Hatch

Tried to take advantage of the sunshine with a quick walk up Hatch and see how snow surfaces are holding up after recent winds and ahead of some approaching precip. For the most part the winds have only appeared to further erode features leaving lots of raised tracks amongs thinly drifted gullies. Even on the stiffest snow I found in small cross loaded features, slabs were thin (1-3") and stubborn, only barely breaking out around your skis on a hard turn. Crusts appear to be continuing to decompose under this cooler paradigm, but seem to be holding up better on southerly and windward aspects. Travel conditions continue to be firm and fast, albeit a little scratchy, with wind steeper or upper elevation wind drifted features being a little more grabby that lower angled, low elevation slopes with the same skiff of snow. With approaching precip, the crust and facet layering that exists on many aspects could produce some instabilities so keep an eye on accumulations and the forecast moving forward.

Recent winds have mostly worked to further erode features leaving scoured areas of raised tracks amongst thinly drifted features. Cross loaded features held the stiffest drifts encountered, but even these were thin (1-3") and stubborn. Crusts have continued to decompose with cool overnight temps but appear to be holding up better in southerly and windward aspects.