern Monashee Mountains yesterday April 27th 2016. We access the mountain by helicopter from Valemount to a camp located at 2300m by a small lake on a bench feature just beside a large unnamed glacier at the headwaters of Moonbeam creek (52°24'25.92"N, 118°58'6.82"W). From our camp location we ascended broken glacier terrain in a Southeasterly direction between Mount Lempriere and Torii Mountain towards the Sepentine Neve. Once on the Neve, we continued up the steepening Northwest facing slopes of Mount Monashee on skis to a 3220m shoulder just West of the main summit. Boot crampons and ice axe were used for the short mixed snow & rock scramble via the West ridge to the summit. The ascent was done comfortably in one day from camp (950m ascent over 5km). Similar to our previous trip to the Cariboo Range, there was about 5-10cm of recent new snow above 2800m overlying a very firm 5-10cm crust. This crust was present at all elevation and aspects, it made for great travelling conditions and mostly stable snowpack. The snowpack was firm and dry in the morning and moist on solar aspects in the pm. We saw no signs of instability and measured upwards of 300cm of settled snow on the glacier above 2500m. Another highly recommended Spring ski mountaineering tour! Cheers, David Lussier acmg mountain guide Kenton Lambert acmg apprentice ski guide www.summitmountainguides.com

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[MCR] Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Cariboo Mountains

2016-04-28T18:02:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://mountainconditions.com/reports/sir-wilfrid-laurier-cariboo-mountains.

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Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Cariboo Mountains

Posted on Thu, 04/28/2016 - 00:00 by David Lussier

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Hi all, We guided a ski ascent of Mount Sir Wilfrid Laurier in the Premier Range of the Cariboo Mountains April 25-26, 2016. We had what felt like ideal Spring ski mountaineering conditions with clear skies, calm winds and good overnight melt-freeze recovery. We access the mountain via helicopter from Valemount to a camp located at 2080m by a small lake on a bench feature just north of the lower North Canoe Glacier (52°46'17.55"N, 119°40'19.29"W). From camp we ascended in a Northwesterly direction via the South Rib route to the summit comfortably in a long day (1500m ascent over 7km). We were able to stay on snow and ski all the way to the summit, ski crampons were very useful. The snowpack was firm and dry in the morning and moist on solar aspects in the pm. There was about 10-15cm of recent new snow above 2900m overlying a very firm 5-10cm crust. This crust was present at all elevation and aspects, it made for great travelling conditions and mostly stable snowpack. We measured upwards of 300cm of settled snow on the glacier above 2500m so good coverage up there. There glaciation on the south side of this peak seems to have lost a fair amount of volume since the last topographical map update. The edges and elevation profile of the glacier has receded and is different than suggested by the map. This lead to unexpected exposed rock in places where glacier ice should have been. That said, the route was easily negotiable. A highly recommended Spring ski mountaineering tour! David Lussier acmg mountain guide Kenton Lambert acmg apprentice ski guide www.summitmountainguides.com

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[MCR Regional Summary] ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued April 28th, 2016

2016-04-28T13:59:00.001-07:00

A new Regional Summary has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://mountainconditions.com/regionalsummary/acmg-mountain-conditions-summary-rockies-and-columbia-mountains-issued-april-28th.

The contents of the report are below.
You can also read all the reports, search using a map, and receive instant push notification on your iOS device using the MCR iOS App.

ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued April 28th, 2016

Posted on by Larry Stanier

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Over 3 weeks of WARM weather has eaten up the snowpack below 1700m in most places except along the Divides of the Rockies and Columbias. Before this last bit of precipitation it was hard to imagine theer being a dry snow flake anywhere except maybe in a little shaded pocket somewhere just below the summit ridge of Mt. Robson or Sir Sandford. There is currently some new snow along the Rockies Divide at Bow Summit and supposedly even 8cm at the Stanley Glacier but it is showing 6 degrees C there so it may not be fluffy pow:) It is still possible to ski from the Asulkan and Connaught trail heads at Rogers Pass but you will be crossing some creeks if you head up the Asulkan Valley. Creek and especially Lake crossings may just be the crux of many traditional spring skiing venues right now. No swimming with ski gear is generally a good guideline to follow! Plain old bare ground will be a reality on many "ski" approaches. Having said all that, if you could get high enough and had some luck with the overnight recoveries the corn skiing and general travelling has been really good for awhile. It looks like a little more scattered snow may fall in the next couple of days and with the warm temps it should eventually bond well to the old surfaces. Thin Windslabs will likely be a factor for a short time after this storm ends. Large destructive wet slides and loose slides big enough to push around a skier or climber will be the primary concern for the foreseeable future. Cornices and crevasse bridges will be creaking and groaning and trying to decide whether to fail catastrophically or just melt away for a long time yet. Try not to help them with that decision! Alpine climbing conditions could get good quickly if we get some cool temperatures and good clear nights. They could also get really bad quickly if the freeze is mediocre and the sun/warm air gets to be the boss. Have a good plan, check the snow carefully, make wise decisions, move fast and have some good retreat options. Ice climbing-HA! Maybe in the alpine arena but I think it is safe to assume that all the classics must have fallen down or melted away. Rock climbing has been reasonable for a very long time in the sun. The ticks and the bears are out for awhile now and there has been the odd nasty spring rockfall event and new loose holds from the winter's melt freeze cycles. This is the first ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary for the season and in our new format. We will continue to produce these summaries till the public avalanche forecasts begin again in the fall. Larry Stanier ACMG Mountain Guide

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[MCR] Wapta Traverse Peyto-Sherbrooke Lake

2016-04-27T12:01:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at https://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/wapta-traverse-peyto-sherbrooke-lake.

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Wapta Traverse Peyto-Sherbrooke Lake

Posted on Wed, 04/27/2016 - 00:00 by Tom Wolfe

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I guided a Wapta Traverse beginning at Peyto Lake trailhead early on April 21 and exiting Sherbrooke Lake yesterday April 26. We had typical mid spring conditions -- great in the alpine and rough below treeline. I don't think even a short weekend trip to the Wapta right now would be worth the effort. But if you're planning an extended ski mountaineering adventure, you're up for the challenge, and the temps continue to cooperate then get high and stay high: you'll be well rewarded. Few natural avalanches were observed in the alpine even during the hottest days -- some loose wet and wet slab later in the day in steep, solar, rocky terrain. We steered clear of solar aspects as the crust broke down by early afternoon. The weather throughout the week was an aesthetic mixed bag that never shut us down, ranging from stellar blue skies going over the Balfour High Col to slashing rain the evening after we rolled into Bow Hut. Alpine temps ranged from highs of +15 early in the week down to a low of -5 at 05:00 yesterday, with good crust recoveries every night. Peyto Lake was still in great shape a week ago but this has likely changed since then. The route from the lake elevation to Peyto hut required a couple of kilometers of walking with skis off but was otherwise fine. We skied Peyto Glacier from the top of Haebel to its terminus; Rhonda's E face; Gordon's normal route; Olive's W bowl; Diablaret Glacier; and Balfour Glacier. These had fun corn skiing and easy travel. Ski crampons were useful several times. On the way up to Balfour High Col we swung out briefly towards the E face of Balfour rather than straight up the steep & crevassed passage next to the cliff ("Hourglass"). There are a couple of surprise crevasses to watch out for -- the one near the top of the Diablaret (right in the fall line) and another near the bottom of the Vulture Gl, well below the icefall and also in the fall line, come to mind. Yesterday descending from Scott Duncan hut we had an early start and a strong freeze. Heaven help you if you are lacking either of those these days and find yourself in the trees. The Schiesser-Lomas route provided a straightforward descent to the valley bottom on hard melt-freeze crusts. From there, the canyon you soon encounter on skier's left (E) is not passable. We traversed right (W) through the woods and found that to be manageable all the way to the lake with a fair bit of careful survival skiing. We crossed Sherbrooke Lake. If you choose to do the same right now, in addition to a solid overnight freeze you'll benefit from nerves of steel and a sixth sense about the status of the underlying ice. The lake was flooded with watery slush covered by a sometimes-supportive crust. We teetered on the rails of old frozen tracks, which made it reasonable. We kept our skis on until the last kilometer and a half before the highway where windfall, isothermal snow and patches of bare trail slowed us down. It took us about 7 hours to get from Scott Duncan hut to Great Divide Lodge travelling at a very relaxed pace. If I had to do another Wapta in the near future I would probably choose to start at Sherbrooke Lake and head north. I'd flip a coin on the decision to exit via Peyto or Bow. There is good cellular coverage from the ridge between the Bath Glacier and Lilliput Pk. Tom Wolfe Mountain Guide ACMG/IFMGA

