... If you have your sights set for Langley, I would suggest Old Army. I do not find New Army being any safer than Old Army if conditions are similar. A lot of the trail on Old Army has been washed out, but it's not some dramatic climb. Just exercise caution and common sense. I find New Army adds unnecessary distance and is not as scenic, but if you're shooting for Cirque, it is the way to go....
hmmmmm..... Atari, did you miss that he's hiking May 17/18?
Old Army has a cornice-like cusp of snow right at the top, where snow blows off the flat top of the terrain, and collects. It is not a cornice, but it builds up in a similar manner, and can result in a nearly vertical slope of snow. So climbing the last 20-30 feet to the top of the pass can be dicey on that leftover snow pile. New Army is on the windward side of the storms, and has more sun exposure, so the snow slope is not nearly as problematic in May.
I almost hate to add this, but in the past 10 years, several people have died on the Old Army slope, so in May, I would definitely stick to New Army Pass.
However, later in the summer, the (old) Army Pass route, even though the trail is unmaintained, is more direct and can be more fun, so what atari says applies.
