Some natural loose dry sluffing off of rocks on a North/Northwest aspects of Microdot and on a steep, Southwest aspect in the hanging valley at the North end of the Death Traverse. Many slope testers were out and about, booting up and skiing down very steep lines without incident.
Observation: Hatcher Pass
Location: Microdot, Murphy Lake Area, Cross Hill to Death Traverse
Our third day of class was our traveling day and our class split into 3 groups traveling to the following locations: 1) Ascended and descended Microdot Ridge and ascended and descended to Murphy Lake from the nordic ski track 2) Ascended Cross Hill, traversed the Death Traverse, descended the Rock Gardens, skied a second lap off the SE aspect of Cross Hill. 3) Ascended Microdot Ridge, skied a NW aspect couloir to Murphy Bench, ascended up above Murphy Lake and skied Nosebleed, ascended to and skied off the Death Traverse.
Observer Comments
Weather
Partly cloudy, no precip, calm to light wind, temps in the 20s
Snow surface
Variable conditions abound. Mix of strastrugi, decomposing precip particles and near surface facets over "slide for life" crust, and breakable wind slab from 1 -15 cm. Northerly aspects were the most wind protected and held the best ski conditions.
Snowpack
We did not dig any snow pits; however, hand pits on Microdot ridge were failing on isolation either between wind slabs and underlying facets or 1 foot down in the snowpack on facets over a melt freeze crust.