Subject: | [MCR] Kokanee Glacier Park |
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Date: | Wed, 1 Aug 2012 14:25:58 -0700 |
Some observations from a
mountaineering course in Kokanee Park July 28-30.
The access road seems a
little rougher than last year with some larger holes and washboard sections
although smaller cars were still making it up.
The trail above Kokanee
Lake was largely snow free and easy travel.
As the Woodbury access is
closed due to a landslide we changed venues to the west side of the park.
The Kokanee Lodge was full so we camped at the Kaslo Lake campground
which now has about 6 of 10 sites that are snow free. The campground is
still melting out and drying up but the Keen, Garland and Kaslo Lakes are
entirely snow free.
The glacier is still
entirely snow covered with no ice exposed. With clear skies
overnight, we experienced +6C temps in camp at 5:30am.
Travel on snow was excellent with a firm surface that carried
well early in the day and softened up to give excellent boot skiing in the
afternoon.
On the 30th we climbed the
NW Couloir to W Ridge of Mt. Kitchener via a direct line up Smuggler's Ridge
from camp that worked well with a bit of route finding through the steeper brush
to gain the ridge. We used crampons in the couloir but had soft snow in
the top 10cm by 11am.
The moats were nice, comfy
belays. We took the centre exit to gain the rock crux
immediately.
Descending the glacier
between the Battleship and Kitchener I noticed one hole opening and could
identify the bridge over the main upper crevasse but these features are a long
way from being problematic.
More photos at www.facebook.com/mountainsense
Cheers,
Shaun King ACMG / UIAGM Mountain
Guide
_______________________________________________ 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. See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information. See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml/unsubscribe to remove your name from this list. |
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