General Observations

Transitional Zone: 3,300′ E-aspect clear, sunny, air temps <20F, snowpack depth 100cm. Soft faceted snow below and at treeline. A variable mix of wind slab, sun effect snow, sun crust, melt-freeze crust and sastrugi above treeline. Coverage looked wind blasted. Traveling on hard wind slab produced loud isolated collapses. From 3,300′ we got a drainage wide settlement that was spooky enough to turn around and descend. Upon further inspection, via the quick-pit, we found a sensitive upper wind slab with several faceted interfaces throughout the shallow snowpack. Travel looked best around rocky outcrops and thin areas, but realistically that was where the most likely trigger points were for the wind slab and persistent slab.