Observation: Chugach State Park

We went to South Fork Eagle River hoping that the sun and warm temps since Sunday will have made corn on SSW slopes. Unfortunately, the wind kept the surface cold, no corn. Temps were just below freezing, bright sun until about 3pm, when the storm clouds that had been hanging behind Indian Pass finally overtook Arctic Valley and Eagle River.
We ascended and skied the south gully of Harp. From 2800′-3800′ the snow was firm but edgeable, good skinning, mediocre skiing, low-30s slope angle. Around 4,000′ the surface became less edgeable, crampons needed. Probe poling and hand pits throughout this zone found 2ft of crust/wind board sandwiches (1F~ish stiffness, crumbly) with some 2-5cm thick layers of 4F facets intermixed.
Around 4,600′ the sound and feel of the snow changed. A quick hand pit found 15-20cm of firm cohesive wind slab over arm-depth+ loose facets. This is also where the slope increases to high-30s deg. We got off that slab and onto the rocky ridge quickly. We summited and descended via the rocks, until skiing the gut again from ~4000′ ft down.