Santiam pass

Found some good skiing today on an east-facing aspect around 5400 feet in elevation. My partner and I did a little digging and observed 2-3 feet of new snow increasing in density from the top down, deposited on a substantial ice crust at the bottom of our pit. We also observed another smaller ice crust within the deposit of new snow which seemed to be well bonded to the snow above. We performed two isolated column tests. The first failed after twenty taps on the above-mentioned ice crust. The second failed about a foot from the top after twelve taps. Both failures produced low-quality shear. We also observed a five-inch thick wind slab which would produce shooting cracks and break into large cohesive chunks at higher elevations near treeline. Based on our observations, we decided to ski some open glades below treeline. Overall the snow seemed stable, but I will be extra cautious tomorrow as the snow continues to fall overnight. Happy turns,

Quick report