Wapta Traverse Mar 28 to Apr 1, 2009
Just returned from the Wapta Traverse with a crew from MEC Edmonton. We entered through Peyto Lake, climbed Mt. Gordon mid-trip, and exited through Sherbrooke Lake via the Scheisser/Lomas route. Overall conditions on the traverse are great.
The weather over the last few days has been a mixed bag bringing everything from total whiteout conditions to broken skies. It definitely still feels like winter on the Wapta with morning temperatures ranging from -14 to -10 celcius. Several days had significant windchills into the -25 range. The only exception was the afternoon of Mar 31 when we experenced mostly clear skies and warm temps. Despite the temperatures and radiation the snow still stayed cold at higher elevations. Every day did give a bit of new snow with a five day total in the neighbourhood of 15 to 20cm.
The Peyto Lake approach still has significant areas of weak snow from the lake up to the glacier research station. However, if you are able to find and stay on the old trails, travel is reasonable. The snowpack measured 280cm in depth on the Peyto Glacier. Travel between Peyto Hut, Bow Hut, Mt. Gordon and Balfour Hut are all easy with ski penetration of 10 to 15cm.
From Balfour Hut to Balfour High Col snowpack analysis gave consistent hard compression tests down 35cm and 85cm. There is approximately 80cm of facets and depth hoar making up the base layers of the snowpack which still gives some concern for triggering avalanches in shallow snowpack areas. In most areas the midpack appears dense and strong, but there is signifcant variability due to wind action in the alpine. Once on the glacier below the serac bands there is anywhere from 300cm to as little as 100cm of snow! There were several spots in the tighter crevasse fields where we kept the rope tight and did lots of probing. The seracs did a bit of cracking and popping, but no recent icefall activity was noted.
On the exit from Scott Duncan Hut the cornices on Mt. Niles are still looming. There was some small sluffing coming down the face and some old cornice debris, but nothing recent. At treeline there is a nasty suncrust making for challenging skiing until down into the valley. The final trail below Sherbrooke Lake is in the usual icy, fast, exciting "luge ride" condition.
Play safe!
Jeremy Mackenzie
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
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These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The
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