It was cold down in the valley bottoms, but got a little warmer once we gained some elevation. Scattered clouds made for great vis for most of the day. Winds were calm.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Lynx Creek
We rode in Johnson Creek drainage for a while before heading up Lynx. Rode great snow in the Lynx basin a dug a pit on a northerly aspect at about 2200′.
Weather
Snow surface
Stout crust up to around 1800'. Surface hoar pretty much everywhere (see photo), getting smaller with elevation. About a foot of soft snow from the 12/6-12/8 storm at 2200'.
Snowpack
Our biggest concern was weak snow at the ground at elevations above the 12/1 rain crust (2500' or higher), especially in areas with a thinner snowpack. Snow depth is thinner here than it is at Turnagain Pass or around Girdwood, with a little more than 3' of snow on the ground at 2000'. We did not see any avalanches that had released since the 12/6-12/8 storm, and it looks like the new snow has bonded well to the previous rain crust. Widespread surface hoar will be worth keeping in mind when we get another round of snow.
Lynx Creek. We found surface hoar everywhere, with the biggest crystals at lower elevations. 12.11.2020
Coverage is looking pretty good. 12.11.2020
Andrew pointing out the dry and loose basal facets at the bottom of the pack.