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Spent July 1-4 on the Wapta. Unsettled weather for first 3 days. Snow
down to treeline on July 1st. Climbed Mt Olive on July 2nd and found it
to be very snowy. Some isolated new slab of 20 centimeters was reactive
as it sat on top of some snow pellets. Belayed one pitch on Olive where the snow was steep and it felt a little more exposed than usual. Deep postholing in sections as well. July 3rd started with heavy rain and mixed weather most of the day. Today (July 4th) dawned clear and cold with the first freeze on the trip and used crampons right from the hut to toe of Peyto glacier. PEYTO CROSSINGS We were a day behind Greg's group and he reported on the Peyto crossings below the glacier. I would certainly agree that this way out has now become much more of a logistical undertaking. Our group followed almost exactly as Greg reported. The stream from Cauldron Lake we crossed with boots on, a 100 metres or so above where it runs into the rock slabs. This was OK but this stream is still quite fast. Have to look carefully for the right place to cross. The 2nd crossing about 200 metres downstream was over a number of braids, each of which were taken carefully. Water levels were not that high yet, but I would not wanted to have crossed any higher upstream where the river is still single channeled. As Greg mentioned in the last post, the north side of the stream where the two tree islands form a constriction is steep and shaley. It would most likely be best to go high and over as opposed to trying to traverse just above the creek level. This will certainly add a lot of time on to the trip. You have to commit to this line from a ways back because there seems to be a bench 100-150 vertical metres above... I haven't done this so it is difficult to say for sure. In any case it would add on probably close to an hour. Chances are water levels are only going to rise for the next while. Committing to either side has it's complications. Staying on the left side of the creek the whole way involves some short climbing and certainly has rock fall potential from above. The old logs from the bridge are sitting a few hundred yards up stream just near where the rock benches lead you down to the river. Certainly the most snow I have seen up on the Wapta on this date. Not much for signs of avalanche activity driving to Jasper.. a few isolated sluffs and some cornice failures. No tracks on north side of Athabasca and it looked quite snowy and wind loaded on north ramp. Peter Amann Mountain Guide pamann@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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