If you missed the guides ball in Lake Louise on Saturday, you missed one
heck of a party with folks up until they shut down all the bars. A half
dozen new ACMG full guides got their pin including two more women. Awesome.
Richard and Louis Guy of Calgary were inducted as honorary members of the
ACC. Well deserved honours all round.
But I digress... On to conditions:
Driving home over Bow Summit there was some relatively new snow alongside
the road, looking to be about 5 to 10 cm likely from the Friday evening rain
/ snow event. Still a long way before being skiable for my new skis and some
evidence of wind action along gullies with the usually early season cross
loading having begun already. Unfortunately, some of the cold clear nights
will just facet out the precious white powder before long... In fact, it has
likely already happened.
Everybody seems to be talking about caution in these thin faceted wind
loaded features as a prime topic when discussing ice climbs and the itch to
get out and ski. Everything I saw along the road makes me agree.
Passing Waterfowl Lakes I noticed a lot of drips forming up and dreams of
frozen popsicles danced through my head. Ice in this area should be coming
along nicely but I didn't get a good enough view to mention specifics.
General impression is that there is a good start in the offing. In a couple
of weeks things should be starting to get in shape for the skilled and bold
among us to start laying picks to ice. Some may be ready already. Just keep
those facets and slabs in mind.
Conversely, I had to cry when driving through David Thompson Country. As is
common in this area so much of the year it is bone dry. There is absolutely
NO ice even close to being formed once you get any distance east of
Saskatchewan Crossing. It is in super dry autumn conditions with most
aspects having essentially no snow on the ground. That is bad news for those
climbs that needs some snow above to melt onto the cliffs below.
Even 570 and Two O'clock Falls, both of which are spring fed, are not even
thick enough to call anemic. They are several weeks away from even starting
to form. Best guess would be late November or early December for anything in
this area unless we get a change in weather. No ice forming on Nothing But
the Breast, rather a tiny trickle of water. Didn't see in the gullies like
Kitty Hawk but don't hold your breath! Nothing else in the area showed any
promise for early season ascents. Need more winter weather.
Until then the David Thompson looked like excellent hiking and scrambling
and Lake Abraham is nearly full to the brim, which is a gorgeous sight to
see. Expect some snow or icy bits on shaded trails especially at higher
elevations. Everything with a solar aspect was pretty much green and brown
and grey.
Sounds like the Columbia Mountains got a fair amount of precipitation while
I was driving in the rain and snow and fog from Revelstoke to Lake Louise on
Friday night (Oct. 17).
I am going to cool my jets for a little while yet and let things get into
better shape, including me!
Cyril Shokoples
ACMG / IFMGA Mountain Guide
www.rescuedynamics.ca
_______________________________________________
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.