Smiley Ck

There were touchy wind slabs at and near ridgelines, but they did not extend very far below ridges and were obvious and easy to avoid. The wind slabs were failing on a thin layer near the bottom of the new snow (not at the crust below the new snow). The afternoon sun caused some small natural avalanches in very steep, rocky W facing terrain. Where I traveled, I did not see any signs of instability in NW-N-NE facing terrain that was protected, or semi-protected, from the wind. 

Cracking was isolated to the one obviously wind-loaded ridgeline feature I could safely ski cut. See photos.

New snow structure: Bottom ~10% was low density (F) and fairly well-bonded to the crusts and surfaces below, but there was a consistent layer of plates (density change) about 0.5-2cm above the old surface that produced clean shears in hand pits/tests on all elevations and aspects. The middle 75% of the storm snow was denser (1F and almost P in places), and the top 10-20% was lower density (4F/F). There was graupel within the denser storm snow and in the lower density snow that fell this morning and afternoon in snow squalls - there wasn't enough graupel to be an issue in the terrain where I traveled, but it could be an issue (if it's there?) in steep craggy areas like the Sawtooths, where graupel can pile up below cliffs and couloirs. 

7400': HN-10cm

7600' flat ground: HN=16cm sitting on a 0.5cm crust, then 1cm of mixed forms, then thin 3mm crust, then 4cm DF and FC, then the thicker+harder crust that was buried on 3/23. Ambient air temps had moistened the snow enough to probably form razor crusts at and just below the surface when it freezes.

7900' W (275*): See photo of upper snowpack. HN=15cm, HS=130cm. Sun and air temps made the new snow damp/moist. It felt like it was probably close to producing thin, sun-induced wet loose or storm slab issues on very steep solars. Bottom 2cm of new snow was very low density, then a 1cm crust, then 2cm of DF/FC, then the thick+hard crust that was buried on 3/23.

N-NW 8000-8800': HN increased from 20 to 30cm with elevation gain. The crust under the new snow dissappeared around 8100', becoming a stiffer layer of snow. Below the interface, there were generally 1-4cm of FC and DF (mixed forms), and then a stout 3/23 crust up to 8800'. 

Above 8800': I was mostly traveling near ridgeline on thin winded surfaces, drifts,  and tiptoeing onto cornices where trees made it obvious that I was safe. Where I traveled, I would have had to enter steep, wind-loaded avalanche starting zones beneath large cornices to assess the snowpack on shady slopes - that would have been risky + dumb.