[MCR] Rockies, AA Col, Mt Athabasca

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

I guided and instructed in the Columbia Icefields for the last three days. The firn line is migrating up the mountains. The Athabasca glacier is dry right up to the three steps and the Earth Gullies on Mt Andromeda (aka the Practice Gullies) are very icy, but with little cornicing left hanging above Middle Earth and Far Earth (the furthest up glacier gullies of the 3).

Yesterday, July 22, my fellow guides, Richard Howse, Deryl Kelly, Darek Glowacki and I guided an ascent of the AA Col route on Mt Athabasca. The erosion of the lateral moraine above the Brewster bus transfer site continues to be shocking. The trail moves uphill all the time and the big melting gullies in the moraine gobble it up as they cut upslope. Two small landslides (gravitational mass wasting) have slumped onto the trail above the big left hand turn on the approach. Hard country to keep a trail in with so much change.

The glacier still has good snow coverage. Getting over the bergschrund required some compressing of snow into it and steps kicked in above. There is one tendril of snow leading to the saddle, or you can switchback up scree. The Silverhorn ridge is dry and in scrambling condition.

My first trip up Athabasca this year, good to be on the old hill, yet saddening to see it become more rocky and less glacier covered with each passing year. The quality of the route is on the decline.

Happy trails,

Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
www.barryblanchard.ca
www.yamnuska.com