We just returned from six days of climbing in the Bugaboos to cap off the Yamnuska Mountain Adventures Fall Mountain Skills Semester.

Access:
The road is dry and in good shape. There is active logging activities going on right now so be prepared to share the road. The trail in has several downed trees one must clamber over but is otherwise in good shape. The bridge over the creek below the hut is not yet in place but the creek is easily passable. Snowline is approximately 2100m making the last leg of the hike to the hut on snow.

Camping:
Our group elected to camp at Boulder camp (Below Kain Hut) due to extensive snow cover at Appleby Dome. There are now five tent platforms shoveled out at Boulder Camp and limited snow free real estate at Appleby. The outhouse at Appleby will require shoveling if you wanted to make a deposit there.

Snow and Avalanche:
We experienced a rain event on June 2 with an accompanying widespread loose wet avalanche cycle. Temperatures were relatively warm with freezing levels near mountain top for the week. This lead to very limited or no refreeze of the snowpack on most days of our trip. The height of snow is approximately 1m near the hut and 250cm -300cm+ on the glaciers above 2500m. We observed numerous natural loose wet avalanches out of steep slopes (Like the Bugaboo - Snowpatch Col.) as we all as natural rock fall each day as the sun heated things up.

Climbing conditions:
There is still a lot of snow patches lingering on most of the spires but it is melting fast. Our group climbed the Hounds Tooth, and East post spire, and made attempts at the Crescent spire to Brenta spire traverse, and the Kain Route on Bugaboo Spire. The steeper faces like those on south face of Crescent Spire (McTech area for example.) are dry but routes like the Kain Route on Bugaboo spire are still holding extensive snow. Early starts are key to success right now as trail breaking on the glaciers is mid shin to over the knee once the crust breaks down.

Mike Caswell, SG, AAG
Jesse Petersen, AG