Ruby Peak

Today we went to Ruby Peak to monitor for Persistent Slab problems on Southerly aspects. About 16" of new, low-density snow had accumulated upon our arrival mid-morning, with ongoing moderate snowfall and wind transport (blowing snow) throughout the tour.  Overall, we found a relatively quiet snowpack both underfoot and in stability tests, and felt comfortable skiing on some steeper wind protected terrain with clean runouts. Fresh wind windslabs were certainly forming but we didn't travel in any windloaded terrain.  

The Ruby Magic delivered with 40cm (16") of new, low-density snow since yesterday. The Christmas slab is now nearly three feet thick in this area. Despite the new load and ongoing moderate wind transport, we observed no collapses or other obvious signs of instability: ski pen is well above the bottom of the slab. We dug multiple pits on SE and S aspects. On a SE aspect at 11,000', we recorded an ECTN 23 on small grain mixed forms below the 12/29 rime/melt-freeze crust. We received a similar result in a nearby pit. Small (less than 1mm), soft (4F), rounding facets sit above the Christmas crust, but these did not produce any results today. In terrain where this layer is weaker and buried by a heavier, windloaded slab, it could be problematic, but significantly less worrisome than structures on our W/N/E aspects. On a S aspect at 12,000', we received an ECTX result, no notable weak layers.