No signs on instability. Wind slabs in the area we traveled were stuck on, could not get them to break very easily on test slopes.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Johnson Pass
Quick trip up into Johnson Pass and the west end of the Bench Massif. High point was only 2,300′, but we did get into areas that saw significant wind effect from Tuesday as well as winds from yesterday morning.
Observer Comments
Weather
High clouds, light easterly winds, temps in the 20's F.
Snow surface
Surface crust up to 900'
At 1000' a drastic change to dense soft settled powder, this became lighter with elevation
Significant wind effect in exposed locations as low as 2,000'
Snowpack
Roughly 2' of crusts at the parking lot
At 1,000', snow depth 4-5'
At 2,300', snow depth 4-8' pending wind effect
Pit at 2,200': HS 190cm
ECTN 25 down 40cm on the new/old snow interface from Tuesday's storm (under wind slab from Tuesday).
We found the Dec 1st crust down 80-90cm. Crust was essentially a sandwich of crusts around 5" thick.
No weakness was seen on the crust.
Snow pit at 2,200'
A look at the wind effect and scoured ribs on Peak 4940
Back side of Captain's Chair that sits between Johnson Pass trail and Lynx Creek