ending at Sherbrooke.
The Bow approach is still holding together but could be gone soon I
suspect. Continued loose snow and wet slab avalanches in the moraines
on the approach to size 1.5 with rain showers to 2700m on Saturday.
Still very good coverage on the glaciers. Not a lot of thick crust
formation at upper elevations although that is changing with recent
warm temps/rain and now cooling. The surface hoar is 50 down and
reactive to compression tests. Still, I felt confident enough in
stability to take the shortcut under the east side of St Nick on
Saturday and to go over the Balfour High Col on Sunday with -3.5 degree
temps and no wind but with 6-10cm of new snow and no visibility.
-7.5 on Sunday at Scott Duncan and it was frozen hard although the
crusts were still only a few cm thick. We took the direct classic exit
rather than go under the cornices that were in the sun on Niles. Many
recent wet slab avalanches to size 3 on the west aspects in Sherbrooke
Valley (Sunday? no snow or rain effect on the debris and the sun came
out for a few hours on Sunday PM). Propagating a long way. I suspect on
either surface hoar or perhaps a crust.
Skating across Sherbrooke Lake. The trail out has a few bare patches
and is very narrow in spots. The Parks trail crew was in there cutting
out the recent blowdown and I suspect they will have cleared the trail
by Wednesday but the trail is not long for this world.
Fresh snow on the lawn in Banff this morning and wind transport off
Rundle but the skis have already got storage wax on them and I'm
packing for a road trip. There's gotta be summer somewhere south of
here.
Mark Klassen
Mountain Guide
mark@alpinism.com
www.alpinism.com
_______________________________________________
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.