Humphery's Cirque East Facing/Below the H-A Saddle

Goal:  To further assess the distribution of basal facets and test for instability.  Results showed a snowpack with poor structure, moderate strength, and low propagation propensity.  Basal facets were present from anywhere between ground and 15-30 cm, and were capped by a thermal crust of 5 cm, and in some places a sun crust was present on top of that.  Near surface facets were present at the top of the crust, in places where either the sun crust or thermal layer was present.  From the crust to the top was anywhere between 25cm to 50 cm of soft snow (approximately fist hard).  In places where wind had distributed more snow, hardness increased slightly to typically one finger.   

The snow from 1/11/24 had settled significantly making for approximately 8" of new snow that was nearly indistinguishable from the particles of the storm on 1/7.  Most of this snow was fist in hardness and not very supportable.  Pit results and assessment from the Humphrey's cirque showed varying depths of snow from 60 cm to 90 cm.