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ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued October 20, 2011
Weather:
Columbias: It looks like the sunny weather of last week is a thing of the past and we will be seeing precipitation over the weekend with some improvement starting Tuesday. With freezing levels forecasted to drop to between 1000m. and 1500m., you can be sure there is going to be some snow in the mountains!
Rockies: Looking dryer for the Rockies in general with no precipitation forecasted in the next while
Conditions:
It has been a week of typical fall weather with sunny days and cool nights. This has made for some enjoyable rock climbing on Yamnuska and other front range objectives that catch the sun.
Some ice climbs are starting to shape up, but the operative word here is ?starting?. General consensus out there is that most will need a bit more time and supplementing your stubby icescrews with some rock protection is probably a wise thing.
Previous storms have deposited anywhere from 20-30cms of snow above @ 1800-2000m.throughout the Rockies and Columbias making travel awkward above the snowline. Fellow Guide Josh Briggs reported climbing R&D a few days back and said that they encountered @ 20cms. Of snow in the trees with knee deep drifts in the Burstall Pass area.
Alpine terrain looks pretty much out for now with loose unconsolidated snow mixed in with the occasional windslab to keep you honest. Of course this snow cover makes roped glacier travel tedious with lots of probing to avoid a plunge into an unseen crevasse.
As for skiing ? I know there is snow out there for sure but?,you have to be really keen, and personally, it would have to be a pretty benign snowfield that I had had a good look at before the snow fell to ensure there were no hidden crevasses ? unless of course you enjoy skiing roped up!
Hazards: Early season avalanche hazard is on the rise, and this tends to be a time of year when our keenness to get out there sometimes interferes with our better judgement. Isolated windslabs are probably the biggest issue currently, as well as new soft cornices on Alpine ridgecrests.
As usual this is a transitional time of year with lots of ?Stick and Stones to break your Bones?, and requires some patience and good judgement to make sure you make it to when things really do come into shape.
Thanks to the numerous guides who passed along some great info - Play safe,
Scott Davis ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
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These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted
them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors,
omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time
and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain.
Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety.
Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning
trips or making decisions in the field. Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
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_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The
ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in
continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable
nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information
provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions
Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
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