GTNP, Stewart's Draw

Toured into Stewart's Draw from Death Canyon trailhead up to 9400'.  Warm temps, above freezing at the trailhead, and I would guess the freezing line was about 7800 feet, although the snow felt  sticky up to 8k'. Overcast skies all day. Some active wind loading up high along ridges above 10k'.

The top 20 inches (50cm) felt a little upside down with a notable less dense layer 20 inches down, We dug 2 pits:

8800' South Aspect, HS 190 cm: ECTP15 down 20 inches (50 cm) on most likely 12/27 storm interface.

9400' South Aspect, HS 185cm: ECTP20 down 29 inches (75cm) on the same interface, PST 52/110 END down 110 on facets just below a melt-freeze crust most likely from early December.

We did probe a couple depths over 6 ft deep above 8500 feet.

Wind-pressed surface conditions were prevalent today, with some localized cracking in wind-exposed areas. 

Even though we haven't seen much activity on southerly slopes in the Tetons, seeing propagation in pits and hand sheers was a good reminder that poor structure still exists out there and to investigate what's going on before you commit to a slope.

 

3 avalanches were observed at 8400' on an east aspect. D1.5-2. These avalanches started in wind-loaded zones adjacent to cliffs below a ridgeline and ran naturally. 2 probably went this morning and one most likely yesterday. Debris ran 300 ft and without much entrainment of new snow.