[MCR] Cilumbia ice fields and bow valley july 1-9

Well it seams summer finally hit us last week.  We experienced warm weather +26 with sunny skies and mod to strong winds mainly in the front ranges.

Mt Lorette in  k-country is snow free and looking around the front ranges there are only patches of snow still kicking about.  

Castle Mountain, Both access are snow free to goat plateau but there are still some lingering patches of snow on the traverse.  

In Lake O’hara on july 7th. +10 at 230 am, +5 at abbot pass hut at 630 am.  A party at abbot pass turned around due to no freeze from the warm temps.  A group on the Huber ledges turned around half way through the ledges as the snow was isothermal as well.  Loose snow avalanches started to run early in the day 1030 on slopes even before the sun was on them.  suspect the warm temps triggering these slopes.  A heads up that a lot of them ran from the snow slopes above well into the snow free talus and scree below.

Columbia Ice fields July 5-7.  Warm temps mid 20 deg clear skies with light to moderate winds.  +9 deg at wilcox campground at 2am on july 7th.  Snow travel was good in am but deteriorated fast with marginal freezing overnight.  Snow bridges were soft and sagging, loose wet avalanches, and serac fall were our biggest concerns in the area.  One serac fall on a steep face pulled out a large slab avalanche suspect down to glacier ice.

Some of these observations are outdated already as the temps have cooled and there is new snow down to 2500m in the Lake Louise area yesterday.

Observations compiled by assistant alpine guide training course members.

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