Quick report
Did the Tom Dick Harry tour Sunday AM. 815AM very cold 8F start at 3600ft. Snotel was reading 24F at 5000 ft. Absolutely utterly calm all the way up to the top of the ridge. The inversion was definitely very noticeable on the climb. Snow conditions deteriorated as we gained elevation but weather/visibility improved dramatically into an incredibly beautiful mountain day. It was completely socked in at the lake, but clear and sunny 500 ft higher up. Performed 6-8 hasty pits in the woods below Mirror Lake with wildly varying results. Some just disintegrated into powder, some others the entire block slid off with ease 8 inches down at the new snow interface. Snow became more cohesive with every foot gained in elevation. By 4000ft, the crust was everywhere. We found 165cm snow depth at 4250ft. Did a CT at 4250ft on NNE 25degree slope (CTE7 ) but nothing really happened after fracture. Continuing taps just blew up the column to the fracture line. Seemingly one big cohesive layer when observing pit wall, difficult to feel/see any major layer changes at that location. My ski partner accidentally kicked off a ski and did the dreaded "slide down hill on butt to retrieve ski" test, nothing really happened. The breakable crust started around 4000 and got progressively worse. Sad seeing 6-10in of nice powder under the crust. Overall it was highly variable as far as avalanche conditions, but we saw enough weirdness and different conditions to take pause, and eventually just continued into Ski Bowl for the ride down, mostly due to poor ski conditions. We probably would have skied conservative lines if there was no crust. By 130PM, south facing side crust soften considerably.