The well-advertised weak layers are still there, of course, with nice stiff slabs layered up over the sugary bottom. Like Mark mentioned in today's forecast of his experience yesterday, we were able to get a couple of whoomphs in less-traveled areas. We felt okay venturing into NE-facing open terrain up to about 33 degrees (High Ivory) but a quick hand pit with nice super solid, heavy slabs (wee pic) that pulled out easily kept me from wanting to go up higher into a potential starting zone. Ditto for the Cardiac Bowl area (stopped at the flat). Because upper Cardiff is grassier than the far rockier White Pine/Red Pine area where we were a coupla days ago, there are way fewer "anchors" there so it seems like there's a better opportunity for slab connectivity (but also more confident skiing due to fewer snowsharks; good/bad).

It seems to me that perhaps the snowpack has adjusted to its recent weight and such, so the addition of a coupla hundred pounds of plodding skinner may not be enough to trigger a slide. It seems like the community is being pretty conservative in their choices of lines so there aren't many body bombs to test the theory (good!). That said, accessing the Cardiac zone from LCC involves a bit of exposure, and that has stayed put despite plenty of traffic (because of the traffic?).

It'll snow eventually - hopefully next week? - and it'll be interesting to see how much comes in at what rate, in how much time, with how much water weight, because that equation could/will tip the balance, and I would/will be worried about new snow slides that could/will step down to our layer cake and even to the sugar-coated ground to create roaring monsters.

In the meantime, it still seems so thin that the harder turning required and/or higher speeds desired in steeper terrain will result in even more edge sparks a'flyin, and the existing snow is fast enough to be fun as it is.....