[MCR] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued May 30, 2014

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued May 30, 2014 In most of the main ranges the snowline remains below treeline with winter conditions still present in the high alpine. Some difficult travel in isothermal snow may be required to gain access to the upper elevations, but travel at higher elevations is reported to be quite good especially following an overnight freeze. Skis and ski crampons are probably still the weapons of choice at up high. Several ski traverses and ski mountaineering trips have been completed this past week in the Southern Monashees, Central Selkirks and the Rockies with good travel conditions when things are frozen. There is still 2.5m of snow at 1900m on Mt Fidelity and between 1.15-1.75m at 2200m in the Rockies. A few alpine snow and ice routes have been getting climbed such as Popes Peak in Lake Louise and Athabsca in the Columbia Icefields however the window of good travel can be short at this time of year so wait for a good freeze and start early! The main alpine hazards to watch for are cornice falls, loose wet avalanches and rock fall, all of which will increase with daytime heating. Glacier travel is still good in general but watch for sagging bridges as temperatures warm up. Bringing avalanche gear is a good idea. Rock climbing on solar aspects in the front ranges of the Rockies and at lower elevations in the Columbia`s has been very good. As always watch for more loose rock in spring, especially on routes that have not been travelled much. Northerly aspects or higher elevation rock routes still have wet areas or snow patches. The ticks are out and hungry so check carefully when you get down from your climbs. Bears and other animals are also being forced to stay down low by the snow levels and are being encountered regularly so be prepared. Finally the rivers and creeks are rising so be prepared to deal with higher water especially in the late afternoon on your way down from a climb or ski. The weather looks pretty good for the weekend especially for rock climbing. Warm temperatures, little or no precipitation and generally clear skies are forecast. Not sure whether or not there will be much of a freeze but if the skies are clear you might get lucky with some good snow conditions as well. Enjoy the spring conditions! Conrad Janzen ACMG 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. Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued May 22, 2014

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued May 22, 2014 The warm spring weather over the last week has changed the mountain conditions substantially. Spring is here, and at times it feels like summer might even be around the corner. People continue to have excellent conditions for icefield ski touring. Access to and from the mountains is becoming more of a challenge as the low and mid elevations melt out, but once up on the glaciers the conditions are good. Plan on frozen snow (crampon/ski crampons), as a solid melt-freeze crust was reported to above 3000 meters this week. Lots of large avalanches were reported this week from the heat. Big, wet and dirty avalanches, sometimes triggered by cornices and running far. It's that time of year when the mountains shed their winter skin, so rise in the dark and call it quits early in the day. Most of the rock climbing areas are coming into good shape now, especially the valley bottom crags which are all good-to-go. Higher cliffs like Yamnuska are only just drying out, and water should still be expected in the cracks and chimneys, and snow patches remain on the higher north facing slopes. Alpine rock climbing is far from being ready here in the Rockies, but you might get a pleasant surprise on a south facing alpine rock route in the interior right now. Don't forget the daily tick check, as those little critters are out in full force this time of year just looking for legs to cling on to. Expect the rivers to come up over the next few weeks. Snowpacks are high, so once it starts to rain it will be time to watch for flash flooding in canyon areas. The weather forecast for this coming weekend looks mixed with Saturday being the best of the two days. Expect some rain on Sunday but then the start of next week looks good again. Temperatures are expected into the mid-teens. Have a great weekend! Grant Statham ACMG 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. Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Mt Athabasca, Columbia Icefields.

Climbed Mt Athabasca today via the AA col route. We were 4 rope teams .

Conditions were good today insofar as the Avalanche Hazard was low,
we had cool temps and decent weather. There is still a lot of snow on
the mountain, probably more than usual for this time of year. Some
natural activity was observed which occurred over the weekend. It
was not evident last Friday when we were at Parkers Ridge.

Travel in general was not that great, with a thin crust covering
drier new snow. This is sitting on top of a crust down about 25cm.
On the upper mountain above the gullies of the AA col, foot
penetration varied between mid calf to knee deep.
Post holing on the lower glacier down to the moraines continued and
it didn't seem like it was much shallower as you descended,

Another interesting observation is that the headwall on the Athabasca
glacier is looking very broken up for this time of year. There may
have been some major shifting or collapsing on the upper ramp.

Also of note is that the climbers parking lot for Mt Athabasca no
longer exists.
All parking is now down by the lower gate. Parks Canada has not had a
chance to fix this area yet and it is a bit messy down there.
The climb now will take probably close to an additional hour to walk
up and down the road.

The gate to the toe of the Athabasca glacier was still closed yesterday.

Special thanks to Alex and Patrick who punched a trail up the AA col
route yesterday. The footsteps were appreciated on the lower
glacier. The staircase should last a while yet...

Peter Amann
Matt Reynolds
Cyril Shokoples
(Mountain Guides)

Peter Amann
pamann@incentre.net

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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] The professor is done for now.

