We had hoped for a freeze overnight and a fast ascent of the N Face of Stanley Peak early on Monday morning. Despite the clear night, there was no freeze this morning at 0400 and we bailed at 2400 m near the toe of the glacier due to isothermal snow. Thigh deep postholing.

The snow on the N face itself is melting fast. There are lots of melt runnels and a patch of bare ice that soon will span the whole face. Quite surprising for mid-June.

Of note was the significant recession of the west toe of this glacier. I had not been that way for over 20 years and was surprised to find a complexity of rock ledges and snow patches to gain access to the glacier. The usual crevasse band at the top of this section looked particularly menacing today in the soft snow.

Snow climbing is out until we get a solid freeze in this area.

Grant Statham and Jonas Hoke