What a difference a couple of days makes. We rode in upper Franklin Basin today, near the location that we found great snow on Tuesday. Today the snow was a mixture wind buff, strastugi, wind slabs, and inconsistent riding snow. We rode north through south aspects in search of good snow and found the best snow at lower elevations away from ridgelines and in more protected areas. Southeast facing slopes rode better than most since the winds were from the northwest.

Although we did note any immediate avalanche concerns, there is a thick layer of surface hoar in most locations, even along the ridgelines. The surface hoar formed after the winds that persisted earlier in the week. This layer of surface hoar will become a serious avalanche concern if we ever get any new snow (not to mention the fact that the entire snowpack is rotten faced snow).