Went back to Professor's this morning and the "high water warning" applies to that route now too.

Water was pouring behind the 1st pitch, had formed a passage on the right of the 2nd pitch and had pretty much gutted the 3rd pitch. We bailed on top of pitch 2 when the volume of the the running water became hard to ignore.

Not sure if the route will survive but that was a whole lot of change in a short time to a warm piece of ice. I would imagine the whole route is hovering around the warm side of 0 degrees celsius now.

It may cool down eventually, but, for now, can you say "water fall"?

Larry Stanier
ACMG Mountain Guide
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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] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued May 15, 2014

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued May 15, 2014 ACMG Mountain Conditions Report issued May 15th, 2014. The transition to spring continues, but overall conditions in the mountains seem to be a week or two behind "normal". Along the Continental Divide in the Rockies up to 250cm of snow is found at treeline, while at the Fidelity plot in Roger's Pass the snowpack is still more than 300cm deep. Patience is key unless you seek out low elevation climbing or want to strap on the skis again. Ski-touring and ski-mountaineering options are plentiful with lots of the bigger objectives and traverses in great condition, however it may be necessary to walk through snow-free terrain at lower elevations to gain access. Good corn snow is found on all aspects except true north where it is still possible to find some dry powder at higher elevations. Supportive crusts provide good travel conditions until the daytime heat and solar radiation kicks in. Ski-crampons, and sometimes boot-crampons, are vital to safe and efficient travel on many of the objectives. Isothermal snow is encountered at lower elevations and is also common in shallow snowpack areas. The best strategy for ski-touring right now is to beat the heat with early starts and early finishes. Parks Canada and Kananaskis Country are still issuing intermittent updates to their Public Avalanche Bulletins. Avalanche hazard at this time of year is very closely linked to the quality of the overnight freeze (if any) and the extent of daytime heating and solar radiation. Rainfall, which rapidly deteriorates snow stability, will also be a consideration over the next several days if the weather forecast comes true. Loose wet avalanches are occurring daily and full-depth slab avalanche releases are possible especially when the snowpack is warm and/or moist. The Rockies and Columbias have not yet experienced a widespread spring avalanche cycle this season, but this could occur with heavy rain to mountain-top and/or a prolonged period of warming. Snow depths on the glaciers have likely peaked for the season, but many of the crevasse fields are more open than normal years. Guides continue to report that several of the "standard" lines are more complex and hazardous than usual. Convexities and wind-prone areas are spots that could have thinner bridging over crevasses. There have been no recent reports of alpine climbing in either mountain range, probably because conditions are far from ideal (and are not likely to improve with this weekend's weather forecast). Alpine rock routes still require significant time to melt off and dry out. Snow and ice routes are in transition from winter condition to spring condition, and should be evaluated carefully from an avalanche hazard perspective. As mentioned last week, very early starts are in order and carrying avalanche rescue gear would be a good idea. Rock climbing venues are shaping up well with most of the low elevation crags in good condition. Many of the multi-pitch cliffs in Revelstoke, Jasper, Banff and Canmore are a good option when the weather is nice, but there is still snow and ice lingering on ledges and in the deeper crack systems and gullies. Rock-fall generated by snow and ice melt is a concern, making the stepper face climbs a potentially better option than the darker corner and crack systems. A winter of frost-wedging will have loosened hand/foot holds and possibly compromised piton placements. Lots of ticks are out looking for their first meal of the season. Scrambling options are still fairly limited with even the typical early season objectives mostly snow bound. Lingering snow and ice on the routes can quickly up the ante from an easier scramble to a trip requiring mountaineering skills and equipment. The weather forecast for the long weekend is not particularly inspiring with a fair amount of rain and high freezing levels possible across much of the Rockies and Columbias. This could have serious ramifications to the avalanche hazard. Currently Jasper looks to be the driest of all the regions, but still has a chance of rain over the weekend. Higher elevation areas along the Continental Divide could see some wet snow. Kananaskis may be the hardest hit in terms of rain with more than 40mm expected. Don't forget the umbrella! Play safe and have a great long weekend. Jeremy Mackenzie ACMG/IFMGA 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. Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Cascades - Yak Peak

Yak Peak looking mostly free of snow today on the drive past.

[MCR] Mt Whymper

Skied a steepish NNE facing glacier off Mt Whymper this morning. Excellent travel from the Stanley Glacier trailhead(once you got onto the snow) right to ridge tops and good skiing right back to the highway. Ski crampons and boot crampons for peace of mind.

BIG wet sloughs starting running about 11am on the SE faces. Very impressive and I assume that this avalanche cycle would follow the sun around till late in the day. We left the car about 8 and got back around 12:30. In hindsight I would leave an hour or two earlier just to beat the heat.

This may be old news soon given the weekend forecast but it could still be a good idea to ski tomorrow if things freeze and the rain holds off.

BIG recent grizzly tracks in the valley above the Hwy 93S divide.

Larry Stanier
ACMG 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.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.