General Observations

Lutak Zone: Great riding conditions in and out of the trees in Lutak area. Skies clear, winds were light N winds, air temps below freezing and on solar aspects, the sun was having a strong effect. No blowing snow observed, although there was evidence of some light-moderate wind transport along ridgelines and on windward slopes.

At 1300', NE aspect, in an open meadow, shaded, there was 100cm snowpack composed of (25cm of new and decomposing, F hard snow), a (2cm, decomposing P hard crust, topped with 3-5mm SH grains), (20cm of 4F hard 1-2mm facets), a( decomposing, 6cm K hard crust) and below that, 50cm of (2mm+ facets to the ground).

Very weak snowpack structure in the meadow, we experienced several loud collapses in the open terrain.

At 2000' the amount of new snow was 50cm overlaying facet and crust layers.

In the trees above 1500' there was 15-25cm of new snow overlaying a K-hard crust layer; we didn't find any slabiness in the trees.

Across the inlet we watched many natural Sz1-2 loose wet avalanches start and run in steep, solar terrain between 2500' and 4000'. Frequency increased sharply around 1pm when 30-40 slides ran in ~15 minutes. All looked to be confined to the new snow at the surface.