Surface conditions consisted of approximately 10 cm of new snow over a dense, supportive and well settled snowpack.
A shallow hand pit (90cm) was dug to assess the upper snowpack. Under aggressive loading (forceful jumping), minor movement was observed at approximately 40 cm below the surface, suggesting a reactive layer under high force. Total snow depth in the area is approximately 180 cm, with an estimated 80 cm overlying the settled January rain crust..
Wind affected terrain was assessed on steeper slopes. Reactive wind slabs were observed in exposed areas, with slab releases occurring during testing. As a result, travel was limited to sheltered terrain, avoiding wind-loaded and exposed features.