Turning up the Heat

Just got back from a week on the Wapta Icefield. I was somewhat shocked to see more bare ice than I've ever seen at this time of year. This despite a heavier than normal snowfall this past winter. A couple of weeks of super hot weather just stripped the snow off the glaciers. In addition to seeing the glaciers melting faster and faster, other problems are showing up. For instance, the route up to the Balfour High Col is showing signs of falling apart. New crevasses are opening up that are threatening to block the route. We passed debris from a huge serac fall from the cliffs high up on Mt Balfour. The debris did fill the crevasses, but it's an indication of how the route is changing. It may not be long before that route is impassable.