Travel today was up Red Pine Gulch

with a run on a NW facing slope then on to the lake shot in the upper drainage. The snow on the NW facing slope was variable, it went from light density powder at the top to wind board with a coating of light density snow mid-slope. The NE facing on the lake shot was much more consistent and creamy but the best snow was on the due north wind protected terrain. Not much of any instabilities noted except some natural sluffs in steeper terrain and one small skier triggered wind slab off the ridge line. The lake shot looks to have avalanched fairly large during last weekends storm but the debris at the bottom is decomposing from the cold temperatures. Like many other areas in the Cottonwoods the runs are phat and filled in better than I’ve seen in quite awhile. Still waiting for the sun to come out for more that a guest appearance but when it does and the new snow heats heated up I would expect a nice wet avalanche cycle.

photo: only one I got today due to flat light

It’s all about the wind at this point in time, any spike in wind speeds will transport the copious amounts of new snow with eased and should be monitored, and not overlook