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[MCR] Bow Hut approach

2016-04-25T09:33:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at https://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/bow-hut-approach.

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Bow Hut approach

Posted on Mon, 04/25/2016 - 00:00 by Dave Healey

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Hi folks, We attempted to get up to the Bow Hut yesterday and encountered advanced spring conditions. After 3 hours of multiple creek crossings (knee deep wading) and unsupportive, near isothermic snow, we arrived at the entrance of the canyon to find all snow bridges gone & a healthy water flow in the creek. We elected at this time to seek adventures elsewhere. Conditions have changed rapidly since I was here a week ago. There was no overnight freeze apparent yesterday morning, and checking the NPC Bow Summit weather station, similar conditions occurred again last night. Any precipitation was falling as rain yesterday, saturating a very weak snowpack. The lake is no longer useable - even travel along the shoreline was not recommended with open water & slush on the ice surface. Both first person reports (we encountered one party exiting from Bow hut with very wet feet & ski gear.) & recent third hand reports note difficult travel conditions, with one party taking 5 hours to reach the trailhead from Bow Hut. I would suspect that in addition to challenging travel conditions, that poor snow stability will be encountered with the lack of overnight freezes & rainfall saturating the snowpack. Spring transition is in full swing on this trail. Enjoy the challenge!

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[MCR] Black Bands - Rock fall

2016-04-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

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Black Bands - Rock fall

Posted on Thu, 04/21/2016 - 00:00 by Gordon Irwin

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Yesterday (Wed. 20 April) three friends had a close encounter with significant rockfall at the Black Bands area of Tunnel Mountain. They had climbed a number of routes, including the 5.9 Farrago. They were on their way down to the main trail when they heard massive rockfall that swept the Farrago route, and reported seeing rocks the size of a human torso. They did not go back up to inspect any damage to the route. The rock that came down detached from approx. 2/3 height on the route, but it is not clear what, if any bolts were affected. They did not feel any loose or hollow sounding rocks when they had done the route a short time prior. It was a warm sunny day, but there has been a prolonged period of warm weather in the Bow Valley, and the snow has been long gone from this crag and area. Given the early and mild start to the climbing season this year, this near-miss is a heads up that spring rockfall season is also with us, following a winter that included many freeze-thaw cycles to loosen rocks both large and small.

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[MCR] 160413-18 Bow Yoho Traverse

2016-04-19T09:48:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/160413-18-bow-yoho-traverse.

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160413-18 Bow Yoho Traverse

Posted on Tue, 04/19/2016 - 00:00 by Yuji Akiyama

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I guided Bow Yoho traverse via Whaleback shoulder from 4/13 to 18. 4/13 Approach to Bow hut Bow lake was well frozen. We had to take skis off once to cross the creek in canyon. The crust was supportive all day long. 4/14 Mt. Gordon Receive 3cm new without wind. The crust was supportive all day, good skiing. 80-250cm snow on glacier. 4/15 to Guy hut Receive 10cm new with L-SW wind. Lots loose dry observed. Good coverage on crevassesed slope under Mt.Colie. We took centre line to up. To Guy hut, we took ridge from the col at MGRS 296157, 2750 m. There is still cleave(photo attached) at ridge top, be careful in whiteout condition. 4/16 to SM hut Ski down to Des Poilus glacier via south end of col, good freeze overnight so slip and fall was main hazard on that slope. Took Whaleback shoulder to summer trail, descending from shoulder was steep but still supportive with skis, punched through to ground with boots at lower elevation. Summer trail was well packed and supportive. 4/17 President glacier Overcast in the morning, clear up in early PM made snow pack iso condition around hut. No cornice action as far as we could see on north side of President and Vice. 4/18 Ski out to Highway Trail was refroze in the morning and good travel till Mt.Field regular hike in point(bridge) on Tak falls road. Evidence of big cycle of wet avalanche, couple size2-3, just touching the road (photo attached). Had to walk couple times in lower elevation, and last 500m to parking was all dry (photo attached).

