Mammoth Lakes Basin - hard and slick

I ventured into the lake basin to visit an area near the treeline where I had found well-developed surface facets prior to our last storm to evaluate the structure and see if I could find any signs of instability. I was not entirely successful in my search

• No signs of instability were noted along my tour
• I dug in at 9800' on a sheltered north-facing aspect.
  • The new snow is resting on older well-developed facets, and there is certainly potential to see avalanches on this interface as the overlying slab grows in size and consolidates.
  •  I did not see any overly concerning results in my tests today.
  • See profile for more information
• surface conditions provided an interesting sliding experience today. Hard and slick crusts were widespread at all elevations I traveled on. For the most part, crusts were supportive and predictable. At lower elevations, particularly in sheltered trees, I found some pockets of world-class breakable crusts that made for challenging movement.