Quick report
- Cracking
- Observed
- Collapsing
- Observed
Traveled 6,500'-9,500', primarily shaded aspects. 12/13 facets and surface hoar are present (down 15-25cm in sheltered areas), but remain shallowly buried under very soft slabs in most of the terrain. Based on today's observations, if you were going to get into trouble with this layer here it would have to be in wind-loaded terrain. I poked at many large avalanche paths (at middle and upper elevations in this forecast zone). I was able to initiate many collapses involving wind dunes along ridge lines, but I could not get these fractures to propagate down into the softer snow further down in the starting zones. In general, I encountered good stability and an ugly snowpack structure. I looked at all of the avalanche paths near me that I could see, but did not see any significant avalanches. Visibility was not great and I did not get good views into the highest peaks.
Weather
Mild, a litle wet and steamy at lower elevations (sagebrush soup), much colder and breezier up high. Intermittent S-1 to S2 snow showers, big wet flakes.