Compared north-facing and south-facing aspects at 7900 feet.

On the south the snow surface was wet and water was pooling 1.5" down in the bottom cm of new snow. Below was a 6" inch melt freeze crust. Compression tests failed with moderate taps below this"corn slab" where it transitioned to 5" of very wet melt freeze grains.

On the North the snow was dry. Roughly two inches of new over a 2" crust. CT13 and CT21 below the crust, but neither in a smooth nor energetic way. 50 cm down the graupel layer that Evelyn found on the 25th is still reactive, but not without an extra hard "Tap 31".

Pic below: 15cm of weakening storm snow above the crust on mid-elevation northerlies. Good bed surface; weakening snow surface; slab incoming for mid-week storm?

The most interesting pit was at 9800 feet as we ascended from Wooley Hole to Pika Cirque. We'd skinned easily up through soft 4 to 6" wind slab overlying graupel for all of the apron and most of the chute. As we neared the top, however, the snow sounded and felt different. A quick pole probe had the punch- through feeling that makes a person pull the shovel out as the snow felt punchy and 'upside down'. No collapsing noted; minor cracking.

Extended column test propagated with five taps (1st test) and then 13 taps (2nd) on a faceting graupel layer below the slab. Not very energetic, but with 18" above the weakness we made the call to ski other slopes instead.

Cornices still impressive along the Timp Ridgeline.

Size 1-2 sluffs in upper Pika Cirque

Consolation prize was a surprising exit through what appeared to be a cliff band.