2000 Ridge, Boxing Day

Great skiing today in low density cold pow. = Snowpack depth 220cm at 1700m North aspect = November raincrust at 190cm (30cm above ground) = Top 20cm of super dry dusty facets bonding better to previous layer, but sluffing fast and far on 35deg+ slopes = No results with compression or shear tests in pit at 1700m 35deg = snowpack is ''right side up'' (progressively more dense from top to bottom) EXCEPT FOR BASE 30cm below raincrust .... in other words, 2 metres of snow sits on a fragile (persistant weakness) base