Flailing in Facets

At Bell we found wind effected snow in exposed areas. We saw 2 fairly large avalanches that most likely released in the last 2 days. When we dug down to have a look we found the deep persistant weak layer of facets (sugary crystals) near the ground. This layer will likely stick around for the season and can produce avalanches where the snow is shallow around ridge crests in the alpine and tree line areas. The riding was best and safest in sheltered areas in the trees, so that's where we spent our time.