Observation: Mill D North

We dug on a low elevation southwest aspect to show some future backcountry shredders the layering before potentially boring them with a deep and stable high-elevation pit. ECTN 16 within the storm snow, ECTN21 on the December rain crust, and surprisingly ECTP23 and 27 Q3 on wet rounding facets 55cm down between crusts. Not that we're skiing scary start zones in the 7300' elevation band :)

Summer footwear, summer weather and summer trail combine to provide visual evidence of snow surface warming.

Sublime skiing before the backcountry became officially tracked out.

In the morning soft snow and surface hoar made for fine, fast skiing on all aspects between 7200 and 9400' (surface hoar might have also have been present at higher elevations--but I wasn't!).  By late morning roller balls were evident on SE, S and SW was damp, and I suspect that at least the low and mid elevation steep solar aspects will have crusts until they soften with tomorrow's continued clear skies and warm temps.