Clear and cold with light winds at 5-10 mph out of the SW on the ridge line portion of the skin track.
Observation: Turnagain
Location: Sunburst
Normal sunburst uptrack to 3200′. We deviated off the skin track to dig a pit just above treeline at 1600′.
Weather
Snow surface
Settled powder below 2200' with a slight wind crust above. Crust was thicker along the ridge line and not very noticeable on the descent.
Snowpack
We dug a pit at 1600' on a W aspect. The total snow height was ~140 cm. We found the layer of facets buried 105 cm down above a thick melt freeze crust from the halloween storm. We had no results on that layer in our extended column test. However, we got propagation (ECTP 18) in a layer of decomposing stellars buried 45 cm down.
Small cornice along the sunburst skin track that was created with winds from the NE and is now being eroded away by winds from the SW
Snow-nado (snow tornado) on the southern face of Seattle ridge. The downslope and ridgetop winds on Seattle ridge were strong throughout the day.
Small avalanche triggered sometime during the day. Probably due to down slope wind loading, but not totally sure. Also reported by Brooke Edwards observation.
Wind scouring along sunburst ridge with S face of Tincan Common in the background
Our propagating (ECTP 18) layer of stellars buried 45 cm
Alders are starting to get laid down on the southern end of the pass. Could still use some more snow, but they are looking a lot better than a few weeks ago.