Southern San Juan

Clear, sunny with light winds from the NW

On below treeline, south-facing slopes the height of snow is 60-70 cm. A melt freeze crust sits over 20 cm of 1-2 mm facets. This sits over the 12/25/25 crust, which is breaking down (four-finger hand hardness) as the crust and the moist grains below it have begun to form into clustered, rounded grains. Near treeline, we dug a pit on a northwest-facing slope at 11,600'. The height of snow was 90 cm. The upper portion of the snowpack is a pencil-hard layer of wind-pressed snow. In extended column tests, this layer propagated (ECTP 6) at the facets below it. This test shows the potential for small avalanches in recently wind-drifted, isolated terrain features. However, while touring and skiing, this stubborn, small slab was cracking inconsistently right under our skis.