Quick report
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>No real red flags to speak of. NW winds had clearly blown snow around, and wind transport continued in the afternoon after the wind had shifted to the northeast. However, drifts and pillows were small and surface snow didn't seem to want to stiffen up more than about 4F or so. </p>
Pit below is NE at 7400ft near Bridge Canyon. 100cm of total snow with as little as 60cm of snow in places at lower elevations. About 10cm of new snow sits atop a thin (1cm) decomposing crust. Below this is the F hard recycled powder of the old snow surface that is now sugary junk in the middle of the snowpack, transitioning to 4F. 1F below this transitions to surprisingly stout crust (5cm or so), atop 30cm of basal facets that are 4F in hardness, somewhat cohesive, moist, and moving in the right direction.
Second picture is snow surface near the ridgeline with visible wind effect.
Snowpack
Found 3-4" of new snow between 6200 and 7500ft. Lots of rime forms and small graupel mixed in. Hand shears and the occasional test stomp showed new snow was fairly well bonded to the thin crust of the old snow surface across the north half of the compass at this elevation band.