I guided an ascent of the AA Col route on Mt Athabasca yesterday, June 9th.
What a difference a day makes, the night of June 8th saw new dry snow above
8000 feet and moderate to strong westerly winds, and gusts from all directions,
has pushed that snow around. We saw few tracks from the previous day's
activities on Athabasca and Andromeda (re James Blench's MCR of June 9). Lots
of snow pillowing on the AA Col face above the glacier of that name (9000-10000
feet). We had dry winter snow over a spring like melt freeze crust that
supported weight. Knee deep dry snow in numerous places. I would suspect a wind
slab sitting on the Ramp right now and would avoid that route until the heat
from direct sun and warmer air temperatures can promote some bonding at the new
snow/old snow interface.
Happy trails,
Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
www.barryblanchard.ca
www.yamnuska.com
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