Humphreys Cirque, Rustler Peak, Temptations

Quick report

No signs of instability on N-NE-E-SE-S-SW slopes of the Cirque, Rustler Peak, and Temptations. E-NE had no instabilities noted in snowpack tests. Hella good snow in the Cirque on some aspects. Some N and NW slopes had some wind striping. Found a small number of wind slabs. Small to medium-sized E-NE aspects. All 1-4f hardness, stubborn or unreactive, and all near ridges and shoulders. They all looked to be maybe D1-1.5-sized slabs. 1-8" of new snow was encountered from this small storm yesterday. We found generally good bonding of the new to old snow. On some E-NE slopes, there was some isolated reactivity in a graupel/facet mix at the N/O snow. But the new soft snow could not propagate a significant failure. We did an E aspect ECT isolated down to about 60cm where there was a storm density inversion or firmer windboard from last week. No propagation, fair to moderate strength, and poor to fair structure but getting better. Other tests at the N/O snow showed very little energy and no smooth bed surface. Crampons were quite helpful near and above treeline, in the hard snow and wind-ward rime. No avalanche activity was noted. Some great turns had. Steep SE, E, ENE aspects were skied and snowboarded. Exited on SW slopes of Temptations, rider right chute. Rode a bit like a soft steep, consistent groomer. Then the lower NW trees of Temptations were not bad.