ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary for the Coast Mountains, July 13, 2017

It’s mid July and the alpine conditions on the Coast are looking pretty fine right now! The weather forecast is as good as it gets, with continued clear skies and no storms. With clear nights, reports are of good travel on firm snow in the mornings, but expect the snow to lose strength quickly during the day.

While most alpine rock routes are clear now throughout the region, be aware of the hazard of lingering snow patches on and above your route. These “chunks” can be quite large and deceptive, and there are recent reports of these types of features still releasing with no warning, and potentially running a long ways, often along with dislodged rocks. Even common high traffic zones such as Sky Pilot have these pocket snow features, as do most of the higher alpine climbing and scrambling routes in Garibaldi Park, Joffre, Tantalus and Waddington ranges.

Glacier coverage is still reported to be very good with well bridged crevasses and good route options, though many moats and bergschrunds are starting to open up. Good to remember that it is easy to overlook these and become complacent getting on/off the glaciers, especially when the rest of the glacier looks well covered. The potential for larger slab avalanche on big alpine features may still exist, especially on any of the higher, glaciated regions. Keep an eye out for any signs of recent slab or cornice activity and factor that into your plans.

Forest fire season is on us in full force. Access routes and travel plans can change rapidly, so make sure you do your research before heading into the backcountry near any of the fire zones. As much as we like the clear sunny weather, let’s hope for a good drenching soon to help out the firefighters and all those affected!

oh, and the bugs are still thriving at treeline in many coastal areas such as Habrich/Sky Pilot, the North Shore Mountains, and more ....

Brian Jones
ACMG Mountain Guide