[MCR] Lake O'Hara snow, August 24th, 2015

The snow from friday has softened up the glacier travel somewhat at higher elevations. It has also left some small drifts along the ridges and verglas in gullies in its wake. There was some minor concerns with a weak layer above the bare ice earlier in the week but that seems to have disappeared anywhere I was travelling with the new load and the past two days of sun and warmth.

Certainly not enough snow to make Lefroy or Glacier peak attractive but Cathedral and Odaray glaciers certainly benefitted from Friday's 10-15cm. I expect Huber glacier would have the same benefits. Hungabee is plastered once again and will need at least a day or two of heat to dry out the upper NW face. Grassi ridge, Tarrant/Morrison buttress and Wiwaxy towers are already mainly dry.

Expect some rockfall on the shadier aspects and higher elevations as the melt continues with warmer temperatures in the forecast.

Photos are from Mt. Odaray, 10am sunday through a thin smokey haze. Forest fire from somewhere to the SW, just for clarity.

Larry Stanier
ACMG Mountain Guide
laristan@telus.net