Hey All,
Just back from 5 days on the Wapta.
First half of the trip we spent at the Peyto Hut. On the 21st
when we first arrived there was snow to valley bottom, which had pulled back up
to around ~7500ft. or so, on the more solar aspects by the time we’d descended
from the Bow Hut yesterday morning. Temperatures were a bit all over the place
spanning from -8*C to +8*C during the trip, but mostly on the cooler side. Lots
of consistent wind values in the moderate to strong range all week. Snow
coverage reached down to the toe of both the Peyto and Bow Glaciers and we found
anywhere from 40cm’s to 100cm’s or so overlying the ice up on the Icefield
itself. Climbed Mt. Habel (Rhondda N.) and pretty happy to have a track in
place that had already set up a bit, otherwise outside the track Boot Pen. was
up to about 50cm’s or so in the basin around Peyto Hut. Crossing over towards
Bow the heavier wind affect had stiffened up the upper snowpack a bit a made
for a bit easier travel, the same for climbing Mt Olive the following day. A
bit surprised as to how well bridged the crevasses were up there, only managed
to poke my foot through one little guy on the way back to the Bow Hut one night
down near the toe of the ice. Boot pen on the way over to Mt. Olive was no more
than 40cm’s – and not too spooky with the good bridging. The
headwall immediately S/SE of the Bow Hut was spitting off some small point
releases yesterday morning probably to go along with a warming trend overnight,
but that’s all we saw for avalanche activity all week.
Have fun out there!
Mike Trehearne
ACMG - Assistant Alpine Guide
m_trehearne@xxxxxxxxxxx
+1.403.679.8080