Quick report
Rain crust from the parking lot at 4560' to 5500'. The snow below the rain crust provided nearly no resistance to a ski pole basket. Pole penetration was 24'-36" in the unconsolidated snow next to the trail. Above 5500', the surface was wind whipped dense loose snow. Ski penetration above the rain crust elevation was 6". Where I stepped out of my skis at 5700', the upper three crusts have lost enough strength that boot penetration was full leg length. Skiing uphill was unpleasant in the rain crust, and in the transition from wet snow to fine powder surface, my skins glop terribly, so uphill travel was frustrating above the rain crust elevation too. Skiing was strenuous both above and below the rain/snow transition. I found a planer break with low energy in an isolated column test on top of the second crust above the ground on the first elbow tap (85cm of snow above this crust). ENE aspect 25degree slope. The broken piece slid only halfway off the column and stopped. This deeper failure is different behavior than I've seen in this area this year. We've either had failures on the crusts nearest or second nearest the surface, or no result. Weather was 37F, high overcast, light wind from the south.