Wheee-ton valley

AST 1 field day plan B with the S. Klondike closed due to (irony) an avalanche. 1st bridge air temp -17C at 0930, warming to -9 by end of day at 1700. We spent the day in the valley between Wheaton and Talley-ho at approx 950m. HS 30-40cm with 15cm storm snow overlying a weak and variable mix of faceting crust from early December, partly-melted depth hoar from November and the occasional area of surviving 1cm thick crust. Compression test no result as the new snow hasn't consolidated into a slab and the snowpack as a whole lacks much strength or cohesion.