[MCR] Bow Peyto and out

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Spent July 1-4 on the Wapta. Unsettled weather for first 3 days. Snow 
down to treeline on July 1st. Climbed Mt Olive on July 2nd and found 
it to be very snowy. Some isolated new slab of 20 centimeters was 
reactive as it sat on top of some snow pellets.

Belayed one pitch on Olive where the snow was steep and it felt a 
little more exposed than usual. Deep postholing in sections as well.

July 3rd started with heavy rain and mixed weather most of the day.
Today (July 4th) dawned clear and cold with the first freeze on the 
trip and used crampons right from the hut to toe of Peyto glacier.

PEYTO CROSSINGS

We were a day behind Greg's group and he reported on the Peyto 
crossings below the glacier.  I would certainly agree that this way 
out has now become much more of a logistical undertaking.

Our group followed almost exactly as Greg reported. The stream from 
Cauldron Lake we crossed with boots on, a 100 metres or so above 
where it runs into the rock slabs. This was OK but this stream is 
still quite fast. Have to look carefully for the right place to 
cross. The 2nd crossing about 200 metres downstream was over a number 
of braids, each of which were taken carefully.

Water levels were not that high yet, but I would not wanted to have 
crossed any higher upstream where the river is still single channeled.

As Greg mentioned in the last post,  the north side of the stream 
where the two tree islands form a constriction is steep and shaley.

It would most likely be best to go high and over as opposed to trying 
to traverse just above the creek level. This will certainly add a lot 
of time on to the trip. You have to commit to this line from a ways 
back because there seems to be a bench 100-150 vertical metres above...
I haven't done this so it is difficult to say for sure. In any case 
it would add on probably close to an hour.

Chances are water levels are only going to rise for the next while.
Committing to either side has it's complications. Staying on the left 
side of the creek the whole way involves some short climbing and 
certainly has rock fall potential from above.

The old logs from the bridge are sitting a few hundred yards up 
stream  just near where the rock benches lead you down to the river.
Certainly the most snow I have seen up on the Wapta on this date.

Not much for signs of avalanche activity driving to Jasper.. a few 
isolated sluffs and some cornice failures. No tracks on north side of 
Athabasca and it looked quite snowy and wind loaded on north ramp.


Peter Amann
Mountain Guide


Peter Amann
pamann at incentre.net
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