Yesterday (Feb 25) we climbed Little Crowfoot, up the glacier to the north and east of the peak and down the west side moraines. The most significant observation we made was that it stayed cool all day, even at Bow Lake.
Variable snowpack depth, especially at just above treeline and in moraines. These are the elevations/terrain features that I have been most "head's up" in recently. I have had a hard time judging where the true margin is in this terrain with the snowpack that we have so I've been pretty conservative in my route selection.
It doesn't look like there has been much avalanche activity here for a couple of days, but it seems to have been quite active during the warm spell especially on solar affected slopes below rock bands.
Reports from guides coming down from the icefield were that there was significant variability in snowpack depth in the open areas between Bow and Rhonda, from 70 cm to 300 cm. Also reports of hard slabs over facets causing one party to turn back from the steep roll that gains the south ridge of South Rhonda.
Mark Klassen
Mountain Guide