Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Interior Ranges issued September 7th, 2006.
The snow that fell around August 30th is now just a memory except on high elevation north aspects. There was almost zero reported snow avalanche activity from this storm with the exception of some wet slides as it melted away.
It has been very unseasonably warm most days and especially most nights up high. In the past week overnight temperatures never went below 14c at the Conrad Kain Hut and it was 6c at the Abbott pass hut at 6am the one night I was there. It is "September" in name only.
The Rockies are back in good summer conditions. Glacier travel is reasonable again if you get a good freeze. There is lots of variation in the condition of various snow and ice faces. Some could be good objectives if you get some cold temperatures and others will be dirty and best avoided no matter what the temps are. Alpine rock routes are good, with the exception, again, of the steep high North faces. It is still too warm and way too dry for most of the big mixed routes at present.
Perhaps due to all the smoke in the air things sound very warm and spooky in the transitional areas in the Bugaboos and interior ranges. Reports of LOTS of rock and ice fall around bergschrunds on the Howsers and Bugaboo/ Snowpatch col and even some sustained rockfalls and major changes in boulderfields like the area between Lion's Way and Ears Between on Crescent. An alpine guides exam in the area was descending all week via the Snowpatch/Pigeon col rappels and Bugaboo glacier to avoid the Bugaboo/ Snowpatch col in the pm. The descents off the East faces of the Howsers sounds serious as you approach the ice with rock and icefall being observed all day. The West faces of the Howsers and the North ridge of the North Howser are in great shape but think hard about how you are going to get off those things. These same caveats would probably apply to similar terrain throught the Purcells and Selkirks. Having said all that, the stone is warm and dry and the forecast isn't too bad except for Saturday.
Choose your objectives carefully from home and don't be afraid to turn around if the long, hot and dry summer has left your route in really rough shape. It could be a great weekend for a route with low angle transitions between rock and ice as your plan A or at least as your plan B.
Bon Cours,
Larry Stanier
Mountain Guide