Continenal Divide Overlook

We traveled towards St. John's overlook and experienced various snow conditions, most of which involved thin snow cover. Off-trail riding caused large collapses that shook trees nearby, and overall, the snowpack here has remained thin and weakened over time. The average snowpack height ranges from 1 to 3 feet deep from middle to upper elevations. The bottom one-third of the snowpack is well-developed facets and depth hoar. Generally, if you can step off your sled and step to the ground this time of year, that isn't a very good sign.  Snowpit depth was 3 feet on an NW aspect at 9,700 feet and propagated cleanly 20 inches down (ECTP19, ECTP12 in a second test). We noted many slopes (even with little snow cover) that had recently avalanched, and changing weather will increase the likelihood of triggering any slope in this part of the zone.  Moving forward into the next week, steep slopes must be assessed before riding, and safe travel practices should always be utilized, even on smaller pieces of steep terrain (one rider at a time, watching from a safe zone). Even a small avalanche in the current snow conditions could be unforgiving. All that being said, the overall riding is improving greatly due to better coverage at Togwotee, and playing in the meadows and smaller or gentler terrain features is plenty of fun while the next several storm systems buff out and give this weak snowpack structure some time to adjust.