[MCR] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued August 12, 2010

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued August 12, 2010 This past week's weather was characterized by sunny warm days with afternoon thundershowers. Reports from the past week showed the Rockies and Columbia Mountains to be mainly dry and in good condition. This will change on Thursday night with a forecast of 5-15 mm of rain falling on the eastern slopes and an expected dusting of snow on the higher peaks along the Continental Divide. The forecast for the weekend through to early next week is for sunny warm days and cool nights. Sunny aspects should dry out quickly, but fresh snow may linger on shady aspects at upper elevations. Pure rock routes in the Bugaboos and Rogers Pass should be in good shape as long as you stick to the sunny aspects. Higher peaks along the Divide may hold fresh snow for a couple of days, but south and east-facing routes should be back in shape fairly quickly. The north ridge of Assiniboine was reported to be snowy earlier in the week and is suspected to remain snowy for some time. Snow and ice routes are starting to show more ice and less snow, but are still generally in good shape. The Silverhorn route on Mt. Athabasca was reported to be bare ice lower down and to have 5-20 cm of settled snow over the ice on the upper face. Strong overnight freezes have made for easy travel on snow-covered glaciers in the morning, but expect deteriorating conditions in the afternoon. Glacier travel is becoming more interesting due to opening crevasses and thin snow bridges. Be particularly careful just above the snowline where the snowpack is the shallowest. In areas where there is fresh snow, expect the snow to start sluffing when the sun warms it up. The sun will also cause increased rock fall on snow and ice routes in the afternoon. If next week is anything like this past one, expect and plan for afternoon thundershowers. All of these hazards can be minimized with an early start and by being off the peaks by mid-afternoon. Enjoy the mountains this weekend—alpine climbing season has arrived. Brian Webster ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
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.