Completed the Bow - Yoho Traverse, including an ascent of Mt. Collie and a ski on Mt. Field, with one client and a practicum student January 19th-22nd.
Weather was a mix of sun and cloud, with a short dusting of snow on the morning of the 21st. Temps were between -5 daytime to below -15 at night in the alpine. Winds made it feel colder, generally L - M SW. Visibility was good throughout the week.
Many older slab avalanches were visible in steep and extreme terrain, with deep fractures presumably from the recent wind event. Approaching the Bow Hut, one slab above the cliffs on Vulture Peak had also pulled a slab on the slope below the cliffs at the head of the valley. Wind effect could be observed everywhere, with extensive scouring on windward slopes. We avoided big alpine slopes, with too much windslab and variability in coverage over rocky terrain.
Snow coverage was well below typical norms. Probing on the Wapta above Bow Hut was extremely variable, from 20cm - 2m. Many crevasses were visible and open, both descending towards the Gordon - Rhondda col as well as ascending to the Mt. Collie basin.
Travel on skis was generally firm with some sastrugi on the icefield. The ascent of Collie was straightforward, with firm snow requiring crampons and axe on the summit ridge, and only 1 cornice to avoid on the east aspect of the ridge. The attached picture shows the route out right under the icefall to get into the Mt. Collie basin
The lack of snow inspired us to descend the west arm of the Yoho Glacier, getting off the ice and onto the ridge just above the col where the new hut will be. Descending to the col, as well as 1/3 of the slope below it to the Des Poilus, required bootpacking down shallow facetted snow between rocks.
Isolated col looked to be very thinly covered, so we chose the Whaleback route to descend to the Little Yoho Valley. Some enjoyable skiing was finally found to the skier's right of the summer trail below 2000m, away from the open slopes that had a breakable sun crust. A final sidetrip to Mt. Field yielded the best of turns of the week. We stopped ascending at 2000m and skied the small trees of the avalanche path down to the road, dodging the alder in boot top snow.
Have fun!
Mike Stuart
IFMGA Mountain Guide
