Observation: Turnagain

We departed following John Sykes’ groups tracks with similar temps and feeling in the air, and I was surprised to find a fair bit of snow covering their tracks in the way up (pictured).

Beautiful surface hoar at elevations below 1000 feet. By 1200 feet, we entered the wind scoured area, and could barely even find the skin tracks by 1800 feet or so. Snow pack was lovely below the winded area and would make a nice short looping day.

I dug a pit on a wind loaded roller with similar aspect as the center face of Lipps above at 2189 feet, SW facing, 28 deg. Snow depth 270cm. I moved the location, after first probing 300cm depth.

The pit showed a consistently increasing density with hard hardness test (pictured), and a 30x30cm column sheared immediately at a layer ~25cm deep when I placed a shovel behind. this layer also broke at about 10cm deep (both pictured).

An extended column test showed no propagation, but resulted in a clear fracture line at ECTN2 @25cm, and again at ECTN22 @ ~80cm (pictured).

I also snapped a photo of the forecasters’ wind slab slide from yesterday.

All in all, I found myself surprised at what seemed to be new snow down low (perhaps 3+ inches), and how much the tracks up higher disappeared.

Winds remained calm throughout the day, blowing perhaps 3-8mph.