Quick report

West Shoulder of Burger Butte

Avalanche.org observerSouthern Wallowas
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Quick report

Generally warm but windy and overcast day. Winds were gusting moderate to strong out of the S/SW. No snow being transported observed but the skin track we followed was partially filled in at around 7200'. We also did not tour above ~7300'. Can definitely imagine leeward slopes being loaded above treeline. Dug a pit at 7000' on a N aspect. HS 160cm. CT SC 21 dn 70cm on a FC/MFcr. ECTP 29 dn 70cm. Snowpit was generally ride side up but there were numerous crust layers with facets associated with the crusts. There was a layer of buried surface hoar dn ~20cm but it only produced RP fractures and did not propagate. We skied up to 35-37* in middle elevation trees. We did not want to ski into steep terrain in the alpine based on little knowledge of the snowpack and the obvious presence of multiple persistent layers.