Quick report
A calm day in the Alpental valley with scattered to broken clouds through the early afternoon and one noteable stint around noon that the sun came out in full force. Progressed to OVC with a dropping cloud deck by 3pm. Rollerballs and signs of warming were visible on steep, solar aspects, but did not see any sizeable wet loose slides. Tree bombs are still a major hazard on the approach. 1cm MFcr on specific solar aspects at the divide but otherwise manageable, albeit thickening, downhill conditions on solars. Polars still holding on to softer snow. At Source Lake (3850’ SE) the 1/3 crust was down 80cm with HS150cm. Dug a quick pit on a N aspect at 4500’ at the divide. The 1/3 crust was down 105cm with HS230cm. Generally right side up snowpack above the 1/3 crust progressing from F to 1F just above the crust with one notable density drop from 4F -> F between 40-50cm down (maybe the graupel layer buried a little deeper here?). Shovel shear failed below this layer when clearing snow for CT. CT13 BRK down 50cm initiating at the base of this density layer (photo), and CT27 BRK down 65cm.