ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued August 26th, 2021

We seem to be slowing easing into early Autumn in the Rockies and Columbias with shortening days and some relatively cooler temperatures. It is a slightly awkward time for choosing objectives in the mountains as there are numerous "problems/hazards" but they vary some widely across terrain features and across the ranges.

1. Verglas The snow from earlier this week is "mostly" gone at treeline and the lower alpine but I was still seeing verglas in shady places around 2500m yesterday at O'Hara. Expect this throughout the alpine as a possibility.

2. Rockfall. The melting snow will keep triggering rockfall at least till it gets cold and stays cold. Large rockfalls are still a distinct possibility as we start to go from the drought conditions into some autumn melt-freeze cycles.

3. Crevasses. Snow fall amounts vary widely from the precipitation on Monday. Light dusting in the Bugaboos to larger drifts on the Wapta and further North. In the areas that got more snow some smaller bridges may be drifted in.

4. Avalanches. Not nearly enough snow for large avalanches but there could be some nasty windslabs on steep patches of bare ice in sheltered alpine pockets big enough to knock someone off their feet.

With all those problems some south facing and lower elevation routes are in excellent shape. Weather forecast keeps changing for the weekend but there are lots of good options(and bad ones:) for the weekend. Have a good Plan B and C and don't ski. Yet!

Larry Stanier
ACMG Mountain Guide