Observation: Cottonwood Ridgeline

Profile on 9400' SE facing HS roughly 150cm. Stable snow. Snow is isothermal at and beneath the noticeable Feb 18th dust/crust layer found at roughly 50cm. ECTX. ECT shovel shear hybrid test elicited full propagation on loose 3-4mm melt freeze clusters above the 2/18 dust crust.

Plenty of loose snow to move with provocation with sun and wind over the next few days if that's how the weather plays out. Haven't looked at the models but some earlier hints this morning at subtropical moisture tap look to keep things interesting.

Last year was the Year of the Cornice. They really haven't been much of an issue until the last few days. They are growing considerably along the high ridgelies...and as Nalli's ob from yesterday reveals what we expected - that they are enough of a thump to trigger old snow avalanches in thinner/repeater terrain.

Transcendent.  Right side up.  Reminds us why we love skiing in the first place.  I did something today that I almost never do.  I lapped a run.  I'll explain why below.

I find it uninteresting.  I generally prefer more terrain than more laps. A few years ago, an old supervisor chided one of the forecasters on social media for showing ski tracks in perfect powder.  So I clocked out for the extra run. Terrain choices for my personal and government risk tolerance have diminished.  A couple of years ago, CMH ski (and old WPG) guide Roger Atkins proposed a common language for how an guide service or individual might approach terrain: they might step out, step back, remain status quo, open season, entrenched - you get the idea.  With 4"+ of SWE and southerly winds since Wednesday, it seems appropriate to be stepping back to low angle terrain.  It was still phenomenal.