[MCR] Yoho NP, Guiness Gully / Field Ice

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Headed over to Field today. The blue skies and temperature inversion  
that seemed to be holding just east of the Divide did not prevail  
west of the pass. Field was -20C at 8:30am under a low ceiling, and  
never warmer than -17C.

 From the road, most climbs in the valley look like they still have a  
fair bit of room for improvement for "normal" January conditions.   
Massey's looked quite skinny down low but otherwise in.  (Access via  
the river crossing didn't look quite doable yet, with enough open  
water still visible to make it look not straightforward to connect  
the frozen dots.) Overhead hazard notwithstanding, Pilsner and  
Kronenberg seemed not yet in, but Carlsberg looked ripe.

Headed up Guiness with the prospect of brittle, cranky ice and  
weren't disappointed. Sublimation during the recent cold temps has  
left the first pitch looking anemic with much of the ice an aerated  
veneer.  Screws were short and/or in delaminating ice. As usual, ice  
on the upper pitches improved in quality, but was mainly still  
delicate with creaky hooks. Snow above and between the pitches was  
30-50cm of decomposed sugar to ground with a few remnants of soft  
slabs. Guiness Stout looked typically fat, and High Test also in.

Hopefully the forecasted warming trend over the next few days will  
get some water moving again there and help regenerate things. Let the  
healing begin.

Carl Johnston
RG, AAG