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Observation Date
1/9/2013
Observer Name
mark white
Region
Salt Lake
Location Name or Route
Soldier fork, Big Water, The Nipple
Weather
Sky
Clear
Wind Direction
Southwest
Wind Speed
Light
Weather Comments
Warm and sunny in the morning, winds picking up from the SW by 2pm.
Snow Characteristics
Snow Surface Conditions
Powder
Faceted Loose
Wind Crust
Melt-Freeze Crust
Damp
Snow Characteristics Comments
Snow continues to recrystalize on the mid elevation protected slopes. South end of the compass was damp by noon.
Comments

Still finding a surprising amount of none tracked soft recrystalized snow. in the areas traveled. Todays tour was Spruces to Big Water, skied the steep east facing shot I call Freds Birthday shoot into big water, minimal sluffing and the snow was not rotted to the ground like in No Name, just surface faceting. Next we moved on to the Nipple just south of Soldier Fork E facing with maybe a little south in it. Nice creamy recrystalized snow. Then on to Soldier fork, was thinking it would be rotted to the ground and not ski well because of the lack of any tracks, wrong again skied about the same as every thing else. Exit was out Millcreek. No cracking , collapsing or any other instabilities noted. Weakest snow still on the surface waiting for a load.

Did note more surface hoar development today most likely due to the high humidity from yesterday. Pics, Large surface hoar lower down in Big Water, Smaller surface hoar development in Mill D. Probably won't be a factor if the wind blows as hard as expected.

Still creamy snow on E-SE