Observation: Diving Board

Headed to the Diving Board today in search of smooth recrystallized powder but found a mixed bag of wind crust, rime crust and some recrystallized powder in some terrain features. I would have thought that the Dickens crust would have started to break down by now but in terrain where it is only 4 to 5 inches under the surface or where it is on the surface due to wind scouring it's still in tacked and fairly stout. Most of the exposed ridge lines in Broads Fork have been stripped down to the Dickens crust and are shinning in the sun. You can still feel it while skiing recrystallized powder above it but not so much when your battling the wind crust above it. The Dickens crust has weak faceted snow underneath it everywhere I looked and also has facets above it where it hasn't been stripped off. The temperatures today had me thinking about glide avalanches but most of the usual suspects above the Diving Board had already avalanched but I'd be weary of the Blue Ice which is still holding most of the seasons snowpack on the upper slabs. I did not note any wet activity today but I wasn't on any S facing.

photos: Dickens crust that I found exposed on the surface, more Dickens crust on the exposed ridge line and the Diving Board, kind of a mess with old glide avalanche debris, wind crust and old tracks.

Can't really call any of the snow I saw today powder, wind crust, And the Dicken crust on most E and N facing slopes with some faceted snow thrown in here and there. Damp or melt-freeze on S, SE, SW and W, depending on time of day.