Ice conditions road patrol today. Stunning day on the Parkway; blue skies, seriously cold temperatures again (H: -17, L: -31).

Clear skies gave me a good opportunity to see many of the more popular Ice Climbs in the region, as well as some of the more sought after test pieces on Mt. Wilson, north of Saskatchewan River Crossing.
From South to North:

Oh Le Tabernac - WI5+ - picture perfect form. Absolutely in and ready to go.
Tabernac Bowl - WI4+ to 6+ - In and ready to go. Nice hard options in the sun.
Hypertension - WI5+ - Couldn't tell if the bottom pitch is in.
Dancing with Chaos - WI6 - Looks really fat from a distance
Shooting Star - WI6 - First tier looks really fat. Upper tier, bottom chandeliers have broken off but, mixed variation looks possible. Cold weather will help re-growth.
Midnight Rambler - WI3 - Looks to be in great shape!
Skinny Puppy - WI6 - Puppy seems to be strong and gaining mass
Wilson Major - WI3-6 - Looks to be in full form.
Happy Days and Ice Nine are both out; bottoms have snapped off!
Polar Circus - WI5 - Looks to be in great shape; Pencil pitch snapped off early Dec. and hasn't re-formed.
Weeping Wall is in spectacular shape and seeing traffic daily
Weeping Pillar - WI5 - Not as full as I've seen but constantly building
Mix Master WI5 5.8 - Not looking very complete or full
Dead-Eye Dick - WI5+ - Very, very thin. Definitely not recommended right now.
Sister Moon - WI4+ - Looks really good.
Curtain Call - WI6 - Looks to be in the best shape I've seen it in. Fat, and typical roof on pitch 3 not a factor.

Almost all these climbs are rated as ATES (Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale) 2 or 3. Many sit at the bottom of multiple over-lapping cross-loaded gully features. Those features need to be treated with extreme caution, as they are of concern and high-lighted as a developing problem in the Jasper Avalanche Bulletin. This high pressure system will spill Arctic air through the park for the next while and will continue to degrade the snowpack. The skiing on the parkway is less than desirable so, do your homework, watch the weather and get after them as some of these climbs don't always show themselves year after year. You can view photos of many of these climbs on Parks Mountain Safety Facebook Page. Also noticed many wolf tracks in the area and travelling the highway so keep an eye out and check your speed when travelling the parkway.

Deryl Kelly
Jasper Visitor Safety
Jasper National Park