[MCR] Canmore - Front Range

Subject: [MCR] Canmore - Front Range
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:26:02 -0600

Yesterday, Sunday, I went to hike / scramble up Wind Ridge, the ridge that divides the Stewart Creek and the Wind Valley, from the Dead Man’s Flats trailhead just outside of Canmore.

 

There are about 10 -20 cm wind drifted snow on the trail above 1900 meters along the ridge line. Off note is that it snowed most of the afternoon with very strong westerly winds. As so often in this area, we were just on the fringe of the clouds. Pigeon Mountain already on the other side of the valley was sunny most of the day and Yamnuska may have stayed totally dry. I imagine that areas closer to the divide must have seen a whole lot more snow accumulation and substantial wind transport, which would increase the avalanche hazard at (and above!) some of the popular early season ice climbing venues such as Ranger Creek.

 

Visibility into Stewart Creek was quite limited and I couldn’t see much of Twisted Sister. The two climbs on the north face of Mt. Lougheed (Hurly Bird and Southern Wind) looked pretty phat from the distance but the emphasis is on distance: It’s a long ways in!

 

Cheers,

Jorg Wilz

Mountain Guide (ACMG / VDBS / IFMGA)

 

OnTop ltd.

1 800 506 7177 or (001) 403 678 2717

www.ontopmountaineering.com

 

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