Smuggler’s Notch Rt 108

Quick report

While working with an Avalanche class along RT 108 at roughly 2000 ft, I had a small gap in my schedule and was wondering about skiing in between groups coming to my station. On the approach, we noticed large wind drifts, with large variability in snow depths. I dug a pit, and got ECTN22, 20 cms down, and while putting my hands behind the column, the block had a planar ejection 50 cms down. I decided not to ski solo on an unfamiliar snowpack with questionable test results and lots of spatial variability by myself, and instead returned to our snow couch to eat snacks with my fellow instructor candidates.