issued August 16th, 2007
The stormy weather last week finally brought some precipitation to the very
dry conditions. Up to 30 cm of snow was reported above 2700 meters
particularly on the Continental Divide in the Rockies. In most places,
except for northerly aspects, this has either melted back or settled into
good cramponing snow on glaciers. We have turned the corner of the very
long summer days with daytime heat being a factor for long periods. It is
now not light until 05:30 AM and by 09:30 PM it is now dark. With a
downward trend in temperatures combined with clear nights, there is now a
long overnight period of overnight freezing. In the Rockies last night,
freezing levels were around 2000 meters.
Alpine conditions are good. This is the case for both the Rockies and the
Interior including the Bugaboos. Routes that require rock climbing on
north aspects above 3000 metres such as the normal route on Hungabee are
not in the prime shape they were in two weeks ago. It will take a high
elevation warm period for this to happen. Typically, the season for those
routes is short at best. Other than this high elevation snow, the
mountains have returned to dry conditions. The weather forecast is looking
a bit unsettled for the weekend with some precipitation likely. It looks
like a cooling trend is also on the way so we can expect to see at least
some snow on the high mountains again.
Of note is that the Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col is in poor conditions with dirty
black ice at the top and frequent rockfall. Stay tuned for photos from
Marc Piche of car sized blocks careening down this slope.
Marc Ledwidge
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.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.