Abe's Armchair

The overall impression of the snowpack in this area was positive. Sheltered terrain lacked a dense slab of snow over buried weak layers, and just stepping off my skis I would sink to the ground. Areas where the winds have previously built drifts or stiffened the snow surface, harbored the deepest snowpack, with about 3 feet of snow above buried weak layers. Without signs of instability—such as cracking, snowpack collapsing or poor stability tests—it seemed reasonable to travel into avalanche terrain where a uniformly deep (greater than about 3 feet) snowpack existed or in areas lacking a stiff slab of snow over any buried weak layers.

Early January Rain Crust: Decomposing below 8100' and not observed above that elevation. On solar aspects, there wasn't a discernible difference between the rain crust and the melt-freeze crust from last week's warm temperatures.

Surfaces: On solar slopes, crusts were breakable in most areas and have already begun to decompose. The thickest crusts exist on steeper, south-facing terrain. Some faceting was present on these slopes. On the shady side of the compass, surfaces are a mixture of facets and surface hoar (up to 1 cm in some spots).

In areas above 8000', there is 2-3+ feet of snow on the ground. In sheltered terrain, any slab that existed has now faceted away and is soft and unconsolidated. Boot penetration reached the ground. Slopes, where winds had previously stiffened the snow surface, are more supportable but are trending in the same direction as sheltered terrain. These areas also held the deepest snowpack, with about 3 feet of snow over buried mid-December weak layers. These weak layers were unreactive in stability tests (NE, 9200', HS 110, ECTX x 2).