Observation: Electric Lake

Disappointing conditions. The snow was the heaviest I have ever skied in that area. Decent turns above about 8,800 feet, but below that it was a struggle to turn on skis. About 1 inch of light new snow down low, about 2 inches by the time you got to 9,600 feet. Poles would occasionally punch to the ground. Boot penetration to the ground. True at 8,600 feet and 9,600 feet, and everything in between. By 1 P.M. the sun had heavied up the small layer of new fluff. Skied N, E, NE and W. Nothing was worth lapping.

Dug a pit on north-facing at 9,600 feet. 5 cm of light snow from Thursday night, Total depth 75 cm, with everything from the ground up to 52 cm all loose wet large grains. Easily visible difference in texture and moisture on the old snow vs the 20cm or so above it. Very distinct gray line of the crust that predates Wednesday's snow. First photo shows this line.

Did three short tests on a 22 degree slope. One was an ECTP4, the other two failed on isolation. All failed on the crust that is 23 cm down, 52 cm from the ground.

Snow felt much more like April than mid-February. More than once I had to take a close look at tracked snow that I assumed at first to be a snowmachine, as the cut was so deep. Was instead ski tracks from Thursday. Second photo shows some of these deep ski tracks on a west-facing treed slope at about 9,200 feet.

For the first time this winter, I did not find a second, lower crust layer.