There is obviously a poor snowpack structure throughout the entire range. Facets on one or two crusts seem to be the most problematic. Interestingly, I did note some large sized (1-2 mm) facets near the top of the snowpack- which is a little weird... but so is 2021, C'EST LA VIE! These could be some near-surface facets, but it was strange to see such large grains near the top of the snowpack. This area is very wind-affected, and contained some denser wind-deposited layers overlying these problematic weak layers. Snowpack temps were fairly warm- sort of surprising, but the steep temperature gradient in the top 10-20 cm suggests that we may be forming some near-surface facets during this January drought.

Two compression tests yielded moderate results with sudden-collapse fracture character on facets above the basal crust.

There isn't much of a slab across the range, except where wind has deposited dense snow. I didn't observe snow transport at ridgetop, however, what little snow that was available for transport seemed to fill-in the skin track as well as my snowpit. Snow depth was quite variable, with some slopes in the alpine completely stripped bare of snow (NW aspect off of South Mtn.)