McDonald N Side

Short cracks (< 1.5 m) from skis in hard but thin wind slabs on uptrack corners

Some old avalanche and cornice debris in track. Unsure timing.

Winds downslope, so S in this terrain.

Downslope winds have left all manner of wind-affected snow in mid elevation avalanche paths. Ski pen 1 cm -10 cm. We did not find any wind slab thicker than 10cm. Probed several times in couloir and apron, with HS > 320 cm probe length each time. Felt consolidated. In sheltered, upper elevation couloir, surface snow was soft, with boot penetration knee to thigh. Skiing pen much shallower. Skied well. Below treeline, sheltered trees held soft but dense snow that skied well. Our biggest concern was cantilevered cornices over head, whose roots were in the sun on the opposite side of the ridge. 2 parties of 3 that worked cooperatively.