Observation: Turnagain

We toured up Magnum on Jan 1 & 2 from the parking lot north of Bertha Creek (standard up track for Magnum/Corn Biscuit). On both days, we started touring by 11 am; temps were ~1 deg F at the parking lot and barely any wind. Significantly warmer on the ridge top and in the sun!
Besides the wind slab avalanche on N Corn Biscuit, no new avalanche activity observed on these days. However, we did notice a couple of cracks below a cornice further in on the Magnum ridge line.
We didn’t make any formal snow stability tests, but we ski cut a couple of rollovers and probed snow depth. Small areas of wind-affected snow and very thin crust on both N and S aspects at 2000-2500’, especially further in the valley. On first day we skied further in along the Magnum ridge down towards Super bowl on a S aspect and noticed the wind crust skiing down right around 2000-2500’, whereas on day two we skied straight down from the ridge (near the up track) and more SW aspect and did not notice as much of a crust. Probing at 2000’ on N Corn Biscuit we found crust/hardness differences down 65 cm and 90 cm, total snowpack depth 200 cm. Snow depth right below the ridge line ~220 cm.