Lake Creek/Patrick Butte

This is a portion of the zone suitable only for those interested in a very long walk without skis, and a trail covered in deadfall. 

In an effort to travel into the northern portion of this zone off the beaten path, I traveled to a sub-butte of Patrick Butte via Lake Fork. Snow cover did not begin until around 6,500 feet (around 4 miles in), and even at upper elevations, appears minimal. Though well aware that this section of the zone starts at a low elevation and is generally thin, I was curious about the upper-elevation snowpack depth and structure. Depths appear to be around 1-2 feet (and that's being generous) 6,800 feet and above. Nearly the top foot of snow was extensively faceted (even snow with a sun-crusted surface) and covered in surface hoar. 

No signs of previous avalanche activity in some of the steeper terrain of the butte, as well as neighboring spots.