Mountain Conditions Summary - Rockies and Interior Ranges
Issued August 25, 2005
A bit of a change to mountain conditions this past week ? especially on the
eastern side of the Rockies. A typical ?third week of August? snowstorm
crossed all regions mid week, leaving various amounts of new snow behind.
This upslope storm was focused mainly on the Bow Valley and Lake Louise areas.
Regions to the west and north were spared the full brunt. Roger?s Pass, the
Columbia Icefields and the Bugaboos received about 5-10 cm, which was melting
away rapidly on Thursday. Expect good conditions in these areas over the
coming days, with fresh snow lingering on the north facing terrain.
In the Lake Louise area, observations the day after the storm put the snowline
at about 2200m, just down into the treeline. Depth increased rapidly with
elevation to about 30 cm of snow observed at 2500 m. Add to this the drifting
effects of wind, and pockets of new snow up to 70 cm can be expected at higher
elevations.
With the good weather forecast, it?s likely to be a great weekend and hopefully
some of this recent snow will settle and/or melt away. Alpine climbing in the
Lake Louise group will require some serious thought - with drifted snow in
excess of 75 cm in the alpine, and a return to warm temperatures . . . put your
avalanche thinking cap on! Stick to ridge crests and watch out on the big
faces. No doubt the mountains will be shedding the new snow over the next few
days.
Be wary of steep, sun-exposed terrain where both avalanches and rockfall may be
a concern. On the glaciers, watch for crevasses bridged with a thin skin of
recent snow ? it?s probably difficult to see crevasses that may have been
visible just days ago.
In summary ? it looks like an awesome weekend to be out, things have changed
but lots of good options for alpine and rock climbing still exist. Conditions
are better in Roger?s Pass, the Columbia Icefields and the Bugs. In the Lake
Louise area the big serious north face routes will be out of shape, but
moderate routes and low elevation (or front range) south/west facing rock
should clean off nicely.
Lets hope this sets us up nicely for good mixed climbing in September!
Grant Statham
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