Manto nevoso

Humphreys Cirque

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Quick report

Cracking
isolated

Wind slabs and persistent slabs are there. Danger felt moderate. No natural avalanches were observed, but visibility was usually flat and limited. No other parties in the Cirque.
It's still thin, and we hit a few logs on the exit. There are rocks still to hit, but it is improving. 

Isolated cracking in small new wind and storm slabs.

Weather

Cloud Cover
overcast
Wind Loading
moderate
Recent Snowfall
~20 to 30cm new snow in last 36 hours
Snow Avail For Transport
large amounts

Moody clouds. Was overcast, but it did break up a few times with very short episodes of sun. Moderate winds and some drifting of snow.

Snowpack

In general, we found 25 to 35cm of new snow in the Cirque. Easterly slopes had some soft wind slabs. New wind and storm slabs were soft and stubborn to unreactive. Some isolated spots were reactive, but generally, slabs were small and discontinuous. In a northeasterly pit at 11800', we found poor structure, moderate+ strength, and propagation possible in instability tests. Slabs over basal facets tended to be supported by boulders in this terrain. Snow skied and skinned well. Some slightly punchy wind board on easterly slopes of Rustler Peak. We wanted to dig and get some data from the easterly aspect during skin out, but visibility, wind, and some drifting snow kept us moving toward our tour exit.