ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued October 5th, 2017

Gorgeous autumn days in the Rockies and Columbias but it is a bit complicated up high. The little bit of snow we had last weekend has stuck and melted and frozen into some pretty good conditions until things changed yesterday and today. Temperatures got well above freezing in the alpine, especially today with a strong inversion and it looks like it covered a large part of the Rockies and Columbias. Only real time report was from Abbott Pass this morning. It was 8c and it sounded like the rockfall yesterday and today was big and busy.

Forecasts look grey and damp for lots of regions this weekend. Bummer in the short term but for those hoping to swing some ice tools there is some faint hope. Reportedly, the Grand Central Couloir on Mt. Kitchener got climbed on Wednesday. 2nd hand report is that there is a big cornice and some thin ice but it was climbable. The only other routes that sounded appealing at the Icefields was the N face of Athabasca and Middle Earth Gully. There is enough snow in some of the forecasts that it probably doesn't make sense to go alpine climbing this weekend but if things get clear and cold again there is probably a route somewhere in fine shape!

Rock climbing in the sun has been fantastic this week. Here's hoping for more of that.

Skiing is still mostly a fantasy. With hard work and someone else's skis you could maybe sneak in some noodlie turns on a very planar glacier.
Patience Grasshopper-a long Canadian winter is coming!

More than 12 hours of darkness so put new batteries in your headlamp and find your long lost long johns.

Larry Stanier
ACMG Mountain Guide