Lundy Area

I went out in the Lundy zone with low expectations, which proved to be the correct mindset.

My only real goal was to build a baseline impression of the coverage, surfaces and snowpack here.

I walked in ski boots from 7800 to 8800 feet, and then was able to skin.  I continued up on low-angle north slopes to 9900 feet.  Snow surfaces here were about as wind-affected as anywhere that I've been thus far this season.  I made an  easy decision to not go any higher today.

At my high point, I dug in and confirmed the presence of the same poor snowpack structure that was responsible for a few small avalanches this past week.  Here, this looked like a dense, stubborn wind slab on top of a weakening mid pack and a rain crust on the ground.

Surfaces by aspect @ 9900 feet: N - dense wind board and exfoliated shallow sugar, E - ditto, S - almost completely dry, W - scoured down to rain crust

• Snow depth ranged from 0 to 24 inches, and was heavily scoured or drifted depending on subtle terrain changes.
• Surfaces here are possibly the most wind-affected of any zone I've visited this season.
• Subsurface snow is consistent with other recent observations - dense wind deposited snow on top of a weak and faceting mid pack.  Above 9000 feet or so, there is a decomposing rain crust near the ground.  In many places, this crust has been exposed by strong winds.