ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued May 1st, 2008.
This is the first Mountain Conditions Summary for 2008. Last week, the Canadian Avalanche Centre issued its last regular avalanche bulletin for the season, though they could still produce a special bulletin in the event of unusual conditions. The Mountain National Parks are still producing excellent avalanche bulletins, please reference them if you are planning on skiing or climbing in those areas. Please be aware, this summary is being produced at a time when there are relatively few Mountain Guides active in the mountains and many operations concerned with avalanche hazard management are shutting down for the season. We will do the best we can to provide a clear picture of what we know is happening in the mountains, but spring is always a period of dynamic change in the snow and we have very few eyes on the ground to observe with in the next few weeks.
I can't imagine it is a suprise to anyone to hear me say that winter still rules in the mountains.
There is still over 100cms of settled snow on the ground at Bow Summit and at the Rogers Pass. The long days, more intense radiation and supposedly warmer temperatures of spring are only slowly starting to effect the snowpack in most places. From all reports from the Rockies and the Columbias I get the impression that we are still a long way away from what I would consider a "normal"spring snowpack. Below treeline the snow has probably gone through enough melt freeze cycles to have gained some strength when it is cold. However, at treeline and in the alpine, even south faces have probably not lost their deep weak layers. Especially on north facing terrain and in the alpine, any daytime warming is being added to a still wintery snowpack with some signifigant, persistent weak layers. I suspect there is still lots of potential for LARGE slab avalanches in the foreseeable future, especially if we ever get some HOT, HIGH RADIATION spring weather.
Alpine climbing is probably possible if you have a spell of settled weather and some cold temperatures. Be VERY choosy if you are looking for alpine climbing in the near future and don't be caught anywhere in avalanche terrain when things start to warm up. Again, the snow is almost more like March than May right now. The problem with this "March" snowpack is that it has the potential for producing big, nasty avalanches when the springtime heat is added to it. LOTS of full-size cornices still hanging around the ridges and a winters worth of freshly frost shattered rock to be clobbered with. Hmm, doesn't all that sound appealling?
Rockclimbing in the region still seems to be limited to valley bottom east slope crags such as the Canmore area, Spillimacheen and Begbie. South facing cliffs like Yamnuska are drying off in a day or two after each snowfall, but there is still lots of snow on the north faces and in gullies.
Skiis and quickdraws seem to be the most appropriate tools for recreation right now, but there is still some melting ice around for the desperate.
Good luck and be patient. It has to get nice eventually, doesn't it?
Larry Stanier
Mountain Guide