Core Lodge

Winds have been shifting around from SW to NE this week, leaving both sides with small wind slabs and lots of exposed crust. 15-30 cm of softer snow sits over the Feb. 7 crust in sheltered areas where the winds haven't blown it away. This crust is robust at more than 30 cm thick, and completely supports foot traffic. It extends to ridge top on all aspects in the Core Lodge area. The mid snowpack has settled into a firm, cohesive mass under this crust. Today started cool but warmed slowly to -16ºC. The moderate southwest winds had a definite bite to them, but the sun felt nice. There was some wind transport moving what was left of the snow in the open into small drifts and pockets of wind slab on north through east aspects. Crossloaded features like gullies and ribs seem to be the most loaded spots from the variable winds the past few days. We didn't see any new avalanches but had occasional cracks that didn't shoot far in the drifted snow at treeline.