Chose a relatively deep location (HS 75) with some wind loading because that is where we had a collapse.
3cm wind crust above 40cm of 1 finger- 4 finger slab. Weak layer was 2 mm facets over a thin crust. Below that, larger facets--mainly dry--to the ground.
Snow tests: 8840' NE
ECTPV, ECTP11, PST 10/100END
2 columns and 1 extended column failed on isolation. Yikes, kind of shocking! Of course the one on video required a tap from the elbow (ECTP11).
Video
A passing ski party (in the Oquirrhs??) commented on how brown the hillsides looked, given the Snotel reading of 30". Someone in our own party had said just the same moments earlier. Both knew well that Snotel sites are cherry-picked to be the locations that hold snow latest into the season. After all, snow hydrologists have methods to extrapolate area coverage using snow depth at a known location, but they can't do much with a bare patch of ground. Even so, the snotel-to-south aspect ratio is usually a bit higher.
Former USFS Snow Ranger Bob Piscopo told me in January "I doubt we're going to build a snowpack on South now. The sun angle will be too high, and unless there's a really deep storm the light will go right through to the ground". Seems he was right.
A few of the indignities of shallow snow: Checking the ski base for rock damage, and climbing rather than skiing over the fences.
Overall mostly Low danger with specific areas of Moderate for P-Slab - particularly in wind drifted terrain.
From another touring party to the north and east of us that day - checking out the starting zone and an old natural on the north facing
