Observation: Primrose Cirque

Wet loose - saw a long running slide that entrained a lot of snow quite early - at 815. Several others followed, all starting on easterly to southerly aspects fairly high up and falling 1k feet.

PWL - hand shear tests yielded easy, planar fracture consistently on N-NE slopes between 8-9k. There was a thin layer of facets below the fracture. Test slopes, however, resulted in small sluffs but no cohesive slabs. Though the consequences may be small now, I’d be much more careful if this area gets 1’+ of snow.

Overall comments - We started our tour towards the glacier a bit on the early side hoping to be out by 10 and avoid heating but wet slides started happening much earlier than expected so we salvaged a couple runs on shady NE slopes and headed home before things heated up too much. A party was attempting to summit timp on snowshoes and they persisted up primrose after the first wet slide and several more but turned around after a slide nearly hit them.