Just out from a five day Intro to Alpine Rock Program with one guest, and like everywhere else things are still very snowy.

The road in is in good shape with recent road construction now finished, and there was definitely no shortage of chicken wire, parking spots, or mosquitoes in the parking lot with only five cars there.

The trail up is snow free to just below the hut, and seems to be being used more by bears than people. At the hut elevation and above, the trail network is at least still 75 percent snow covered. Generally it is very supportive, except in the boulder fields where it's not uncommon to fall in up to your waist, or farther...

The tent platforms at the Boulder Campground are mostly melted out, and Applebee has probably a dozen good sites, but the water pump up there hasn't been put in yet.

Crescent Spire, Towers, and East Post are in great shape with good snow for approaches and descents, and dry rock when the sun is out.

The Pigeon Fork of the Bugaboo Glacier has about a meter of snow at the toe below Son of a Snowpatch, and the travel is fast and easy to the peaks in that area with the crevasses still well bridged.

The Central Spires are pretty locked in snow with no reports of successful ascents from the few climbers we talked to. Though one pair of skiers seemed to nail the timing on good corn skiing from the Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col early in the morning on the first sunny day after the last storm. However during the couple of sunny days we had, loose snow avalanches and rockfall were pretty constant by mid afternoon, and several more warm days are needed before the classic routes come in to more typical summer conditions.

All in all a beautiful quiet sanctuary for those with blue licence plates!