Mosquito

We rode up Mosquito and found upwards of 1 meter (3 feet) of snow above 7,300'. Most of the snowpack is new snowfall, most of which fell from 12/14-12/18. This new snow is now a stout, harder slab due to warm temps and wind. A layer of weak snow ~40cm (a little over 1') is easy to punch through with a sled (or stepping off into fresh snow) and was cracking and collapsing, especially in wind-effected areas. This weak snow produced results in a snowpit test (ECTP25).
Steep areas ranging from N-E-S had natural avalanche activity above 8,000'.
Overall, the weak snow (NSF layer is present but not necessarily thick or well-developed, capped with large preserved SH layer) here will trend less reactive over time, but giving the snowpack some time to adjust to rapid change (new load of snow, strong winds, warm temperatures) is needed. Steep slopes should be carefully assessed in the middle elevation band. Upper-elevation, NW-N-NE-E start zones likely harbor a far worse snowpack structure. These areas will likely stay active for longer from an avalanche potential standpoint, particularly if the terrain is rocky/prone to harboring shallow spots with old snow.

Quick report