[MCR] Howson Range

Subject: [MCR] Howson Range
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2008 18:19:18 -0400 (EDT)
This morning attempted a route on the Howson Peak but got turned back early in the adventure by bad weather.

Snow travel is good with boot penetration 5-10 cm. Crevasses are still well bridged but schrunds are opening up. Ridge routes are climbable now but still a little moist and corniced. Lots of snow still in the alpine. It's far to warm right now to consider snow and ice routes, but as soon as there are a few cold clear nights the alpine here will be good to go.

With the weather forecast that won't be for a week or more though.

The Howsons are a beautiful and rugged range west of Smithers and can be reached by float plane to either Burnie Lake or Sandpiper Lake (Alpine Lakes Air), or by helicopter to anywhere in the range (Canadian Helicopters). It's a 1-hr hike from Burnie Lake to the Burnie Glacier Chalet (Bear Mountaineering/Christoph Dietzfelbinger) and another 4-5 hr hike to a bivy below Howson Pk on decent trails.

Remember the mosquito paraphernalia.

Regards,
Tom Wolfe
AAG/ASG
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