I focused on the layer of faceted snow that formed Feb 11-13 and was buried and preserved on isolated aspects on Feb 14. In my field work on Thursday, Feb 15 in Upper Little Cottonwood, Feb 16 on Ben Lomond, and Feb 17 in Maybird (no observation), I was not finding this layer reactive on any aspects, but there were plenty of avalanches failing on a thin layer of facets on top of a thin crust, notably on east and southeast aspects.

Three pits today:

1. West aspect at 9,500 ECTX (no fracture)

2. Southeast aspect at 9,700' ECTN22 (fracture at 22 taps, but no propagation)

3. East aspect at 9,900' ECTP21 (fracture and propagation at 21 taps - failing on a thin layer of facets above the crust down 55 cms - photo below). I repeated the test and scored the same results.

That I spent three days not seeing anything reactive on this layer - and then today could only get propagation on one slope - tells me this problem is isolated. I am beginning to step out into steeper terrain on northerly aspects, but given the presence of this weak layer on east and southeast (and perhaps southwest and west) aspects, I will avoid steeper slopes on those solar aspects. It's important to note that this is counter-intuitive to our usual thinking as slopes with a solar aspect (west/south/east) now may be weaker than northerly-facing slopes.

The layer of facets on top of the crust does not look especially weak, and I do not think it will be a lingering PWL.