[MCR] East Kokanee Glacier Park

Got back yesterday from six days in the Woodbury and Silver Spray areas.

 

On Aug. 30 we climbed the SE summit of Glacier View peak via the east ridge and had dry conditions on the rock despite 5-8 cm of new snow that stayed on the glacier from the previous two days storms.  The ramp that accesses the centre peak was not reachable from the right side as the moat was too open.  It seemed difficult but doable from the left.  It could be accessed from the bottom of the rock rib which would add to the difficulty of the climb.

We accessed the glacier two different ways from the hut.  Once we contoured out skier's right over boulders to grassy ramps beside a rocky rib of larches and ascended the climber's right side of the treed rock buttress.  The second time we descended the trail, crossed the marshy flats and went up the climber's left side of the treed rock buttress.  The first way saved us ~400 ft. of up and down, some bush whacking and a creek crossing, but it had more loose scree in the steep morainal part. 

The climber's right side of the glacier showed signs of rock fall from above and would be an area of concern now as the new snow melts off.

 

The traverse to the Silver Spray had several slippery sections where new snow slicked up the boulders.  The Caribou glacier had 10-12 cm new snow yesterday but still required crampons to ascend.

 

When we left the snow line was down to ~7800 ft but much of that would have burned off after 2 warm days. 

 

Cheers,

Shaun King

Mountain Guide

www.mountainsense.ca 

 

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