Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
Very few signs of instability on our tour up Commonwealth to near Kendall Peak. Hand shear tests, test slopes, kick turns, and observing the snow all showed no significant signs of instability. Above 5,000' a 3-5cm wind slab was present. Cracking was very isolated near the skis and did not propagate. The wind slab did not slide in any kind of cohesive way. Still, we stopped 100-200 feet short of the Kendall Peak Ridge that divides the Commonwealth and KAZ because the signs of wind transport / slab were becoming much more prevalent. Active wind transport on the exposed slopes above tree line. Overall great rising conditions, broken skies with some sun breaks in the mid morning - early afternoon, no precip, very light winds, soft snow. Agreeable travel conditions up to the swath, easy creek crossings, and few exposed hazards.
Avalanche
One recent avalanche on the face just beneath and west of Kendall Peak, buried debris made it look at least a day old