Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
Winds we blowing moderately from the west all day and, what little snow was available for transport was be blown into wind slabs on north, east and ne aspects. There was enough snow available that it was flagging from the peaks throughout the day. Weather was cool and broken clouds. It warmed during the day but not enough to soften the breakable crust on - really - any /all aspects. Dug a pit at 7700’ on north aspect near the ridge. The area was pretty wind loaded but also where we’d be starting to ski, so seemed representative. Got ectp1 @ 15cm down, on fresh wind slab, ectp26 @55cm down in slightly older wind slab. Given the pit results and the quality of the snow, we found a safer entrance to the north facing bowl. Skiing varied between crunchy breakable crust, stiffened blown in snow on breakable crust and softened breakable crust. The snow on the east aspect that we used to skin back to the ridge had pretty wet snow. Almost The entire brushy fork basin didn’t look like there was any powder preserved. Not sure if it rained because there wasn’t a typical rain crust but something def happened up there. The road into elk meadows is a whooptie extravaganza. Fully snow covered but slow going. Plan in losing some inches from your height in spinal compression.
Avalanche
Wet loose debris from point release’s around rock outcrops on solar aspects and cornice fall debris on north and nw aspects. Generally d1 in size