Quick report
Below 6500', there's an intermittent snowpack and challenging travel with boots punching to the ground. Tree wells were melted out and there was a shallower snowpack near granite boulders that had obviously gained heat.
The skiing was surprisingly good, with the 3-6" warmer new snow carving like cream cheese above an edgable-but-ski-supportable crust.
Widespread wet loose on all aspects above 7000', reactive to ski triggers on slopes greater than 35 deg. Debris ran 40' or less. Fracturing, these had characteristics of soft slabs, but debris moved more like loose snow. Sometimes avalanches defy our precise categorizations. Isolated natural rollerballs from 45deg/cliff areas. Previous rollerballs from last week's warming was still soft.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 33
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- none
- Rain Elevation
- 6500
- Recent Snowfall
- 10
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Snow level jumping between 6000 and 7000' during afternoon. 4" new snow. Light south winds.
Snowpack
At 8200' NW, I found an isothermal snowpack (32F/0C) of 13cm or roughly 4 feet. The mid and lower snowpack was moist large rounded grains and 1F hard. Another pit at 7500' NE also had very similar structure with no old snow layers of concern.