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[MCR] Bow-Peyto traverse

2016-04-18T19:29:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://mountainconditions.com/reports/bow-peyto-traverse.

The contents of the report are below.
You can also read all the reports, search using a map, and receive instant push notification on your iOS device using the MCR iOS App.

Bow-Peyto traverse

Posted on Sat, 04/16/2016 - 00:00 by Tom Wolfe

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I guided a 3-day traverse on the Wapta this past Friday-Sunday starting at Bow Lake and finishing at Peyto Lake trailhead. The access to Bow Hut is still in fairly good condition with a handful of spots requiring skis off. The route between the Peyto Lake trailhead and the Peyto Glacier however is in fair to poor condition with lots of sections of hiking and hunting for snow patches. Particularly the sections below the moraine and in the woods below the highway are a bit of a drag right now. Conditions in the alpine were ideal, with decent overnight freezes and a very well settled, stable snowpack with north aspects providing good dry snow skiing. Even steep solar aspects Sunday were still holding together and no new avalanches were observed throughout our trip. By Sunday afternoon and certainly by today things have heated up to change that high into the alpine (freezing levels of 3800 m!) The attached photos give a better idea of how much we've moved into spring time by now. I'm heading up for a 6 day trip in the same area later this week -- looks like our stellar weather will break down by the weekend with cloudy skies, cooler weather and snow (hopefully not rain) in the forecast.

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[MCR] Bow-Peyto traverse

2016-04-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

I guided a 3-day traverse on the Wapta this past Friday-Sunday starting at Bow Lake and finishing at Peyto Lake trailhead.

The access to Bow Hut is still in fairly good condition with a handful of spots requiring skis off. The route between the Peyto Lake trailhead and the Peyto Glacier however is in fair to poor condition with lots of sections of hiking and hunting for snow patches. Particularly the sections below the moraine and in the woods below the highway are a bit of a drag right now.

Conditions in the alpine were ideal, with decent overnight freezes and a very well settled, stable snowpack with north aspects providing good dry snow skiing. Even steep solar aspects Sunday were still holding together and no new avalanches were observed throughout our trip. By Sunday afternoon and certainly by today things have heated up to change that high into the alpine (freezing levels of 3800 m!)

The attached photos give a better idea of how much we've moved into spring time by now.

I'm heading up for a 6 day trip in the same area later this week -- looks like our stellar weather will break down by the weekend with cloudy skies, cooler weather and snow (hopefully not rain) in the forecast.

Regards,

Tom Wolfe
Mountain Guide ACMG/IFMGA
www.sawback.com
Cell: (403) 707-9996

[MCR] Peter Lougheed Park - Commonwealth Creek

2016-04-18T16:53:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://mountainconditions.com/reports/peter-lougheed-park-commonwealth-creek.

The contents of the report are below.
You can also read all the reports, search using a map, and receive instant push notification on your iOS device using the MCR iOS App.

Peter Lougheed Park - Commonwealth Creek

Posted on Mon, 04/18/2016 - 00:00 by Jorg Wilz

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Hi Everyone: We went ski touring today in Peter Lougheed Park looking for corn skiing on the large southerly avalanche paths around the Fist. Temps were around -2 C when leaving the car at 7 AM. Generally good refreeze in all open areas with clear skies overnight, only in the tight woods our skis sank into isothermal snow occasionally when too close to trees. The crust was supportive until we finished our last run around 11.15 on the large slide path from the Mt. Smuts - Fist Saddle. 45 minutes earlier the corn would have even been better..... The ski out back to the road was still frozen and traveled fast. Back at the car around 12 AM. Of note was an encounter with what we believe was an adult grizzly about 30 meters west of where one usually pulls the skins off on top of the Tryst Lake Ridge before skiing the southern aspect "Super Slope". We were scoping a possible traverse on foot across the rocks into the slide path when we noticed the head of a bear poking out and looking at us from behind a little ridge. We turned around and expedited our ski descent in the other direction, feeling pretty good that we had brought the bear spray along today. The Spray Lake area seems about one month ahead into spring and none of the larger, western aspect ski ascents north of the Mt. Shark turn-off seem doable anymore this year. Jorg Wilz Mountain Guide ACMG / IFMGA

