Low viz.. Lower standards

With hopes of finding an inversion, we planned to sled up toward Summit Glacier for some alpine turns. Although an inversion was present, it extended higher than expected, making route-finding in the lower alpine and upper treeline nearly impossible. We pivoted to the trees below Summit to investigate the January 26 SH/MFcr layer, which has been lingering 50–100 cm below the surface. In a wind-loaded convexity with over 4.5 m of total snow, we found this layer buried 85 cm down. An Extended Column Test produced a hard result that propagated across the column (ECTP 28), confirming the layer remains capable of propagation in specific terrain features. While heading up toward Bryant Lake, we observed a size 1.5 avalanche with sled tracks over the crown, suggesting it was likely triggered by a rider approximately 48 hours prior. This observation increases our confidence that wind slabs are present in specific areas of the upper treelined and alpine.