Quick report
- Cracking
- specific
Copious amounts of new snow and lots of prior wind movement made for deep trail breaking up the west facing, treed slope. I had limited time today so dug many quick hasty pits...At 5300' there was about 14" of newer, soft snow sitting on a firm crust. From about 5600' to 6700' every time I measured it was 18" or more in drifted areas. 5600' hasty showed mod/easy shear at 18". Clean shear. An old school burp test of the block found a subtle, thin layer about 7" from surface. 6400' hasty showed moderate pulls at 18" on firm interface. Clean shear. Subtle layer 7-8" deep again found. 6600' Hard pull at 18" with a less clean shear. The subtle layer at 8" deep. 11" ski penetration. The snow was soft but the wind effect was noticeable on the ridge. Weather: started out cloudy with a bit of fog. Turned mostly sunny for the afternoon with a breeze early. A short convection storm hit about 2:30 with a short lived heavy snow fall. I was surprised to not see any old natural's or any new avalanche evidence, even on the steep west faces across the valley. The steep east faces off the ridge started to have some small point releases due to the sun. The skiing was amazing with cold thigh turns all day long. Fast running sluff off of turns on short steeper pitches. No whoompfing. Cracking only under skis. Given the snow pack complexity and uncertainty, the one thing I can control is the terrain I choose to travel and ski. I kept it simple, skiing WSW, WNW, W aspects in sheltered trees.