Sydney Butte

I found a ~2-3 foot thick slab above weaker snow. In many areas, the slab was stiff and thick enough to make it hard for riders and skiers to affect. In some areas, the slab was thinner due to wind and weathering, and snowpack tests returned poor test scores. Snow depths and slab thickness are greater in the Soldiers than in the Wood River Valley, aiding in better overall stability. 

No obvious signs of instability.

Surfaces were a mix of small surface hoar and near-surface facets (shaded) and a 2-3 cm melt-freeze crust (sunny). The heat/sun from previous days produced rollerballs and built crusts but created no wet avalanche concerns. 

Slab depths to 1/31 ranged from 60-90 cm at middle elevations. The slab grades from F at the surface to 1F at the base. I found laid over 3-5 mm surface hoar at 1/31 that produced a clean shear with non-standard force. Where the slab was thinner (~60 cm), tests produced ECTP22 on facets.