Sawatch

Strong winds (40mph sustained gusts to 70mph), partly cloudy skies, and temps just above freezing.

Alpine start zones show lots of damage from the recent wind event. Most start zones in the area show bare patches next to very-hard drifts. We measured the snowpack depth at 1 to 2 feet on near treeline west-facing terrain. We sank through the softly wind-textured snowpack on our skis. South-facing slopes were capped with a half to 2 inch thick sun crust. East-facing terrain was a little deeper, generally around 2 feet deep, with a mix of facets and old drifts up to 4 feet thick. We found no collapsing and saw only localized cracking under surface drifts. Slabs seem plastered only just below ridgelines, tapering quickly as you move downslope. In the rare spots where we found a slab, an ECT test showed the basal Depth Hoar remains the weak layer of concern. Northerly terrain lacked drifting and slabs in the areas we traveled, with snow heights reaching up to 2 feet.