July 1-3, Columbia Icefields area.
The snow is disappearing fast.
On Parker's Ridge, the traditional "snow skills" area will soon be gone, and
the crevasse rescue wind scoop is fading fast.
The AA glacier is free of snow until just before the AA Col slope. The
bergschrund is still easy, due to the avalanche debris covering it. The left
side of the AA Col slope is now mostly scree. The tops of the gulleys that
break through to the Mt Athabasca saddle from the AA Col slope now have 2-30
cm of snow over top of ice. Short-roping down the top part of most of these
gullies is a bit risky. An easier way exists in the gulley far to climber's
left/skier's right, where travel is mostly on scree.
Cheers,
Grant Meekins
Alpine Guide
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