Took a field day in upper Cardiff Fork to get a good look at the snow ahead of next week's forecasted storms. Primary area of focus was the more east facing terrain of Cardiac Ridge Run. Headline news is that weak and faceted snow is prevalent on mid and upper elevation E, NE, N, and NW aspects. Shady west aspects seemed to also have weak snow at the surface.

We dug three snow pits in various locations around Cardiac Ridge Run (elevations 10,400ft through 10,700ft). All three snow pits had similar snow structure. Primary layer of concern is faceted snow that sits between two crusts at the surface of the snow pack (similar to what Grainger called out in the Broads Fork observation on 11/30). Next layer of concern is a thick layer of faceted snow that sits between 10cm and 15cm below the surface. This is a good set up for an avalanche that starts fairly small and then steps down into deeper layers. Not something you would want to take a ride in... Also worth mentioning is that the avalanche starting zones along Cardiac Ridge are visibly thin and I would presume that they hold even weaker snow than what we saw in our pits. (lesson on why a snow pit dug mid slope might not be a good indicator of stable snow...)

If we get a significant amount of snow next week, I will be avoiding slopes facing E through NW that are steeper than 30 degrees. Best bet for safe conditions next week will be mellow slope angles or slopes you are certain didn't have snow before the storms.