June Mtn BC -

I went for a tour in the June Lake backcountry today with the goal of getting up high, surveying surface conditions, and enjoying the stellar weather on the east side. While no stability concerns were noted on my tour today, I did manage to find a wide variety of surfaces while sampling several aspects and elevations.

• Key takeaway – Shallow coverage is widespread. Obstacles like fallen trees, exposed and shallowly buried rocks, bushes, and large areas of dry ground are common and worth considering.   
• In sheltered and shaded terrain below the treeline, I was pleasantly surprised to find soft-faceted surface snow. -Not a stability concern at the moment-
• As I moved up in elevation, I found an old windboard varying in thickness and its ability to hold my weight. It is worth noting that our recent cold temperatures seem to be decomposing surface crusts effectively, which we can count as a win for the snow sliders among us. This is particularly true in near treeline and in sparsely treed areas. -I did not observe any concerning shooting cracks or pockets of wind slab today -
• The most challenging surface conditions were found above treeline and in wind-exposed areas where hard 3-dimensional wind-textured snow dominates. I was glad to have my ski crampons for my travels above treeline today. -More of a fall hazard than a stability concern-
• I descended via a southeast-facing slope at around 1 pm, and while I can’t say the snow I skied was “corn,” it was pleasantly sun-softened and predictable. -Moderate winds out of the west today kept surfaces cold enough to limit the potential for sluffs of wet and loose surface snow in this area-
• All in all, it was a fun and beautiful day in the hills.