Quick report
Our objective for the day was to evaluate the new snow and maybe sneak in a few hippy turns in the new snow. We did two CTs and 1 ECT on a NW slope, 30 degree pitch at 5375ft. Results were CT5 and CT7, respectively, just below the high pressure crust layer about 30cm down. The ECT showed no propagation, just collapsing under each shovel whack. Below the crust, we found about 20cm of loose facet-y snow. Eww. Hasty hand pit test on NE slopes near ridgeline around 6200ft showed new snow surpringly well bonded to the high pressure crust. A few skin track tests got new snow to pop, but not as energetically as we expected. We observed maybe 4 tracks coming down from the top of the NW bowl of Buillion Peak with no signs of instability. We also saw lots of snow transport on the ridgeline, including a today skin track being fully filled in. We made turns from the low shoulder of that same bowl and again, no signs of instability, just the sweet feeling of floating on a snow surface that didn't make any scratchy noises. Honestly, we were surprised at how stable things appeared, although we discussed not letting that observation tempt us into riskier terrain. But we're stoked winter is back!