Took some time to dig a bit today after skiing the past several days. Nice to have cold temps preserve the snow, though seems like a warming trend is headed our way.

I wanted to dig down around the NE mid-elevations for a couple reasons. Some of the lines in several of our drainages have rolls in them halfway down or near the end. While the writing is on the wall on steep north, I wanted to see how the other aspects are looking. The skiing around SE aspects, at mid and upper has been good, though the crust program is now on the S, so it seems that deal may be over.

Today at 9150' on a NE slope I found a very strong slab on top of 14'' of facets. The crust was basically nonexistent, and the facets seem to be getting damp. See picture below as well as pit profile.

Results were ECTX and CTN. Modified shovel shear test pulled out with medium resistance and a Q2 shear, 95cm from the surface.

The elevation of my pit has a lot to do with the dampening facets. My pole pits up higher on NE aspects yielded drier and hollow punches through the bottom layer after shoving it through the thick slab. The snowpack is getting deep and trending in the right direction, though if you find a thin spot or perhaps a shallower location on a slope harboring old snow, then prepare for the washing machine... The slab is thick and stout and I wouldn't want to be near it cascading down slope.