Broke trail up Cardiac Ridge this morning thinking that the E facing was baked out and stable, started to note some large collapses on the E facing about half way up, didn't give it much notice until I was about 200ft from the ridge line. The collapses were much larger than expected at that elevation. Decided to dig a quick pit, which revealed a wind crust formed yesterday pre-frontal, with 2 inches of graupel under the crust and an inch or two above the crust and 10 inches of light density snow capping it off. Not a real red flag but in the pits I dug I could not isolate a column, every time I started to cut out the back side of the column it would fail under the wind crust on the graupel layer from the last storm. Was not really liking the snow pack structure, sure there was only light density snow on top but when your getting large collapses and can't isolate a column makes you think. Skied the first run on the E facing then decided to put a new track up the SE facing where there was a stout melt freeze crust, with no collapsing, skied SE off of Cardiac ridge the next run as the clouds and snow increased. Probably not much hazard today but instinct told me to stick with the stout melt freeze crust. Would expect increased stabilization for tomorrow. Walking up the south facing the sun poked out momentarily and that with the green housing made the S facing go off, quickly. Would expect a zipper crust on S facing aspects in the AM Photos.

Momentary sun baking the S facing.

Cardiac Ridge E facing.

Quick pit With a graupel layer under the wind crust.

Wind crust.

Big wind yesterday knocking down trees on the summer road.