Kimmerly

Soggy day for mountain travel. Ascended to 7000 feet. Rain followed us up the mountain throughout the day.

• We triggered a small slab avalanche on the one and only steep feature we cut across. This slab failed about 8 inches deep within the storm snow. 
• During the exit we observed multiple slab avalanches at about 6000 feet. Some slabs were triggered by small wet loose avalanches from above.
  • Avalanche size ranged from small (D1.5) to large (D2). Crowns appeared to be about a foot thick. We could not get a view of the debris piles. 
• We experienced localized cracking during our skin up. 
• Snowpit tests and profile do show a strong snowpack. I'm hopeful (as long as we don't end up with a persistent weak layer at the surface) for a stable snowpack once we get through this storm. 
• Storm snow was "upside down" or hard over soft. 

Should have brought a garbage bag to wear. 

Shooting cracks on steep features. Cracks didnt extend more than about 6 feet. We triggered one small slab on the only steep feature we cut across. Observed avalanches on our exit that we did not see on the way in.

We dug two snowpits. One at 6500 feet on an east aspect and one at 6800 on a north northeast aspect. 

6500 ft: HS 150. 30 CM of new snow sitting on a 2 cm 12/9 melt-freeze crust. ECTN5 @ 135 (PP). No weak layers observed in the snowpack. 

6800 ft: HS160. 30 CM of new snow sitting on a 1 cm 12/9 melt-freeze crust. ECTN 3 @ 145 (PP). No weak layers observed in the snowpack. 

We tried and tried to find persistent weak layers, but thankfully we had no success. Overall, we observed a strong looking snowpack.