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[MCR] Mt Cathedral, Yoho National Park

2016-04-18T15:14:00.001-07:00

A new MCR Report has been posted on Mountain Conditions Report.

You can view it online at http://mountainconditions.com/reports/mt-cathedral-yoho-national-park.

The contents of the report are below.
You can also read all the reports, search using a map, and receive instant push notification on your iOS device using the MCR iOS App.

Mt Cathedral, Yoho National Park

Posted on Sun, 04/17/2016 - 00:00 by Parks Canada

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Great spring skiing on Mount Cathedral on Sunday April 17th. We found 5-10 cm of dry snow on steep north aspects above 2300m which transitioned to nice corn skiing below and became isothermal below 1600m. We skiied north to the Trans Canada Highway through the Cathedral Crags North gully. There is now a bolted anchor for the rappel over the waterfall ice step. It is on the skiiers left just above the step and is marked with a red prussik cord (see attached photo). This year, the step could be rappelled with a 30 m rope (15 m rappel). A 40 m rope (20 m rappel) is nice to get you into lower angle terrain and will work regardless of snow levels. We were finished by 12:30 and the snow was still holding up. I wouldn't want to be in there currently with the warm temperatures. Lots of evidence of rockfall in the gully from previous warm temperatures. The valleys are dry and low elevation snow is melting fast - it feels more like mid-May conditions out there! Ian Jackson and Tim Haggarty ACMG Mountain Guides Visitor Safety - Banff, Yoho & Kootenay National Parks https://www.facebook.com/ParksMountainSafety https://www.facebook.com/parcssecuritemontagne

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[MCR] Mt Owen, Yoho National Park, Rockies

2016-04-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

Banff and Lake Louise Visitor Safety completed a three day ski trip to Mt Owen in Yoho National Park, April 14-16th.

From Lake O'Hara we skied over McArthur Pass, into McAthur Creek, and up to a camp on the W side of the pass between Mt Owen and Mt Duchesnay at 2150m. We climbed and skied the North glacier on Mt Owen on the second day returning to camp just in time to meet a wolverine who was quite curious about the intrusion into its backyard. We spent the afternoon moving camp to a sheltered tree rib south of Odaray Pass at 2220m. The final day we skied over Odaray Pass to Cathedral Lakes before contouring below Mt Odaray to Morning Glory Lakes, up a shoulder below the Odaray Glacier, and back down Lake O'Hara.

With the well settled spring snowpack and low freezing levels of the past few days we had supportive snow at all elevations (1750m and above) all day every day for skiing and bootpacking. This was key for the valley bottom travel where the snowpack is quite thin and for some of the steep moraine slopes.

Snow tests on the North glacier of Mt Owen at 2800m did not show any significant shears in the upper 140cm. There was an average of 240cm of snow on the glacier. Good skiing on due North aspects above 2200m with 3-10cm of dry snow on the surface. Supportive crust skiing or corn skiing on all other aspects and at lower elevations. Only a trace of new snow over the three days.

One loose wet sluff observed on the East Face of Mt Odaray April 16th. No other avalanches or sluffs were observed during the three days. Our only avalanche concerns were the effects of daytime heating on steep slopes and cornices.

See photos at http://www.mountainconditions.com/reports/mt-owen-yoho-national-park

Conrad Janzen and Steve Holeczi

Parks Canada Visitor Safety

Banff, Yoho & Kootenay National Parks

[MCR] Rockies, Tryst Lake

2016-04-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

I guided at Tryst Lake today, April 14th. We were able to ski all the way and never had to carry our skis. Decent dust on crust in the chutes. We braved one of the big slopes close to the Fist and used ski crampons to ascend there. The crust was still strong and supporting both skis and bootsoles to the valley floor at 13:00 when we left.

