Hand warmers at the ready ???

<p>We headed out to investigate the persistent weak layer in open areas and also to suss out the wind slab in the alpine. We parked our sleds at treeline and continued up on skis, looking for small features to test. After getting to the low alpine without any whumpfs or other signs of instability we found a low angle area that we thought was a likely spot to find the persistent problem and dug a pit. Our pit didn't show any surface hoar but it did have a surprisingly well preserved layer of stellar crystals buried 35cm deep. This layer propagated in an extended column test, indicating instability. With that we chose low angle terrain without any trees or other terrain traps below us and enjoyed some good , albeit cold, turns. </p>

Terrain Ridden

Alpine slopes, Mellow slopes.

Terrain Avoided

Steep slopes.

Snow Conditions

Wind affected, Powder.

Weather Conditions

Cold, Sunny.