Route today was up Pfeifferhorn via Red Pine canyon. Few observations:

- Decent snow conditions forming a bathtub ring between about 8000' - 9500' on northerly aspects providing soft, supportable recrystallized snow outside of wind-affected terrain. Below 8000' snowpack is 50-75 cms, between 8000 - 9500' was consistently finding 90 - 120 cms (3'-4') with 10 cms ski penetrations on a supportable base. Lesser amounts above 9500' due to scouring from the wind.

- Only finding surface hoar in drainage bottoms where there is a water source. Likely that super dry conditions not conducive for growing surface hoar.

- Despite being thin & rocky, upper elevations are still supportable providing decent travel conditions for alpine tours. Southerly aspects in upper elevations are very thin & rocky, and you often have to remove your skis (photo.)

- Was still finding some old wind drifts, but many of them have seemingly rotted from both below and above the drifts and are now faceted.

- Found widespread, thick rain/rime crust in upper Red Pine above Red Pine Lake - 4-5 mm with facet chains below. (Evelyn was finding similar results in Argenta.)

- Did see Cottonwood Canyons forecast mention increasing winds Sunday/Monday ahead of "grazing" system. I wouldn't expect much wind drifting as there doesn't appear to be much - if any - loose snow to drift.

- Great conditions for snow geeking and/or long walks in the mountains.

- Would call hazard Low right now, and where old, hard wind drifts remain in upper elevations, the snow is discontinuous so avalanches would be persistent/deep slabs, but likely not that large.

Looking at avalanche forecast in Montana this past week and Doug Chabot used a great analogy for persistent weaknesses found throughout the west: (summarized) "Imagine a slope is a football field with a buried lunch tray somewhere. You can safely ski anywhere on this slope, but if you hit that lunch tray, the slope will slide. Very unlikely, but not zero probability."

Photos

- Thin coverage in alpine terrain in Red & White Pine Canyon.

Summer hiking trail visible at 10,500' on approach to Pfeifferhorn.

[First Photo] Lake Shot above Red Pine. 4-5 mm rain/rime crust glistening in the sun.

[Second Photo] Evelyn had a much better photo from Argenta, but this is the 4-5 mm rain/rime crust with chained facets below. Finding very weak snow underneath facets. (But then again, finding very weak snow almost everywhere else .....)

Old slides where persistent slabs pulled out on steeper East aspects in upper Red Pine.