Happy trails,

Barry Blanchard

Mountain Guide

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

www.yamnuska.com

[MCR] Rockies: Mt Gordon, Mt Jimmy Junior, French Glacier

2016-04-13T18:52:00.001-07:00

I guided and ascent of Mt Gordon on Monday, April 11th. Had to carry our skis a half dozen times over short dry sections and creek crossings. The glacier and icefield had chaulky wind pressed snow everywhere.

April 12th I guided Mt Jimmy Junior and used ski crampons pretty much the whole way up. A firm supportive crust was still holding as of 11:00 am when we left. Wish it had of softened up more for better skiing!

Today, April 13th, I guided the French Glacier. We had intended on doing the French, Haig, Robertson circuit but 20 centimetres of new snow with lots of wind and poor visibility saw us heading back down the French from the Haig Icefield for fear of soft slabs and wind slabs below the Sir Douglas/Robertson Col. We enjoyed good skiing down the glacier and heavier moist snow lower in the valley that skied really slow.

Happy trails,

Barry Blanchard

Mountain Guide

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

www.yamnuska.com

[MCR] ASG exam Rockies April 6-8, 2016

2016-04-08T18:21:00.001-07:00

Bow Summit area - Mt Olive & Cirque Pk, TL and Alpine terrain 1900-3100 m
Wx:
10-15 cm HN on 0406 fell with strong northerly winds becoming westerly the last 2 days.
Temps raising to 7 degrees today at 2600m
Snowpack:
Significant warming from previous week and recent cooling has brought spring conditions. HN is bonding well to previous MF crust. Strong wind and accompanied snowfall has created isolated windslabs in the Alpine.
Large cornices exist in the Alpine with some more recent growth . HS in the Alpine is between 250 -300 cm but has significant variabilty in the Alpine and at Treeline.
Avalanche observations:
Warming in previous week brought a significant cycle to size 2.5 all aspects and elevations. In days travelled we did not observe any new avalanches.
Travel:
Open Creeks and isothermal snow in lower elevations.
Hias Ahrens
Mountain Guide
_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
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[MCR] Rockies, Wapta Bow Hut to Sherbrooke Lake

2016-04-07T13:06:00.001-07:00

I guided six guests across the Wapta from Bow Hut and out Sherbrooke Lake April 3-6.

Bow Lake was frozen with no water on our crossing April 3rd. Skied over several small piles of avalanche debris in the "Canyon".

We crossed the St Nic/Olive Col on the 4th and the Vulture glacier skied fast and efficiently on chaulky snow ribboned with sun glazed crusts. The wind and snow came in from the west on our afternoon trip from Balfour Hut to ski the Diableret Glacier. Moderate to strong westerly winds howled through the night and moved most of the new snow to leeward slopes.

April 5th, windy, white and a slowish wander up the low access to the Nunatack slope/Hourglass and, eventually, Balfour High Col. We skied from the high col on a compass bearing with rope and skins on. The icefields have been wind hammered and presented a series of sastrugi, drifts and blueish icey crusts. After about 1 kilometre we could see some and got rid of the rope and skins and skied broadside to the wind to the Scott Duncan Hut. Constant moderate to strong winds through the night.

April 6th more whiteout and more wind, we faced into it skiing towards Mt Niles. We descended into the gut with wind deposited snow underski and fields of blueish sun crusts on all windward aspects. The Shiesser/Lomas was gained from the gut immediately below the East Face, and true summit, of Mt Niles (read not that far down). I was happy to find less than 25 cms of wind deposited snow that soon gave way to the crust on the steeper part of the climb, not much worry of windslab because the wind had spread the new snow thin as marmite on toast. Variable skiing on drifts and crusts to treeline and then some nice dust on crust to Sherbrooke Lake. The lake skied well with no water and a couple cms of spongy snow on, you guessed it, crust. The lower cat track to Wapta Lake (Great Divide Lodge) has lots of pine needles and boughs and several trees down. Only moist-to-ground snow I saw was there if you stepped off of the track.

Happy trails,

Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures
www.yamnuska.com