Quick report
We spent two days at Hatcher (12/8 & 9) touring around the mid elevations on primarily N & E aspects. We found an early season snowpack that was heavily faceted with high spatial variability in terms of stratigraphy and depth (bare ground to areas with ~70cm HS). In general, we found smaller, more rounded, and wind-packed grains near the surface. Mid snowpack we found the most heavily faceted and weakest grains. At the base we found depth hoar beginning to form as an early season melt-free crust facets and decomposes. That early season basal crust is still relatively harder than overlying, more heavily faceted mid-snowpack grains. In ten snowpits with ECTs & CTs (on north to east aspects at 3000-3500’) we found no propagation with moderate ECTNs and moderate Q3 failures in CTs. Riding conditions were highly variable due to wind-affected snow, scoured areas, and superficially covered rocks and vegetation.