Guided an ascent on Mt. Hector today. We found great travel on the north glacier en route to the summit. Average snow depth was around 160cm with some sections higher up that were only holding 30cm. Some crevasses are starting to open up, while many others have visible sagging. Crampons were useful above 2900m where a melt freeze surface crust was encountered. We did bring avalanche gear and were very happy with the firm conditions we had today. No new avalanches were observed, though many old point releases were visible in the steep east (ENE) facing terrain between Hector and Little Hector (mostly solar triggered but some cornice trigger). Doing a bit of research before the trip, we heard of some loose wet avalanches in the area on polar aspects but did not see any signs of instability on the polar aspects we were on today. Still enough snow lingering around in many areas keep in tune with changing conditions and your avalanche danger. Timing is everything so do your research, be prepared, wake up early, finish early, and have some good plan B’s. We were back at the car just as the rain showed up.

Side note- We climbed the south ridge of Mt. Lorette in Kananaskis the day prior and opted for the bike approach as crossing the Kananaskis River was too high and moving too fast.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Patrick Lindsay
Ridgeline Guiding Services